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Hebrew verb · H7231

רָבַב

rababraw-bab'

to multiply

21 uses in the Hebrew text, one for each word STEP Bible has tagged with this key

Concordance spelling: râbab

Word page · Part of the concordance, one page for every word of the Hebrew and Greek text. Strong's H7231is this word's number in James Strong's 1890 index of the King James Bible.

  • 9 of 39
    Old Testament books
  • 16
    spellings

The definition in full

Strong's key (1890) · H7231

properly, to cast together , i.e. increase, especially in number; to multiply by the myriad

The King James renders it: increase, be many(-ifold), be more, multiply, ten thousands.

James Strong, The Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890), public domain. Strong indexed the King James text, and this site quotes his entry as that index.

Summary

rabab is rendered "to multiply". It stands 21 times in the Hebrew text, across nine books.

  • Seven of the uses stand in Psalms, more than in any other book.
  • Its first use in canonical order opens the ledger below.Genesis 6:1Now when men began to multiply on the face of the earth and daughters were born to them,
  • The Greek text spells it sixteen different ways.

The first use

Now when men began to multiply on the face of the earth and daughters were born to them,

Genesis 6:1לָרֹ֖ב

The first use, in the order of the Old Testament's books.

Where the word stands

Seven of the word's twenty-one uses are in Psalms.

The other 30 Old Testament books never use the word.

What the word means

Each meaning, and the words it is translated by

How the Greek text is glossed, word by word

  • they are many7
  • and it will become great1
  • and it will become many1
  • and they are many1
  • and they have been many1
  • and they will be many1
  • because were numerous you1
  • it is great1
  • producing ten thousands1
  • they abound1
  • they have become many1
  • they increase1

and 3 more, 21 uses in all

The words built on the same word-part

Each word below begins with the same letters this one begins with. A shared word-part shows a family. It does not settle what any one of them means, so each word carries its own uses on its own page. Scholars call that shared part the stem.

רָבַץrabatsto stretchUses30
רָבַעrabato squareUses12
רָבַעrabato mateUses3
רָבַךְrabakto stirUses3
רָבַבrababto multiply ten thousandUses2
רָבַדrabadto spreadUses1

Other numbers on this spelling

Strong gave these words the same spelling and different numbers, so the site counts and defines them apart.

All 21, in canonical order

Every use, in order

Every use, grouped by book, with its verse.

16 spellings and their grammar

STEP Bible tags every word of the Hebrew and Greek text with its spelling and its grammar. Both lists below count the rows printed underneath, written out in English, with the code beside each one as it was tagged.

How it is spelled

  • וְרַבָּ֥ה2
  • וְרַבּ֖וּ2
  • רַבּ֣וּ2
  • רַבּוּ֙2
  • רָ֑בּוּ2
  • וְרַבּ֥וּ1
  • לָרֹ֖ב1
  • מְרֻבָּב֗וֹת1
  • מֵֽרֻבְּכֶ֞ם1
  • רָ֑בָּה1
  • רַבּ֬וּ1
  • רַבּ֖וּ1

and 4 more spellings in the ledger below.

The grammar of each form

  • verb · simple (qal), qatal (perfect) · 3rd person common plural12HVqp3cp
  • Hc/Vqq3cp2Hc/Vqq3cp
  • Hc/Vqq3fs2Hc/Vqq3fs
  • conjunction (“and”) + verb · simple (qal), qatal (perfect) · 3rd person common plural1HC/Vqp3cp
  • preposition + verb · simple (qal), infinitive (“to…”)1HR/Vqcc
  • preposition + verb · simple (qal), infinitive (“to…”) + pronoun suffix · 2nd person masculine plural1HR/Vqcc/Sp2mp
  • verb · intensive passive (pual), passive participle · feminine plural1HVPsfpa
  • verb · simple (qal), qatal (perfect) · 3rd person feminine singular1HVqp3fs

Genesis

two uses
  • Now when men began to multiply on the face of the earth and daughters were born to them,

    Genesis 6:1

    • לָרֹ֖בlaropreposition + verb · simple (qal), infinitive (“to…”)tagged: to become numerous
  • Then the LORD said, “The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great. Because their sin is so grievous,

    Genesis 18:20

    • רָ֑בָּהrabahverb · simple (qal), qatal (perfect) · 3rd person feminine singulartagged: it is great

Exodus

one use
  • I will not drive them out before you in a single year; otherwise the land would become desolate and wild animals would multiply against you.

    Exodus 23:29

    • וְרַבָּ֥הverabahHc/Vqq3fstagged: and it will become many

Deuteronomy

one use
  • The LORD did not set His affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous than the other peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples.

    Deuteronomy 7:7

    • מֵֽרֻבְּכֶ֞םmerubekhempreposition + verb · simple (qal), infinitive (“to…”) + pronoun suffix · 2nd person masculine pluraltagged: because were numerous you

1 Samuel

one use
  • But Nabal asked them, “Who is David? Who is this son of Jesse? Many servants these days are breaking away from their masters.

    1 Samuel 25:10

    • רַבּ֣וּrabuverb · simple (qal), qatal (perfect) · 3rd person common pluraltagged: they are many

Job

one use
  • If you sin, what do you accomplish against Him? If you multiply your transgressions, what do you do to Him?

    Job 35:6

    • וְרַבּ֥וּverabuHc/Vqq3cptagged: and they have been many

Psalms

seven uses
  • O LORD, how my foes have increased! How many rise up against me!

    Psalms 3:1

    • רַבּ֣וּrabuverb · simple (qal), qatal (perfect) · 3rd person common pluraltagged: they are many
  • You have filled my heart with more joy than when grain and new wine abound.

    Psalms 4:7

    • רָֽבּוּ׃rabuverb · simple (qal), qatal (perfect) · 3rd person common pluraltagged: they abound
  • Consider my enemies, for they are many, and they hate me with vicious hatred.

    Psalms 25:19

    • רָ֑בּוּrabuverb · simple (qal), qatal (perfect) · 3rd person common pluraltagged: they have become many
  • Many are my enemies without cause, and many hate me without reason.

    Psalms 38:19

    • וְרַבּ֖וּverabuconjunction (“and”) + verb · simple (qal), qatal (perfect) · 3rd person common pluraltagged: and they are many
  • Those who hate me without cause outnumber the hairs of my head; many are those who would destroy me— my enemies for no reason. Though I did not steal, I must repay.

    Psalms 69:4

    • רַבּ֤וּ׀rabuverb · simple (qal), qatal (perfect) · 3rd person common pluraltagged: they are many
  • How many are Your works, O LORD! In wisdom You have made them all; the earth is full of Your creatures.

    Psalms 104:24

    • רַבּ֬וּrabuverb · simple (qal), qatal (perfect) · 3rd person common pluraltagged: they are many
  • Our storehouses will be full, supplying all manner of produce; our flocks will bring forth thousands, tens of thousands in our fields.

    Psalms 144:13

    • מְרֻבָּב֗וֹתmerubavotverb · intensive passive (pual), passive participle · feminine pluraltagged: producing ten thousands

Ecclesiastes

one use
  • When good things increase, so do those who consume them; what then is the profit to the owner, except to behold them with his eyes?

    Ecclesiastes 5:11

    • רַבּ֖וּrabuverb · simple (qal), qatal (perfect) · 3rd person common pluraltagged: they increase

Isaiah

four uses
  • until the LORD has driven men far away and the land is utterly forsaken.

    Isaiah 6:12

    • וְרַבָּ֥הverabahHc/Vqq3fstagged: and it will become great
  • You saw that there were many breaches in the walls of the City of David. You collected water from the lower pool.

    Isaiah 22:9

    • רָ֑בּוּrabuverb · simple (qal), qatal (perfect) · 3rd person common pluraltagged: they were many
  • For our transgressions are multiplied before You, and our sins testify against us. Our transgressions are indeed with us, and we know our iniquities:

    Isaiah 59:12

    • רַבּ֤וּrabuverb · simple (qal), qatal (perfect) · 3rd person common pluraltagged: they are many
  • For by fire and by His sword, the LORD will execute judgment on all flesh, and many will be slain by the LORD.

    Isaiah 66:16

    • וְרַבּ֖וּverabuHc/Vqq3cptagged: and they will be many

Jeremiah

three uses
  • Therefore a lion from the forest will strike them down, a wolf from the desert will ravage them. A leopard will lie in wait near their cities, and everyone who ventures out will be torn to pieces. For their rebellious acts are many, and their unfaithful deeds are numerous.

    Jeremiah 5:6

    • רַבּוּ֙rabuverb · simple (qal), qatal (perfect) · 3rd person common pluraltagged: they are many
  • Although our iniquities testify against us, O LORD, act for the sake of Your name. Indeed, our rebellions are many; we have sinned against You.

    Jeremiah 14:7

    • רַבּ֥וּrabuverb · simple (qal), qatal (perfect) · 3rd person common pluraltagged: they are many
  • They will chop down her forest, declares the LORD, dense though it may be, for they are more numerous than locusts; they cannot be counted.

    Jeremiah 46:23

    • רַבּוּ֙rabuverb · simple (qal), qatal (perfect) · 3rd person common pluraltagged: they will be many

The letters

Where it leads

How the numbers are counted

Every count on this page comes from STEP Bible's tagged Hebrew and Greek text, the same text the ledger prints. A use is counted once each time the tagging marks a word with this key.

Spellings are counted as the Greek text spells them, with the sentence's own punctuation taken off the word first, so a form that ends a clause is not counted as a second spelling.

The family is read from the lexicon by the stem the two words share, with the accents off, and a person or a place named on the stem is left out.

Hebrew and Greek text, word tagging and grammar: STEP Bible (www.STEPBible.org), Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0. Their grammar codes are written out in English here and shown as tagged beside each one.

Meaning and senses: STEP Bible TBESH gloss (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Dictionary key: Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890, public domain). English verse text: Berean Standard Bible (public domain, 2023).

Revised 2026-09-05. Every cited work, the sources registry →