רְבָה
Definition
The Aramaic noun רְבָה (rᵉbâh) primarily means 'greatness' or 'increase,' denoting a state of becoming great or growing in stature, power, or prominence. In Daniel 2:48, it refers to the exaltation and promotion of Daniel, where King Nebuchadnezzar 'made him great,' granting him high authority. In the visions of Daniel 4, the word describes the immense growth of a tree, symbolizing King Nebuchadnezzar's own greatness and expansive kingdom (Daniel 4:11, 20, 22), before its humbling in Daniel 4:33.
Biblical Usage
This word is used exclusively in the Aramaic portions of the book of Daniel, all five occurrences relating to themes of royal power and exaltation. It appears in narratives about Daniel's promotion (Daniel 2:48) and in symbolic visions concerning Nebuchadnezzar's kingdom, where it describes the king's greatness as a towering tree (Daniel 4:11, 20, 22) and the loss of that greatness (Daniel 4:33). The usage consistently ties human grandeur to divine sovereignty.
Etymology
רְבָה is the Aramaic cognate of the Hebrew verb רָבָה (H7235, rāḇâ), meaning 'to be or become great, many, or much.' It shares a common Semitic root (*r-b-y) with the idea of increase and abundance. In Biblical Aramaic, it functions as a noun derived from this verbal root, specifically denoting the state or result of becoming great.
Semantic Range
This word is theologically significant as it highlights the biblical theme that human greatness is contingent upon God's sovereign will. In Daniel, earthly 'greatness' (רְבָה) is granted, symbolized, and ultimately removed by God (Daniel 4:17, 25). It underscores that all power and promotion come from the Most High, serving as a corrective to human pride and a reminder of God's ultimate authority over kingdoms.
In the ancient Near Eastern context, 'greatness' was closely associated with royal ideology, military power, and expansive dominion. The imagery of a gigantic tree (Daniel 4:10-12) was a common symbol for a mighty king and his empire in Mesopotamian literature. Daniel's use of this motif would have been immediately understood by Nebuchadnezzar, making the divine judgment against such self-glorifying 'greatness' all the more powerful.
רַב (H7229, raḇ) — A common Aramaic and Hebrew adjective meaning 'great' or 'many,' describing quantity or magnitude, whereas רְבָה focuses on the state or process of becoming great. סְגִי (H7680, sᵊḡî) — An Aramaic word meaning 'to be great, abundant, or sufficient,' often used for abundance or increase, overlapping in the semantic field of magnitude.
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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