Lexical Summary
ribbo: myriads, ten thousand, tens of thousands
Original Word:רְבּוֹ
Part of Speech:Noun Feminine
Transliteration:ribbow
Pronunciation:rib-BO
Phonetic Spelling:(rib-bo')
KJV: great things, ten ((eight)-een, (for)-ty, + sixscore, + threescore, X twenty, (twen)-ty) thousand
NASB:myriads, ten thousand, tens of thousands
Word Origin:[fromH7231 (רָבַב - many)]
1. a myriad, i.e. indefinitely, large number
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
myriad, large number
Fromrabab; or ribbow {rib-bo'} fromrabab; a myriad, i.e. Indefinitely, large number -- great things, ten ((eight)-een, (for)-ty, + sixscore, + threescore, X twenty, (twen)-ty) thousand.
see HEBREWrabab
see HEBREWrabab
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom
rababDefinitionten thousand, myriad
NASB Translation120,000* (1), 18,000* (1), 20,000* (2), 42,360* (2), 61,000* (1), myriads (1), ten thousand (1), tens of thousands (1).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
,
Ezra 2:64 (later (Aramaizing) synonym of foregoing; perhaps for Aramaic , Kö
ii. 1, 221 f., but Palmyrene Lzb
367); — absolute
1 Chronicles 29:7 (twice in verse);
Jonah 4:11 (? construct), + construct
Hosea 8:12 Kt (see below);
Ezra 2:64 =
Nehemiah 7:66,71 (van d. H.
Nehemiah 7:72), du
Psalm 68:18; plural
Nehemiah 7:70 (van d. H.
Nehemiah 7:17),
Ezra 2:69;
Daniel 11:12; —
ten thousand; of person, 4*10,000+200+3*100+60
Ezra 2:64 =
Nehemiah 7:66;
Nehemiah 12*10,000+n.
Jonah 4:11; indefinite
Daniel 11:12he shall cast down myriads; read also
Daniel 11:41 (for ) Kmp Bev Behrm Marti Prince; of things, especially units of value, noun + 10,00
1 Chronicles 29:7, noun + 6*10,000 1000
Ezra 2:69 "" noun + 2*10000
Nehemiah 7:70,71 (see above); 10,000 8000#NAME?
1 Chronicles 29:7; indefinite
Psalm 68:18 ("" ); —
Hosea 8:12 (Kt 10,00[precepts]
of my instruction would be only early instance, see .
[]
from preceding: —Participle feminine pluralPsalm 144:13multiplied ten thousand-fold.
Topical Lexicon
Scope of the Termרְבּוֹ portrays an exceptionally large number—“ten thousands,” “myriads,” or simply “very many.” Whether used with precise figures or poetically, the word directs attention to scale so vast that it inspires awe, gratitude, or sober reflection.
Worshipful Generosity in Temple and Post-Exilic Restorations
In the united monarchy King David led Israel to give “five thousand talents and ten thousand darics of gold” (1 Chronicles 29:7) for the future temple. The same spirit re-appears after the exile: “The heads of the families gave to the treasury for the work twenty thousand darics of gold” (Nehemiah 7:71; cf.Ezra 2:69;Nehemiah 7:72). Each writer chooses רְבּוֹ to stress that the gifts were not ordinary donations but vast, kingdom-sized offerings prompted by covenant devotion. The term therefore speaks to God-honoring stewardship and to the principle that worthy worship often requires generosity on a scale that mirrors the greatness of the God we serve.
National Census and Corporate Identity
BothEzra 2:64 andNehemiah 7:66 record, “The whole assembly numbered forty-two thousand three hundred sixty.” By employing רְבּוֹ inside the total, Scripture underscores more than arithmetic; it highlights the restoration of a people large enough to function again as a nation yet still small enough to depend wholly on the LORD. The word thus connects numerical magnitude with covenant identity and hope.
Divine Warfare and Power
Psalm 68:17 proclaims, “The chariots of God are tens of thousands—thousands of thousands; the Lord is among them at Sinai in holiness.” Here רְבּוֹ magnifies the heavenly army, assuring believers that God’s resources are immeasurable.Daniel 11:12 echoes the theme when prophecy foretells a king who will “overthrow tens of thousands, but he will not prevail.” Earthly powers may fell myriads, yet ultimate victory belongs to the Lord whose hosts are beyond counting.
Revelation and Covenant Obligation
Through Hosea the LORD laments, “Though I wrote for them the great things of My law, they regarded them as something strange” (Hosea 8:12). רְבּוֹ characterizes the law’s “great things,” emphasizing both its richness and its comprehensive scope. The verse warns against diminishing any part of God’s manifold revelation, reminding the Church to embrace the full counsel of Scripture.
Missionary Compassion for Great Cities
God asks Jonah, “Should I not have concern for the great city of Nineveh, in which there are more than one hundred twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left…?” (Jonah 4:11). רְבּוֹ highlights the immense population and, by extension, the vastness of God’s mercy. The word therefore undergirds the missionary mandate: divine compassion extends to every multitude, even among Israel’s historical enemies.
Doctrinal and Practical Implications
1. God’s resources and armies are limitless; believers need not fear opposition (Psalm 68:17).
2. Generosity proportional to God’s greatness advances worship and ministry (1 Chronicles 29:7;Nehemiah 7:71-72).
3. Covenant community can be numerically impressive yet still utterly dependent on grace (Ezra 2:64).
4. Ignoring any part of God’s “many” laws invites estrangement (Hosea 8:12).
5. The gospel targets vast urban populations as well as individuals (Jonah 4:11).
Taken together, רְבּוֹ reminds the reader that the God of Scripture thinks, acts, and saves on a scale that surpasses human calculation, calling His people to faith, obedience, and mission commensurate with His own boundless greatness.
Forms and Transliterations
רִבֹּ֣אות רִבֹּא֖וֹת רִבֹּתַ֣יִם רִבּ֑וֹת רִבּ֔וֹא רִבּ֛וֹ רִבּ֜וֹ רִבּוֹ֒ רֻבֵּ֖י רבאות רבו רבוא רבות רבי רבתים rib·bō·’ō·wṯ rib·bō·ṯa·yim rib·bō·w rib·bō·wṯ rib·bōw ribBo ribbō’ōwṯ ribboot ribBot ribboTayim ribbōṯayim ribbōw ribbōwṯ rub·bê rubbê rubBei
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