Original Word: רֶכֶב
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: rekeb
Pronunciation: reh'-keb
Phonetic Spelling: (reh'-keb)
KJV: chariot, (upper) millstone, multitude (from the margin), wagon
NASB: chariots, chariot, charioteers, upper millstone, chariot horses, riders, train
Word Origin: [from H7392 (רָכַב - ride)]

1. a vehicle
2. (by implication) a team
3. (by extension) cavalry
4. (by analogy) a rider
5. (hence, specially) the upper millstone

chariot, upper millstone, multitude, wagon

From rakab; a vehicle; by implication, a team; by extension, cavalry; by analogy a rider, i.e. The upper millstone -- chariot, (upper) millstone, multitude (from the margin), wagon.

see HEBREW rakab

Word Origin
from rakab
Definition
chariotry, chariot, millstone
NASB Translation
chariot (19), chariot horses (2), charioteers (3), chariots (87), rider (1), riders (2), train (2), upper millstone (3).

רֶ֫כֶב noun masculine^{2Kings 13:7} [even Nahum 2:5, where read מַרְאֵיהֶם (for הֶן-) We Now Albr^{ZAW xvi (1896), 90}] chariotry, chariot, mill-stone; apparently also riders (compare Lag^{BN 151}); — absolute ׳ר Genesis 50:9 +, רָ֑כֶב 2 Samuel 8:4 +; construct דֶכֶב Exodus 14:9 +; suffix דִכְבִּי Judges 4:7 +, רִכְבּוֺ 2 Kings 5:9 +, דִכְבָּהּ Nahum 2:14; plural construct רִכְבֵי Songs 1:9; — Hosea 10:13 see below; —

1₁₀₉ collective chariotry, chariots [sometimes of specific no. 2 Kings 13:7; 2 Samuel 8:4; Exodus 14:7 etc.; often + מָּרָשִׁים, (ים) סוּס], especially war-chariots : in Egypt Exodus 14:7 (J), Joshua 24:6 (E) +; early Canaan Joshua 11:4; Judges 4:7,13; Judges 5:28 (not singular; "" מַרְכְּבוֺתָיו) +, called כַּרְוֶל ׳ר (i.e. iron-bound, or studded, compare GFM^{Judges 1:2 19and references}), Joshua 17:16,18; Judges 1:19; Judges 4:3,13 ; Philistine, according to 1 Samuel 13:5; 2 Samuel 1:6; Aram 2 Samuel 8:4; 2 Samuel 10:18 +; Judah and Israel (from David's time, compare 2 Samuel 8:4) 1 Kings 9:19,22; 1 Kings 10:26 +, read also בְּרִכְבְּךָ Hosea 10:13 (for בְּדַרְכְּךָ) ᵐ5^B We Now GASm; Assyria 2 Kings 19:23 = Isaiah 37:24; Nahum 2:4; Nahum 2:5; Nahum 2:14 (to be burnt; made mainly of wood); Babylon Jeremiah 47:3 (on title Jeremiah 47:1, see Gf Gie), Jeremiah 50:37; Jeremiah 51:21; Ezekiel 23:24 +, etc.; for dignity and display 1 Kings 1:5; 2 Kings 5:9; Jeremiah 17:25; Jeremiah 22:4; Isaiah 66:20, compare Genesis 50:9 (J), (compare also 1 Kings 9:19,22; 1 Kings 10:26, etc.); figurative of Elijah, יִשְׂרָאֵל וּפָרָשׁיו ׳ר 2 Kings 2:12, of elisha 2 Kings 13:14; רֶכֶב אֵשׁ 2 Kings 2:11 chariotry of fire (at Elijah's translation); אֵל ׳ר Psalm 68:18 chariots of El, i.e. his heavenly host, compare vision 2 Kings 6:17, and also 2 Kings 7:6; ׳ר meton, for chariot-horses 2 Samuel 8:4 = 1 Chronicles 18:4.

2 of single chariot 1 Kings 22:35,38; 2 Kings 9:21 (twice in verse); 2 Kings 9:24; 2 Kings 10:16; 2Chronicles 35:24, probably also Exodus 14:6; plural רִכְבֵי פַרְעֹה Songs 1:9.

3 upper millstone (as riding on the lower) Deuteronomy 24:6; Judges 9:53; 2 Samuel 11:21.

4 apparently = riders (collective), troop (of riders): שְׁנֵי רֶכֶב סוּסִים 2 Kings 7:14 **read perhaps רֹכְבֵי, compare ᵐ5 and 2 Kings 9:16 Bur.; two riders of horses, horsemen (ro two chariots drawn by horses ?); in following text dubious: גָּמֶל ׳חֲמוֺר ר ׳צֶמֶד פָרָשִׁים ר ׳ד Isaiah 21:7 riders, namely a pair of horsemen, ass-riders, camel-rides; compare אִישׁ צֶמֶד מָּרָשִׁים ׳ר Isaiah 21:9 i.e. men riding, a pair of horsemen; אָדָם מָּרָשִׁים ׳בְּד Isaiah 22:6 with riders (consisting of) men, horsemen, but use of אָדָם very improbable; attractive is with chariotry of (drawn by) steeds (׳א as gloss) Du Che^Hpt Di-Kit but ׳פ hardly steeds here (compare ׳פ horsemen, Isaiah 22:7); read perhaps simply ׳וּפ ׳בְּר.

Military Technology and Strategy

רֶכֶב appears most frequently in contexts of warfare, underscoring the chariot’s decisive role on the ancient Near-Eastern battlefield. Pharaoh’s best “six hundred choice chariots” pursued Israel to the Red Sea (Exodus 14:7), and his entire chariot corps was swept away when “the waters returned and covered the chariots” (Exodus 14:28). From the conquest of Canaan onward, Israel repeatedly faced enemies whose superiority was measured by chariot numbers (Joshua 11:4; Judges 4:3; 1 Samuel 13:5). By David’s reign Israel itself fielded chariot units (2 Samuel 8:4), and Solomon expanded the arm to an unprecedented scale, amassing “one thousand four hundred chariots and twelve thousand horses” (1 Kings 10:26). Yet the corpus also records the vulnerability of chariot power before the LORD’s intervention, as in Sisera’s rout (Judges 4:15) or when the Syrians lost “seven hundred charioteers” to David (2 Samuel 10:18).

Royal Splendor and Political Power

Beyond combat, רֶכֶב denotes prestige. Joseph rode in Pharaoh’s “second chariot” as vizier (Genesis 41:43), and Jacob’s funeral procession impressed Canaan’s inhabitants with “a very large company of chariots” (Genesis 50:9). Solomon’s stables at Hazor, Megiddo and Gezer (1 Kings 9:19) reflected his international status and economic reach, confirming archaeological evidence of Judean chariot cities. The monarchy’s reliance on these vehicles later drew prophetic censure when kings sought Egyptian cavalry instead of divine help (Isaiah 31:1).

Instruments of Judgment

Chariots serve repeatedly as agents or emblems of God’s judgment. The prophet Nahum envisions Nineveh’s downfall with “chariots flashing with steel on the day of its preparation” (Nahum 2:3), while Jeremiah likens invading armies to “his chariots like a whirlwind” (Jeremiah 4:13). The image intensifies in Habakkuk 3:8 where the LORD Himself is depicted with “Your chariots of salvation,” emphasizing His sovereignty over every human engine of war.

Divine and Angelic Symbolism

On several occasions רֶכֶב transcends earthly reality. Psalm 68:17 celebrates: “The chariots of God are myriads, thousands upon thousands.” When Elijah is taken up, a “chariot of fire and horses of fire” separate him from Elisha (2 Kings 2:11); later Elisha’s servant’s eyes are opened to behold “the mountain full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha” (2 Kings 6:17). These passages unveil the unseen forces of heaven that defend God’s servants and supersede any earthly cavalry.

Faith versus Reliance on Human Strength

Repeated warnings discourage trust in chariots. Moses commands future kings not to “multiply horses” (implicitly, chariots) lest their hearts turn from the LORD (Deuteronomy 17:16). Psalm 20:7 contrasts the vain security of “chariots” with the believer’s confidence “in the name of the LORD our God.” Isaiah 2:7 indicts Judah, “Their land is full of horses, and there is no end to their chariots,” diagnosing material security as spiritual decline. The theological refrain is clear: military technology is no substitute for covenant faithfulness.

Prophetic and Poetic Imagery

Poets employ רֶכֶב for vivid comparisons. In Song of Solomon 1:9 the beloved is likened to “a mare among Pharaoh’s chariots,” suggesting beauty amid royal splendor. Zechariah 6:1–8 reveals four heavenly chariots emerging between bronze mountains, symbolizing God’s universal governance. Such imagery anchors prophetic visions in familiar military language while elevating the concept to cosmic scale.

Archaeological and Historical Insights

Late Bronze and Iron Age discoveries from sites like Megiddo corroborate biblical references to stables and chariotry. Reliefs from Egypt and Assyria depict two-horse, two-man platforms consistent with descriptions in Scripture. Speed, shock value, and mobility explain why ancient scribes so often quantified military strength in chariots, justifying the roughly one-hundred-twenty textual occurrences of רֶכֶב.

Christological and Eschatological Hints

Although the New Testament never uses the Hebrew term, the motif informs Christian hope. Elijah’s fiery ascent prefigures Christ’s ascension; Psalm 68, applied to Jesus in Ephesians 4:8, associates the victorious Messiah with the “myriads of chariots.” Revelation echoes Old Testament war-chariot imagery to portray the Conqueror who returns on a white horse with the armies of heaven (Revelation 19:11-16).

Pastoral and Homiletical Application

1. Reliance on human resources—symbolized by chariots—must never eclipse faith in the LORD (Psalm 20:7).
2. Divine protection surpasses visible defenses; believers may pray for eyes to discern “chariots of fire” encamped around them (2 Kings 6:17).
3. Earthly power is fleeting; Pharaoh’s drowned chariots (Exodus 14:28) and Nineveh’s burning wagons (Nahum 2:13) remind congregations that only the kingdom of God endures.
4. Spiritual leadership should heed Deuteronomy 17:16, avoiding accumulation of status symbols that foster pride and compromise dependence on God.

Summary

רֶכֶב threads through Scripture as a tangible measure of human might, a symbol of regal grandeur, an instrument of judgment, and ultimately a canvas upon which God proclaims His unrivaled power. Whether thundering in earthly combat or blazing in celestial glory, every chariot in the biblical narrative points beyond itself to the LORD who “rides through the heavens to your aid” (Deuteronomy 33:26).

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