רֶבַע
Reba, a Midianite
Definition
Reba is a proper noun referring to a Midianite king who was defeated by the Israelites during their wilderness journey. The name appears only in the context of the Midianite war in Numbers 31:8 and the subsequent listing of defeated kings in Joshua 13:21. As one of the five kings of Midian, Reba was slain alongside his peers—Evi, Rekem, Zur, and Hur—by the Israelite army under Moses' command. The name itself, meaning 'fourth' or 'square,' may denote his order of birth or position, but its primary biblical significance is tied to his role as a defeated enemy leader.
Biblical Usage
The word is used exclusively as a proper name for a Midianite king in two Old Testament passages. It first appears in the historical account of the Israelite victory over Midian in Numbers 31:8, which lists the five slain kings. It is referenced again in Joshua 13:21, where Moses' conquests east of the Jordan are recounted, and the defeated Midianite kings are named as part of the territory allotted to the tribe of Reuben. There is no other usage or symbolic application in the biblical text.
Etymology
Reba (רֶבַע) is derived from the same root as the common Hebrew noun reba' (H7253), which means 'a fourth part' or 'square.' As a proper name, it likely functioned as a personal name meaning 'Fourth,' possibly indicating birth order (a fourth son) or another symbolic association with the number four in Semitic culture. It shares this root with terms for 'quadrangle' or 'four-sided,' but its use as a name is specific to this individual.
Semantic Range
In the ancient Near East, personal names often held descriptive or numerical significance, and 'Reba' fits this pattern. As a Midianite king, Reba represented one of the tribal leaders of a nomadic people group frequently in conflict with Israel. The listing of five kings (Numbers 31:8) underscores the coalition nature of Midianite leadership. His defeat symbolizes God's judgment on nations that opposed Israel's destiny, particularly through the incident at Peor (Numbers 25), where Midianite women led Israelites into idolatry.
Zur (H6698) — Another Midianite king slain alongside Reba (Numbers 31:8).
Word Details
How this works
Hebrew definitions are from Brown-Driver-Briggs (1906) and Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (1890), both public domain. BDB was groundbreaking for its era but reflects 19th-century assumptions about Semitic etymology. Modern scholarship (HALOT, DCH) has revised many entries. Use these definitions as a starting point for exploration, not as the final word on a term's meaning in context.
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