Lexical Summary
rab: Great, many, much, chief, captain
Original Word:רַב
Part of Speech:Adjective
Transliteration:rab
Pronunciation:rahv
Phonetic Spelling:(rab)
NASB:great, chief, large, boastful, captain, larger
Word Origin:[(Aramaic) corresponding toH7227 (רַב - Many)]
1. captain, chief, great, lord, master, stout
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
captain, chief, great, lord, master, stout
(Aramaic) corresponding torab -- captain, chief, great, lord, master, stout.
see HEBREWrab
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin(Aramaic) corresponding to
rabDefinitiongreat
NASB Translationboastful (1), captain (1), chief (3), great (15), large (2), larger (1).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
( Syriac); — absolute
Daniel 2:31 +, construct
Daniel 2:14 +; emphatic masculine
Ezra 4:10 +; feminine
Daniel 4:27; masculine plural redupl. (K
§ 59, 4)
Daniel 3:33, feminine plural -
Daniel 2:48 +, emphatic
Daniel 7:11,17; —
great, literally, of imageDaniel 2:31, rockDaniel 2:35, cityDaniel 4:27, seaDaniel 7:2, beastDaniel 7:3;Daniel 7:17, teethDaniel 7:7, giftsDaniel 2:48;great, imposing, feastDaniel 5:1, signsDaniel 3:33, wordsDaniel 7:8,11,20; with compareDaniel 7:20.
great kingDaniel 2:10;Ezra 4:10;Ezra 5:11 (compare Zinjirli Cooke183), GodEzra 5:8;Daniel 2:45.
as noun =captain, chief:Daniel 2:14,Daniel 2:48,Daniel 4:6;Daniel 5:11.
Topical Lexicon
Overview of UsageStrong’s Hebrew 7229 (רַב, rav) is confined to the Aramaic sections of Ezra and Daniel, appearing fifteen times to describe what is outstanding in size, rank, power, duration, or number. Whether applied to God, rulers, objects, time spans, or gifts, the word consistently highlights a reality that surpasses the ordinary and calls attention to the surpassing authority of the Most High who grants true greatness.
Occurrences by Setting
Ezra
•Ezra 4:10 – Ashurbanipal is called “the great and illustrious” king whose forced migrations shaped Samaria, underscoring Judah’s vulnerability under pagan empires.
•Ezra 5:8 – The temple is “the house of the great God,” a title that quietly rebukes Persia’s lesser deities and legitimizes the rebuilding project.
•Ezra 5:11 – Israel’s elders testify that the first temple had been built “many years ago,” connecting the present work to a venerable, God-ordained past.
Daniel
•Daniel 2:10, 14, 31, 35, 45, 48 – Greatness marks both Nebuchadnezzar’s power and the dream’s colossal statue, yet the climax is “the great God” who crushes human kingdoms and grants “many gifts” to His servant Daniel.
•Daniel 4:9, 30 – Nebuchadnezzar styles Babylon and himself as “great,” but divine judgment soon proves that genuine greatness belongs to God alone.
•Daniel 5:1, 11 – Belshazzar’s “great feast” contrasts with Daniel’s designation as “chief of the magicians,” showing true greatness is found in Spirit-given wisdom, not revelry.
•Daniel 7:2, 20 – The “great sea” and a horn “greater than the others” frame the apocalyptic vision: earthly turbulence and arrogant rulers will rise, yet the Ancient of Days remains supreme.
Themes Emerging from Ezra
1. Vindication of God’s Name. By calling the temple “the house of the great God” (Ezra 5:8), the returning exiles publicly exalt the Lord before imperial officials. The term rav becomes an apologetic tool, elevating Israel’s God above every regional power.
2. Continuity of Covenant. “Built many years ago” (Ezra 5:11) anchors the restoration work in sacred history. Rav highlights the longevity of God’s redemptive acts, linking post-exilic worship with Solomon’s era and reminding readers that divine promises outlast exile.
Themes Emerging from Daniel
1. Contrast between Human and Divine Greatness. The book repeatedly pairs rav with pagan majesty—“great king,” “great Babylon,” “great feast.” Each instance sets the stage for God to expose human arrogance (Daniel 4:30-37; 5:1-6).
2. Eschatological Certainty. The “great statue” gives way to “a great mountain that filled the whole earth” (Daniel 2:35), portraying the inexorable advance of God’s kingdom. Rav underscores the magnitude and permanence of that dominion.
3. Preservation of the Faithful. Daniel is elevated as “chief of the magicians” (Daniel 4:9; 5:11), receiving “many gifts” (Daniel 2:48). His honor in a foreign court illustratesProverbs 18:16 in action and demonstrates how God can bestow greatness on servants who refuse compromise.
Doctrinal Insights
• Sovereignty. Every occurrence buttresses the doctrine that “His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom” (Daniel 4:34). Human greatness is derivative and temporal; God’s is original and eternal.
• Providence. The exiles’ appeal to “the great God” and Daniel’s rise to high office reveal meticulous divine governance over both covenant community and Gentile empires.
• Holiness and Worship. The rebuilt temple is not merely large; it houses the rav God. Worship therefore centers on His incomparable character, motivating purity and reverence among His people.
Practical Ministry Applications
1. Humility before Majesty. Preachers may contrast Belshazzar’s empty ostentation with Daniel’s Spirit-filled eminence to warn against pride and encourage servant leadership (Matthew 20:26).
2. Encouragement in Hostile Contexts. Modern believers laboring under secular or hostile authorities can take heart that the “great God” vindicates His name and His servants despite powerful opposition.
3. Missional Witness. Just as exile communities proclaimed God’s greatness in Aramaic—the lingua franca of their day—churches are called to articulate His supremacy in contemporary cultural languages.
Christological Foreshadowing
The rav mountain that grows from a stone “cut out without human hands” (Daniel 2:45) anticipates the Messiah, “the stone the builders rejected,” who becomes the cornerstone of a kingdom that fills the earth. Daniel’s exaltation as chief over Babylon’s wise men prefigures the risen Christ, to whom “all authority in heaven and on earth” has been given (Matthew 28:18).
Intertestamental and New Testament Echoes
The Septuagint renders rav with mega- terms that reappear in the New Testament: “great God and Savior” (Titus 2:13) and “great city Babylon” (Revelation 18:2). These echoes affirm continuity between the Testaments: the God who humbled Nebuchadnezzar will finally overthrow eschatological Babylon and reveal the true greatness of His Son.
Summary
Wherever רַב appears, the text invites readers to measure human ambitions against the majestic scale of God’s purposes. The word enlarges our vision: temples, kingdoms, feasts, years, seas, and even prophetic images are “great,” yet every one is subordinate to the greatness of the Lord who directs history toward the glory of Christ and the eternal good of His people.
Forms and Transliterations
וְרַב־ ורב־ רַ֔ב רַ֖ב רַ֛ב רַ֣ב רַ֥ב רַ֧ב רַב֙ רַבְּתָ֑א רַבָּ֔א רַבָּ֣א רַבָּֽא׃ רַב־ רב רב־ רבא רבא׃ רבתא raḇ raḇ- rab·bā rab·bə·ṯā rabBa rabbā rabbeTa rabbəṯā Rav verav wə·raḇ- wəraḇ-
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