Lexical Summary rebabah: Multitude, ten thousand, myriad Original Word: רְבָבָה Strong's Exhaustive Concordance many, million, multiply, ten thousand From rabab; abundance (in number), i.e. (specifically) a myriad (whether definite or indefinite) -- many, million, X multiply, ten thousand. see HEBREW rabab NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom rabab Definition multitude, myriad, ten thousand NASB Translation myriad (1), numerous (1), ten thousand (6), ten thousands (7). Brown-Driver-Briggs רְבָבָה noun feminine multitude, myriad, ten thousand (Köii.1.221); — absolute ׳ר Genesis 24:60 +; suffix רִבְבָתוֺ Kt 1 Samuel 18:7 2t. (Qr רִבְבֹתָיו); plural absolute רְבָבוֺת 1 Samuel 18:8 construct ִרבְבוֺת Micah 6:7 +, ִרבֲבוֺת Deuteronomy 33:17; suffixsee above Qr; — myriad 10,000: of great number of person, indefinite Genesis 24:60 (J; אַלְפֵי רְבָבָה thousands of myriads), Deuteronomy 33:2(poem; מֵרִבְבוֺת קֹרֶשׁ, but see קֹרֶשׁ, near the end). Psalm 3:7; ct Psalm 5:10; ׳ִרבְבוֺת אַלְפֵי תִשׂ Numbers 10:36, compare Deuteronomy 33:17 (poem); — רְבָבָה Ezekiel 16:7 read רְבִי ᵐ5 Co Berthol Krae; — more precisely(100, 1000), 10,000, Judges 20:10; opposed to 2, Deuteronomy 32:30 (poem), opposed to 100, Leviticus 26:8 (H), opposed to 1000, 1 Samuel 18:7,8; 1 Samuel 21:12; 1 Samuel 29:5; Psalm 91:7; so of things, Micah 6:7. Topical Lexicon Scope and Literary Distribution רְבָבָה appears sixteen times, spanning Torah, Historical Books, Poetry, Prophets, and the Song of Songs. The word functions not merely as a head-count but as a theological shorthand for fullness, abundance, and immeasurable blessing. It regularly stands at key covenantal junctures—patriarchal blessing (Genesis 24:60), national promise (Leviticus 26:8), tribal prophecy (Deuteronomy 33:17), royal triumph (1 Samuel 18:7), and prophetic warning (Micah 6:7). Covenant Fruitfulness and Patriarchal Hope Genesis 24:60 inaugurates the term within Israel’s story: “May you become thousands of myriads, and may your offspring possess the gates of their enemies!”. Rebekah’s departure toward Isaac encapsulates the Abrahamic promise of innumerable descendants (Genesis 22:17). רְבָבָה therefore marks the line where personal family blessing intersects future national identity. Military Victory and Divine Empowerment Leviticus 26:8 and Deuteronomy 32:30 contrast human inadequacy with divine empowerment: a few covenant-keepers rout “ten thousand” because “their Rock” fights for them. Judges 20:10, 1 Samuel 18–29, Psalm 3:6, and Psalm 91:7 repeat the motif. Whether celebrating Davidic victories or David’s personal confidence, the term magnifies YHWH’s ability to overturn military math. Even Israel’s battlefield failures (Deuteronomy 32:30) expose covenant breach, not divine weakness. Revelation at Sinai and Angelic Hosts Deuteronomy 33:2 situates רְבָבָה in a theophany: “He came with myriads of holy ones.” The setting links Israel’s lawgiving with the heavenly army, later echoed in Daniel 7:10 and Hebrews 12:22. Sinai is thus framed not as a solitary desert moment but as the earthly manifestation of a cosmic assembly. Tribal Prosperity and Mission Moses blesses Joseph: “Such are the myriads of Ephraim” (Deuteronomy 33:17). Ephraim’s numerical growth prefigures its leading role among the northern tribes, while the paired “thousands of Manasseh” preserves balance. The text presents population expansion as prerequisite for extending dominion “to the ends of the earth,” hinting at Israel’s missional vocation. Romantic Excellence and Individual Eminence Song of Songs 5:10 applies the term to personal admiration: the bridegroom is “outstanding among ten thousand.” Here רְבָבָה shifts from quantity to quality, underscoring uniqueness amid abundance—an image that later Christian hymnody applies to Christ (“fairest of ten thousand”). Prophetic Contrast: True Worship versus Empty Extravagance Micah 6:7 questions whether “ten thousand rivers of oil” can please the LORD. The prophet exposes the futility of lavish ritual divorced from justice and humility (Micah 6:8). רְבָבָה, once a sign of blessing, becomes an ironic measure of hollow religiosity when covenant ethics are ignored. Restoration Imagery Ezekiel 16:7 pictures Jerusalem nurtured to become “an abundance” (lit. a רְבָבָה). The numeral morphs into a botanical metaphor of flourishing womanhood, aligning physical maturity with the city’s intended beauty and influence before her fall into unfaithfulness. Messianic and Eschatological Resonances The Davidic “tens of thousands” (1 Samuel 18) anticipate the greater Son of David whose victories are cosmic. Revelation 5:11 portrays “myriads of myriads” around the Lamb, picking up the Sinai and Daniel backgrounds. In this perspective, רְבָבָה foreshadows the innumerable redeemed host and the ultimate triumph of the Messiah. Pastoral and Ministry Applications 1. Encouragement in Minority Situations: Leaders can draw from Leviticus 26:8 to remind congregations that faithfulness, not numbers, determines victory. Summary רְבָבָה operates as Scripture’s numeric superlative, constantly pointing beyond mere arithmetic to covenant fidelity, divine supremacy, and eschatological hope. Whether describing Israel’s population, angelic armies, military triumphs, or sacrificial excess, the term drives the reader to trust the God who alone turns a handful into “ten thousand” and who finally gathers an innumerable company around His victorious King. Forms and Transliterations בְּרִֽבְב֖וֹת בְּרִבְבֹתָֽיו׃ בְּרִבְבֹתָֽיו׃ ברבבות ברבבתיו׃ וּרְבָבָ֥ה ורבבה לָרְבָבָ֔ה לרבבה מֵרְבָבָֽה׃ מֵרִבְב֥וֹת מֵרִבְבֹ֣ת מרבבה׃ מרבבות מרבבת רְבָב֔וֹת רְבָבָ֑ה רְבָבָ֗ה רְבָבָ֣ה רִֽבְב֖וֹת רִבְב֣וֹת רבבה רבבות bə·riḇ·ḇō·ṯāw bə·riḇ·ḇō·wṯ bəriḇḇōṯāw bəriḇḇōwṯ berivVot berivvoTav lā·rə·ḇā·ḇāh lārəḇāḇāh larevaVah mê·rə·ḇā·ḇāh mê·riḇ·ḇō·wṯ mê·riḇ·ḇōṯ mêrəḇāḇāh merevaVah mêriḇḇōṯ mêriḇḇōwṯ merivVot rə·ḇā·ḇāh rə·ḇā·ḇō·wṯ rəḇāḇāh rəḇāḇōwṯ revaVah revaVot riḇ·ḇō·wṯ riḇḇōwṯ rivVot ū·rə·ḇā·ḇāh ūrəḇāḇāh urevaVahLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Genesis 24:60 HEB: הֲיִ֖י לְאַלְפֵ֣י רְבָבָ֑ה וְיִירַ֣שׁ זַרְעֵ֔ךְ NAS: thousands of ten thousands, And may your descendants KJV: [the mother] of thousands of millions, and let thy seed INT: Become thousands of ten possess and may your descendants Leviticus 26:8 Numbers 10:36 Deuteronomy 32:30 Deuteronomy 33:2 Deuteronomy 33:17 Judges 20:10 1 Samuel 18:7 1 Samuel 18:8 1 Samuel 21:12 1 Samuel 29:5 Psalm 3:6 Psalm 91:7 Songs 5:10 Ezekiel 16:7 Micah 6:7 16 Occurrences |
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