What does רַב · עָבַד · צָעִיר mean in the Bible?
רַב · עָבַד · צָעִיר is a Hebrew phrase meaning "the older shall serve the younger".
Hebrew · H7227, H5647, H6810
רַב יַעֲבֹד צָעִיר
Abundant (in quantity, size, age, number, rank, quality) · to work (in any sense); by implication, to serve , till , (causatively) enslave , etc. · little ; (in number) few ; (in age) young , (in value) ignoble
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What this page is: Each lexicon entry shows the original Hebrew or Greek word behind the English translation: its meaning, its range of use, and where it appears in Scripture.
Strong's number: The Strong's code (H- or G-) is the standard reference number for this word. It connects this entry to chapter and passage language tabs.
Where it appears: The witness passages show where this word is used in context. Click any to open the study page for that passage.
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Words in this compound — expand to study each participant
רַב H7227 abundant (in quantity, size, age, number, rank, quality)
Pronunciation rabbim
Abundance across multiple dimensions (quantity, quality, rank, time); often implies authority or leadership capacity.
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עָבַד H5647 to work (in any sense); by implication, to serve , till , (causatively) enslave , etc.
Pronunciation ʿābad
Service encompasses labor, slavery, and worship—a single Hebrew concept uniting human work with devotion to God.
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צָעִיר H6810 little ; (in number) few ; (in age) young , (in value) ignoble
Pronunciation ṣāʿiyr
Scales downward across dimensions: size, quantity, age, and social rank or importance.
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What does רַב יַעֲבֹד צָעִיר (rav ya'avod tsa'ir) mean in the Bible?
רַב · עָבַד · צָעִיר is a Hebrew phrase meaning "the older shall serve the younger".
Full entry for רַב יַעֲבֹד צָעִיר (H7227, H5647, H6810) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How many biblical occurrences are listed for H7227, H5647, H6810?
H7227, H5647, H6810 is connected to 774 lexical occurrence verses in the lexicon data.
Evidence Summary
Hebrew phrase. the older shall serve the younger
Source Gloss
the older shall serve the younger
Grammatical Forms
How the stem changes the meaning of this verb across the biblical text.
This verb appears through different tense, voice, mood, or stem patterns. Those forms help readers see how the action is presented in context.
Form groups 1 Aligned forms 389
Qal basic active stem — the word in its most common, direct sense 2×
Perfect Deut 33:7 · Gen 18:20 2×
Word Origins
רַב יַעֲבֹד צָעִיר is built from this root:
Cross-Language Connections
Greek words that correspond to or develop the meaning of this Hebrew word in the New Testament.
Sources
MorphGNT Strong's Dictionary XML — CC0 1.0 Public Domain
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (morphhb/OSHB) — CC BY 4.0
Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon — CC BY 4.0
Berean Standard Bible (BSB) source-word alignment - CC0 Public Domain