Biblica Analytica

רָבַב

ra.vav (H7232)

to multiply ten thousand

2 verses 2 books OT 2 / NT 0
AI Word Study

# H7232 רָבַב (ravav): Multiplying in Ten Thousands The Hebrew word *ravav* carries a specialized numerical meaning: "to multiply ten thousand." This semantic specificity sets it apart from general words for multiplication or increase. Rather than describing growth or abundance in abstract terms, *ravav* quantifies enlargement in units of ten thousand—the largest round number used in ancient Hebrew enumeration. The word essentially expresses the concept of reaching or exceeding the ten-thousand threshold. The extreme rarity of this term in biblical Hebrew—appearing only twice in the entire corpus—suggests it served a particular rhetorical purpose rather than functioning as everyday vocabulary. Its limited attestation indicates that biblical writers reserved this word for moments when they needed to express growth at a monumental scale. This selectivity implies that when *ravav* appears, the text is emphasizing multiplication to an exceptionally large degree, making it a marker of significance in whatever context prompted its use.

AI synthesis uses only provided lexicon data -- never training knowledge.

Genesis 49:23

The archers have severely grieved him, shot at him, and persecuted him:

Psalms 18:14

He sent out his arrows, and scattered them; Yes, great lightning bolts, and routed them.