What does רָבָה (rābāh) mean in the Bible?
רָבָה (rābāh): Expansion from quantity to authority and dominance; used of God's covenant blessing multiplying nations and power.
Hebrew · H7235
רָבָה
To increase (in whatever respect)
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רָבָה H7235
Pronunciation rābāh
What does רָבָה (rābāh) mean in the Bible?
רָבָה (rābāh): Expansion from quantity to authority and dominance; used of God's covenant blessing multiplying nations and power.
Full entry for רָבָה (H7235) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H7235?
The BSB source-word alignment has 226 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include and multiply (19), . . . (7), multiplied (6), great (5), more (5).
Where does רָבָה (rābāh) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Genesis 1:22. Its strongest book concentrations include Genesis (29), Deuteronomy (20), Ezekiel (20), Ecclesiastes (18).
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders It and multiply 19× Genesis 1:22, Genesis 1:28, Genesis 8:17, Genesis 9:1
. . . 7× Genesis 3:16, Genesis 16:10, Genesis 22:17, Ezra 10:1
multiplied 6× Exodus 1:20, Judges 16:24, 2 Chronicles 36:14, Ezekiel 31:5
great 5× Genesis 15:1, 2 Kings 21:6, 2 Chronicles 32:27, 2 Chronicles 33:6
more 5× Exodus 16:17, Exodus 36:5, Leviticus 11:42, 2 Samuel 18:8
much 5× Joshua 13:1, Ecclesiastes 5:12, Ecclesiastes 9:18, Haggai 1:6
and multiply you 4× Genesis 28:3, Genesis 48:4, Deuteronomy 7:13, Deuteronomy 13:17
Many 4× 2 Samuel 1:4, Ecclesiastes 11:8, Ecclesiastes 12:9
as numerous 3× Genesis 26:4, Exodus 32:13, 1 Chronicles 27:23
Increase 3× Numbers 26:54, Deuteronomy 8:13, Ecclesiastes 5:11
You have multiplied 3× Ezekiel 11:6, Ezekiel 16:51, Nahum 3:16
a great 2× Genesis 21:20, Judges 20:38
a great amount 2× 2 Samuel 12:30, 1 Chronicles 20:2
an abundance 2× Nehemiah 5:18, Jeremiah 40:12
and I will multiply 2× Genesis 17:2, Genesis 22:17
exalts me 2× 2 Samuel 22:36, Psalms 18:35
flourish 2× Proverbs 28:28, Proverbs 29:2
greatly 2× 2 Chronicles 11:12, Ezra 10:13
has multiplied 2× Deuteronomy 1:10, Hosea 8:14
I will multiply 2× Ezekiel 36:10, Ezekiel 36:37
increases 2× Psalms 49:16, Proverbs 29:16
may be multiplied 2× Exodus 11:9, Deuteronomy 11:21
multiply 2× Genesis 1:22, Jeremiah 29:6
the more 2× Ecclesiastes 6:11
the more they multiplied 2× Exodus 1:12, Hosea 4:7
will be multiplied 2× Proverbs 9:11, Proverbs 13:11
you multiply 2× Isaiah 1:15, Jeremiah 3:16
[Hannah] kept on 1× 1 Samuel 1:12
a great amount of 1× 2 Chronicles 14:13
a great cargo 1× 1 Kings 10:11
a great number of 1× 2 Samuel 12:2
a great quantity of 1× 1 Kings 10:10
a long 1× 1 Samuel 7:2
a lot 1× 2 Kings 10:18
a wealth 1× Ecclesiastes 1:16
accumulate 1× Deuteronomy 17:17
acquire many 1× Deuteronomy 17:16
acquire more 1× Deuteronomy 17:16
After a long 1× Genesis 38:12
amount 1× 2 Samuel 8:8
and enlarge 1× 1 Chronicles 4:10
and grow up 1× Job 39:4
and have committed a grave 1× 1 Samuel 26:21
and I multiplied 1× Joshua 24:3
and increase 1× Deuteronomy 30:16
and increased 1× Ezekiel 16:26
and increases 1× Isaiah 40:29
and make it plentiful 1× Ezekiel 36:29
and many 1× Ezekiel 21:15
and much 1× Ecclesiastes 12:12
and multiplied 1× Isaiah 57:9
and multiplied him 1× Isaiah 51:2
and multiplies 1× Job 34:37
and reared 1× Lamentations 2:22
and rise 1× Genesis 7:18
and there is so much 1× Nehemiah 4:10
and they had many 1× 1 Chronicles 8:40
and they multiply 1× Psalms 107:38
and they will be as numerous 1× Zechariah 10:8
and they will multiply 1× Ezekiel 36:11
and though I will multiply 1× Exodus 7:3
and use an abundance 1× Jeremiah 2:22
and very many 1× Joshua 22:8
and will greatly 1× Daniel 11:39
are higher than 1× Ezra 9:6
are many 1× Job 27:14
be excessively 1× Ecclesiastes 7:17
become as numerous 1× 1 Chronicles 4:27
boast 1× 1 Samuel 2:3
by lavish 1× Proverbs 6:35
deep 1× 1 Kings 4:29
Demand 1× Genesis 34:12
do You gain 1× Psalms 44:12
even more 1× Amos 4:4
from increasing 1× 2 Samuel 14:11
generously provided 1× 2 Chronicles 31:5
Give a larger 1× Numbers 33:54
give more 1× Exodus 30:15
grow large 1× Deuteronomy 8:13
had increased 1× 1 Chronicles 5:9
have been much greater 1× 1 Samuel 14:30
have many 1× 1 Chronicles 23:11
He has multiplied 1× Lamentations 2:5
he multiplies 1× Hosea 12:1
He often 1× Psalms 78:38
he who gathered much 1× Exodus 16:18
He who increases 1× Proverbs 28:8
He will freely 1× Isaiah 55:7
I will fill 1× Ezekiel 36:11
I will greatly multiply 1× Genesis 16:10
I will multiply them 1× Jeremiah 30:19
I will sharply increase 1× Genesis 3:16
in abundance 1× Psalms 130:7
in number 1× Genesis 47:27
in such abundance 1× Genesis 41:49
in your growing 1× Amos 4:9
increased 1× 2 Chronicles 33:23
is great 1× Deuteronomy 19:6
is greater 1× Job 33:12
is multiplied 1× Deuteronomy 8:13
is too great 1× Deuteronomy 14:24
Its abundant 1× Nehemiah 9:37
larger than 1× Genesis 43:34
many more 1× Deuteronomy 3:5
more from 1× Numbers 35:8
more than 1× Jonah 4:11
much more 1× 2 Chronicles 25:9
multiplies 1× Ecclesiastes 10:14
Muster 1× Judges 9:29
numerous 1× 1 Chronicles 23:17
of many 1× Ecclesiastes 12:12
of the many 1× Jeremiah 42:2
overly 1× Ecclesiastes 7:16
Pile on 1× Ezekiel 24:10
plentiful 1× Ezekiel 36:30
rose 1× Genesis 7:17
sent many 1× Nehemiah 6:17
she reared 1× Ezekiel 19:2
sing many 1× Isaiah 23:16
so do many 1× Ecclesiastes 5:7
so much 1× 2 Kings 21:16
So you extended 1× Ezekiel 16:29
take many 1× Deuteronomy 17:17
the more he increased 1× Hosea 10:1
They continue 1× Jeremiah 46:16
they had many 1× 1 Chronicles 7:4
they multiplied 1× Exodus 1:7
they once were 1× Zechariah 10:8
they will increase even more 1× Exodus 1:10
they would outnumber 1× Psalms 139:18
thrive 1× Proverbs 29:16
to enrich 1× Proverbs 22:16
to him who amasses 1× Habakkuk 2:6
too much 1× Proverbs 25:27
was greater than 1× 1 Kings 4:30
Wash me clean 1× Psalms 51:2
were numerous 1× 1 Chronicles 5:23
who lavished 1× Hosea 2:8
will be many 1× Proverbs 4:10
Will he beg 1× Job 41:3
will I multiply 1× Jeremiah 33:22
will increase 1× Daniel 12:4
will multiply 1× Psalms 16:4
With increasing 1× Ezekiel 16:25
with many 1× 2 Chronicles 16:8
with much 1× Ecclesiastes 5:17
with plenty of 1× Isaiah 30:33
would multiply 1× Deuteronomy 7:22
Yet she multiplied 1× Ezekiel 23:19
you and multiply 1× Genesis 26:24
You grew up 1× Ezekiel 16:7
You have enlarged 1× Isaiah 9:3
you have increased 1× Ezekiel 28:5
You multiplied 1× Nehemiah 9:23
You shall increase 1× Leviticus 25:16
you try many 1× Jeremiah 46:11
You will increase 1× Psalms 71:21
Show sample aligned rows
Genesis 1:22 וּרְב֗וּ to and multiply Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine plural Genesis 1:22 יִ֥רֶב to multiply Verb - Qal - Imperfect Jussive - third person masculine singular Genesis 1:28 וּרְב֛וּ to and multiply Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine plural Genesis 3:16 הַרְבָּ֤ה to I will sharply increase Verb - Hifil - Infinitive absolute Genesis 3:16 אַרְבֶּה֙ to . . . Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - first person common singular Genesis 7:17 וַיִּרְבּ֣וּ to rose Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural Genesis 7:18 וַיִּרְבּ֥וּ to and rise Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural Genesis 8:17 וְרָב֖וּ to and multiply Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural Genesis 9:1 וּרְב֖וּ to and multiply Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine plural Genesis 9:7 וּרְב֑וּ to and multiply Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine plural
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Genesis 1:22
Aligned rows 226
Books represented 31
Genesis 29 Exodus 11 Leviticus 3 Numbers 3 Deuteronomy 20 Joshua 3 Judges 3 1 Samuel 5 2 Samuel 7 1 Kings 4 2 Kings 3 1 Chronicles 10 2 Chronicles 9 Ezra 3 Nehemiah 8 Job 8 Psalms 10 Proverbs 11 Ecclesiastes 18 Isaiah 8 Jeremiah 10 Lamentations 2 Ezekiel 20 Daniel 2 Hosea 7 Amos 2 Jonah 1 Nahum 1 Habakkuk 1 Haggai 2 Zechariah 2
Source forms
הַרְבֵּ֥ה 14x har·bêh Genesis 15:1, Deuteronomy 3:5, 1 Samuel 26:21, 2 Samuel 8:8
הַרְבֵּ֖ה 7x har·bêh Nehemiah 4:19, Ecclesiastes 1:16, Ecclesiastes 5:12, Ecclesiastes 5:17
הַרְבֵּ֣ה 5x har·bêh Genesis 41:49, Joshua 22:8, 1 Kings 4:29, 2 Kings 21:16
הִרְבָּ֖ה 3x hir·bāh Judges 16:24, Jeremiah 46:16, Hosea 8:14
הַרְבֵּ֑ה 3x har·bêh Nehemiah 4:1, Nehemiah 4:10, Ecclesiastes 5:7
הַרְבֵּה֙ 3x har·bêh Ecclesiastes 2:7, Ecclesiastes 12:12, Haggai 1:9
הַרְבֵּ֔ה 3x har·bêh Ecclesiastes 5:20, Ecclesiastes 7:16, Isaiah 30:33
הַרְבֵּֽה׃ 3x har·bêh 2 Kings 10:18, Ecclesiastes 9:18, Ecclesiastes 12:9
Parsing patterns
Verb - Hifil - Infinitive absolute 47x Genesis 3:16, Genesis 15:1, Genesis 16:10, Genesis 41:49
Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine singular 11x Exodus 30:15, Deuteronomy 17:16, Deuteronomy 17:17, Job 41:3
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singular 10x Genesis 17:20, Genesis 26:4, Genesis 26:24, Exodus 7:3
Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person masculine singular 9x Deuteronomy 1:10, Judges 16:24, 2 Kings 21:6, 2 Chronicles 33:6
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular 9x Exodus 1:10, Exodus 1:12, Deuteronomy 8:13, Deuteronomy 14:24
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural 7x Genesis 7:17, Genesis 7:18, Genesis 38:12, Genesis 47:27
Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - first person common singular 7x Genesis 3:16, Genesis 16:10, Genesis 22:17, Exodus 32:13
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine plural 6x Genesis 1:22, Genesis 1:28, Genesis 9:1, Genesis 9:7
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Expansion from quantity to authority and dominance; used of God's covenant blessing multiplying nations and power.
Strong's H7235
Lexical occurrences 235 verses Word forms 3 forms 147 references Verse guides 0 guides
Study link Genesis 1:26-28 Source Gloss
to increase (in whatever respect)
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 3 Aligned forms 147
Hiphil causative active — the subject causes someone else to perform the action 113×
Infinitive absolute 1Chr 20:2 · 1Kgs 5:9 · 1Kgs 10:10 · 1Kgs 10:11 · 1Sam 26:21 · 2Chr 14:12 · 2Chr 25:9 · 2Chr 32:27 · 2Kgs 10:18 · 2Kgs 21:16 · 2Sam 1:4 · 2Sam 8:8 · 2Sam 12:2 · 2Sam 12:30 · Deut 3:5 · Eccl 1:16 47×
Perfect 2Chr 33:6 · 2Chr 33:23 · 2Kgs 21:6 · Deut 1:10 · Hos 8:11 · Hos 8:14 · Hos 10:1 · Jer 46:16 · Judg 16:24 · 1Chr 4:27 · 1Chr 7:4 · 1Chr 23:11 · 2Chr 31:5 · 2Chr 36:14 · Ezek 22:25 · Ezek 28:5 26×
Imperfect Dan 11:39 · Deut 17:16 · Deut 17:17 · Eccl 10:14 · Exod 30:15 · Hos 12:2 · Isa 40:29 · Isa 55:7 · Prov 13:11 · Exod 32:13 · Ezek 36:37 · Gen 3:16 · Gen 16:10 · Gen 22:17 · Jer 33:22 · Job 29:18 24×
Participle active Eccl 6:11 · Exod 36:5 · Lev 11:42 · Neh 6:17 · Neh 9:37 · Prov 28:8 6×
Sequential imperfect Ezek 24:10 · Judg 20:38 · Ps 51:4 · Amos 4:4 · Gen 34:12 · Isa 23:16 6×
Infinitive construct Amos 4:9 · Deut 17:16 · Prov 25:27 3×
Jussive 1Sam 2:3 1×
Qal basic active stem — the word in its most common, direct sense 31×
Imperfect 2Chr 24:27 · Deut 8:13 · Deut 14:24 · Deut 19:6 · Exod 1:10 · Exod 1:12 · Job 33:12 · Prov 29:16 · Ps 49:17 · Deut 11:21 · Job 27:14 · Job 39:4 · Prov 9:11 · Prov 28:28 · Ps 16:4 · Deut 7:22 18×
Perfect 1Chr 5:9 · 1Chr 5:23 · 1Chr 23:17 · 1Sam 25:10 · Eccl 5:10 · Ezra 9:6 · Isa 22:9 · Isa 59:12 · Zech 10:8 · 1Sam 14:30 10×
Infinitive construct Exod 11:9 1×
Jussive Gen 1:22 1×
Participle active Gen 21:20 1×
Piel intensive active — emphasizes thoroughness or repeated action 3×
Perfect Ezek 19:2 · Ps 44:13 2×
Sequential imperfect Judg 9:29 1×
Selected Scripture Witnesses
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Biblical Witnesses
Divine command for humanity to increase and fill the earth
Israel's population growing abundantly in Egypt over generations
Animals commanded to multiply and spread across the earth after flood
Wealth accumulated through oppression of the poor, making one rich
Transgressions increasing in number when wicked people rise to power
Showing 5 selected witnesses from 235 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
רָבָה is a primitive root - no further derivation.
Part of These Phrases
Compound and idiomatic phrases that include this word. Follow a link to study the phrase and how its parts work together.
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