Lexical Summary mirbah: much Original Word: מִרְבָּה Strong's Exhaustive Concordance much From rabah; abundance, i.e. A great quantity -- much. see HEBREW rabah NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom rabah Definition much NASB Translation much (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs מִרְבָּה noun feminine much; — only לְהָכִיל ׳מ Ezekiel 23:32 much to contain, i.e. which contains much; but read מַרָבָּה Hiph`il Participle Hi-Sm Co Berthol Krae (see √ Hiph`il 1 d (1)). Topical Lexicon Conceptual Overview מִרְבָּה appears only once in Scripture, Ezekiel 23:32, where it modifies the “cup” destined for Oholibah (Jerusalem). Though the narrative pictures the cup of judgment as “deep and wide,” the added phrase לְמִרְבָּה presses the idea of overwhelming quantity—an excess that cannot be contained. The term thereby intensifies both the certainty and the magnitude of divine retribution. Literary Setting in Ezekiel 23 Ezekiel 23 recounts the allegory of two sisters, Oholah (Samaria) and Oholibah (Jerusalem), whose infidelities mirror the northern and southern kingdoms’ covenant unfaithfulness. Verse 32 is the climax of Yahweh’s indictment: “This is what the Lord GOD says: ‘You will drink your sister’s cup, which is deep and wide; you will be an object of scorn and derision, for it holds so much’ ” (Ezekiel 23:32). Here מִרְבָּה turns a punitive object (the cup) into a symbol of superabundant wrath. The depth and breadth of the cup are no longer metaphorical flourishes; they are quantitatively qualified. Jerusalem’s judgment will be neither token nor partial but overflowing. Historical and Prophetic Significance 1. Babylon on the Horizon: Ezekiel prophesied while the Babylonian threat loomed. The imagery of an overflowing cup anticipates the siege and destruction of Jerusalem (586 B.C.). Theology of Divine Cup Imagery • Cup of Wrath: Psalms 75:8 speaks of a foaming cup held by the Lord, “and all the wicked of the earth drink it down to the dregs.” Ezekiel 23:32 contributes the idea that the cup can be filled to overflowing. Pastoral and Ministry Applications 1. Warning Against Presumption: The overflowing cup warns congregations not to trivialize sin. Persistent rebellion stores up an abundance (מִרְבָּה) of consequences. Inter-Biblical Connections and Typology • Overflowing Measure: Luke 6:38 promises a “good measure—pressed down, shaken together, and running over.” The same Hebraic concept of excess applies, whether judgment or blessing. Summary Though מִרְבָּה appears only once, its strategic placement amplifies the narrative of Ezekiel 23 and enriches the biblical theology of divine recompense. The term’s emphasis on abundance transforms a symbolic cup into a sobering declaration that God’s judgments, like His mercies, are magnified in proportion to human response. Forms and Transliterations מִרְבָּ֥ה מרבה mir·bāh mirBah mirbāhLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Ezekiel 23:32 HEB: לִצְחֹ֛ק וּלְלַ֖עַג מִרְבָּ֥ה לְהָכִֽיל׃ NAS: It contains much. KJV: it containeth much. INT: will be laughed mock much contains 1 Occurrence |