Lexical Summary
raba: mate, breed together, lying down
Original Word:רָבַע
Part of Speech:Verb
Transliteration:raba`
Pronunciation:rah-BAH
Phonetic Spelling:(raw-bah')
KJV: let gender, lie down
NASB:mate, breed together, lying down
Word Origin:[a primitive root]
1. to squat or lie out flat, i.e. (specifically) in copulation
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
let gender, lie down
A primitive root; to squat or lie out flat, i.e. (specifically) in copulation -- let gender, lie down.
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origina prim. root
Definitionto lie stretched out, lie down
NASB Translationbreed together (1), lying down (1), mate (2).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
[] (Aramaic form of (q. v.); Late Hebrew usually of copulation, chiefly unnatural; yet compare also Sabean
abide, encamp, settle, DHM
ZMG xxix (1875), 593, Arabic
abide, dwell) —
onlyInfinitive: suffixPsalm 139:3my lying down (for repose, opposed to ); elsewhere (H) for copulation (woman with beast)Leviticus 20:16, but read (suffix of beast) Dr-Wh KöSynt. 226 e, compare Bae Berthol (and Dr2Samuel 13:14);2 Samuel 18:23, read (compl. omitted; seeid.).
Imperfect2masculine singularLeviticus 19:19 (H)thy cattle thou shalt not cause to (let)lie down (i.e. breed) intwo kinds.
Topical Lexicon
Biblical Usageרָבַע appears three times, each within the Holiness Code of Leviticus (18:23; 19:19; 20:16). InLeviticus 18:23 the verb is rendered “mate” in a prohibition of bestiality: “A woman must not stand before an animal to mate with it”.Leviticus 19:19 widens the concern to agricultural life: “You shall not mate together two kinds of livestock,” guarding against illicit cross-breeding. Finally,Leviticus 20:16 reiterates the capital gravity of the offense: “If a woman approaches any animal to mate with it… they must surely be put to death”. In each setting רָבַע depicts an act of forced coupling that violates God-ordained boundaries.
Context in the Holiness Code
Chapters 18–20 of Leviticus constitute a single speech bracketed by “I am the LORD your God” (Leviticus 18:2; 20:24). The statutes protect Israel’s holiness by regulating sexuality, worship, diet, and agriculture. רָבַע marks offenses that blur the fixed distinctions of creation—human versus animal, species versus species—thereby desecrating the covenant community. By sandwiching the agricultural ban of 19:19 between explicit prohibitions of bestiality, the text presents one theological thread: all spheres of life, from farmyard to bedroom, are to display the ordered goodness ofGenesis 1.
Moral and Theological Significance
1. Preservation of the Imago Dei
Humankind alone bears God’s image (Genesis 1:26-27). Bestiality degrades that gift, effacing the relational boundaries necessary for human dignity. The death penalty inLeviticus 20:16 underscores the magnitude of the affront, not merely to social custom but to divine glory.
2. Respect for Created Kinds
Genesis repeatedly notes that creatures reproduce “according to their kinds” (Genesis 1:11-25). רָבַע violations attempt to overwrite that pattern, challenging God’s sovereignty over biological order. The ban on breeding mixed livestock (Leviticus 19:19) is therefore more than agrarian advice; it disciplines Israel to honor the Creator’s categories.
3. Covenant Holiness
Israel’s vocation was to be “a kingdom of priests and a holy nation” (Exodus 19:6). Boundaries surrounding sexuality and agriculture trained the people to distinguish between the holy and the profane (Leviticus 10:10). רָבַע served as a touchstone for this priestly discernment.
Creation Order and Dominion
Human dominion over animals (Genesis 1:28) is stewardship, not exploitation. רָבַע offenses invert lordship by making the animal a sexual partner rather than a subject of care. Such inversion anticipates Paul’s indictment of paganism: exchanging “natural relations” for those “contrary to nature” (Romans 1:26-27). Leviticus safeguards dominion from devolving into perversion.
Application for Ministry Today
• Upholding Biblical Sexual Ethics
Modern culture increasingly blurs creaturely distinctions. Though bestiality remains taboo, the underlying principle—honoring God’s created order—remains urgently relevant. Teaching on רָבַע can anchor discussions on sexual purity, identity, and technology-driven bio-manipulation.
• Wholeness in Discipleship
The Holiness Code integrates worship, work, and sexuality. Pastoral counseling should likewise address believers holistically, affirming that every sphere of life is under Christ’s lordship (Colossians 3:17).
• Evangelism through Creation Care
Leviticus 19:19 invites reflection on ethical farming, animal welfare, and genetic engineering. Christians can model a stewardship that honors the Creator, providing a credible witness to the gospel.
Summary
רָבַע is a rare but potent verb that encapsulates Scripture’s insistence on respecting the Creator’s boundaries. Its prohibitions guard the sanctity of the human-animal distinction, preserve the integrity of species, and train God’s people in holiness. By embracing the order God has woven into creation, believers glorify Him who will one day restore all things in Christ.
Forms and Transliterations
לְרִבְעָ֖הּ לְרִבְעָ֣ה לרבעה תַרְבִּ֣יעַ תרביע lə·riḇ·‘āh ləriḇ‘āh lerivAh ṯar·bî·a‘ tarBia ṯarbîa‘
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