רְבָבָה
abundance (in number), i.e. (specifically) a myriad (whether definite or indefinite)
Definition
The Hebrew noun רְבָבָה (rᵉbâbâh) fundamentally denotes a vast, uncountable multitude, specifically a myriad or ten thousand. It is used both literally to describe immense numbers, such as the promise of countless descendants in Genesis 24:60, and figuratively to express overwhelming abundance, as in the military hyperbole of one person chasing ten thousand in Deuteronomy 32:30. In poetic contexts, it emphasizes the incalculable nature of God's blessings or the vastness of His heavenly host, as seen in Deuteronomy 33:2. The word can function as a specific numeral ('ten thousand') or as an indefinite term for an innumerable multitude.
Biblical Usage
רְבָבָה appears 16 times, primarily in poetic and prophetic books (Deuteronomy, Psalms, Song of Solomon) and historical narratives. It is used in blessings of progeny (Genesis 24:60), descriptions of military might (Judges 20:10; 1 Samuel 18:7), and depictions of divine judgment or favor (Leviticus 26:8). A key pattern is its use in hyperbolic comparisons to illustrate impossibility or supreme advantage, such as in Deuteronomy 32:30. It also describes the innumerable company accompanying God (Deuteronomy 33:2) and the abundant offspring of Joseph (Deuteronomy 33:17).
Etymology
Derived from the root רָבַב (rābab, H7231), meaning 'to be or become many, to multiply.' This root conveys the concept of increasing abundance. רְבָבָה is the feminine noun form, intensifying the sense of a multiplied, vast number. Cognates in other Semitic languages, like Ugaritic, also carry the meaning of 'myriad' or 'ten thousand,' indicating a shared cultural understanding of large numerical units.
Semantic Range
This word is theologically significant as it underscores God's covenant promise of innumerable offspring to Abraham's lineage (Genesis 24:60), highlighting His faithfulness and power to multiply. It portrays God's sovereign might, whether in commanding a heavenly myriad (Deuteronomy 33:2) or in granting miraculous victory against impossible odds (Deuteronomy 32:30). Understanding רְבָבָה enriches reading by revealing the biblical emphasis on God's abundant, often incalculable, provision and the hyperbolic language used to express His supreme authority and the magnitude of His blessings.
In ancient Near Eastern culture, large numbers like 'ten thousand' (רְבָבָה) often functioned as a standard military unit or a symbolic term for an uncountable host, similar to the Greek 'myriad.' Unlike modern precise mathematics, such terms were frequently used in hyperbolic or idealized speech to convey overwhelming size, victory, or blessing, reflecting a literary and rhetorical approach to numbers.
אֶלֶף (eleph, H505) — 'thousand'; a smaller military or census unit. רֹב (rov, H7230) — 'multitude, abundance'; a more general term for greatness in number. חֵיל (ḥayil, H2428) — 'army, wealth, force'; can denote a large, powerful group but with a focus on strength or resources.
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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