rav · many, great

What it means

rav (רַב) is a Hebrew word of the Bible that means “many, great”.

Many, much, abundant, great; also "elder" or "chief".

How to say it

Approximate pronunciation. Vowels sound as in Spanish (a as in father, e as in bed, i as in machine, o as in note, u as in rule); the syllable in bold is stressed. The voice is your device's.

Its senses in the Bible

1. In great quantity, more than expected.
2. A great number of people or things.
3. Of great size or power; the one who stands out.
4. A word to stop something that has become too much: it is enough.
5. Literally "the great one": the one over a group, like the guard.

From Brown-Driver-Briggs (1906)

Word study

Much, abundant, great. BDB defines it as abundant in quantity, size, age, number, rank or quality. As a noun, “chief” in some titles.

• Much, abundant Genesis 6:5
• Many; “a majority” Exodus 23:2
• The older Genesis 25:23
• “Enough” Deuteronomy 1:6
• In titles: “the chief of the guard” 2 Kings 25:8

How we translate it

“Many” 238 times, “great” 90, “chief” 26, “much” 24, “numerous” 16, “Enough” 13. רַב לָכֶם is translated “long enough” or “Enough” (Deuteronomy 1:6). In the Assyrian titles רַב־סָרִיס and רַב־שָׁקֵה the word is not translated: they are written “the Rabsaris” and “the Rabshakeh”, with a note.

How it is translated

The words this translation uses for it, most frequent first.

• many ×238
• great ×90
• chief ×26
• much ×24
• numerous ×16
• Enough ×13
• abounding ×8
• greatly ×7
• large ×6
• more ×6
• others ×27

Related words

Words of the same family, by Strong’s numbering.

Where it appears

• Genesis×14
• Exodus×10
• Leviticus×2
• Numbers×17
• Deuteronomy×23
• Joshua×15
• Judges×5
• 1 Samuel×5
• 2 Samuel×8
• 1 Kings×12
• 2 Kings×10
• 1 Chronicles×10
• 2 Chronicles×30
• Ezra×4
• Nehemiah×11
• Esther×7
• Job×17
• Psalms×57
• Proverbs×20
• Ecclesiastes×9
• Song of Songs×1
• Isaiah×26
• Jeremiah×41
• Lamentations×4
• Ezekiel×47
• Daniel×24
• Hosea×3
• Joel×4
• Amos×6
• Jonah×3
• Micah×6
• Nahum×1
• Habakkuk×3
• Zechariah×4
• Malachi×2

• Genesis 6:5

  And YHWH saw that the wickedness of the human being was great on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the day.

• Genesis 7:11

  In the six hundredth year of the life of Noah, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on that day all the springs of the great deep burst open, and the floodgates of the heavens were opened.

• Genesis 13:6

  But the land could not support them living together, for their possessions were great, and they could not live together.

• Genesis 18:20

  Then YHWH said, “The outcry of Sodom and Gomorrah is indeed great, and their sin is indeed very grave.

• Genesis 21:34

  Abraham resided as an alien in the land of the Philistines many days.

• Genesis 24:25

  She also said to him, “We have both straw and fodder in plenty, and also room to spend the night.”

• Genesis 25:23

  YHWH said to her, “Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from your inner parts will be divided; one people will be stronger than the other people, and the older will serve the younger.”

• Genesis 26:14

  He had flocks and herds and many servants, and the Philistines envied him.

• Genesis 30:43

  The man increased exceedingly, and he had many flocks, female slaves and male slaves, camels and donkeys.

• Genesis 33:9

  But Esau said, “I have plenty, my brother; let what is yours be yours.”

• Genesis 36:7

  For their possessions were too great for them to dwell together, and the land where they resided as aliens could not support them because of their livestock.

• Genesis 37:34

  Jacob tore his garments, put sackcloth on his loins, and mourned for his son many days.

• Genesis 45:28

  Israel said, “Enough! Joseph my son is still alive. I will go and see him before I die.”

• Genesis 50:20

  As for you, you planned evil against me; Elohim planned it for good, in order to bring about what is happening today: keeping alive many people.

• Exodus 1:9

  He said to his people, “Look, the people of the sons of Israel are more numerous and stronger than we.

• Exodus 2:23

  During those many days the king of Egypt died. The sons of Israel groaned because of the bondage and cried out, and their cry for help went up to Elohim because of the bondage.

• Exodus 5:5

  And Pharaoh said, “Look, the people of the land are now many, and you make them cease from their burdens!”

• Exodus 9:28

  Pray to YHWH, for there has been enough of thunder of Elohim and hail; and I will let you go, and you will not have to stay any longer.”

• Exodus 12:38

  And also a great mixed crowd went up with them, and flocks and herds, livestock in very great numbers.

• Exodus 19:21

  YHWH said to Moses, “Go down, warn the people, lest they break through to YHWH to look, and many of them fall.

• Exodus 23:2

  You shall not follow a majority to do evil, nor testify in a dispute so as to turn aside after a majority to pervert justice.

• Exodus 23:29

  I will not drive them out from before you in one year, lest the land become desolate and the animals of the field multiply against you.

• Exodus 34:6

  And YHWH passed by before him and proclaimed, “YHWH, YHWH, an El merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in loyal love and faithfulness,

• Leviticus 15:25

  And when a woman has a discharge of her blood for many days not at the time of her menstruation, or when she has a discharge beyond her menstruation, all the days of the discharge of her uncleanness she shall be as in the days of her menstruation: she is unclean.

• Leviticus 25:51

  If many years still remain, according to them he shall pay back the price of his redemption from the silver he was bought for.

• Numbers 9:19

  And when the cloud lingered over the dwelling many days, the sons of Israel would keep the charge of YHWH and not set out.

• Numbers 11:33

  The meat was still between their teeth, before it was chewed, when the anger of YHWH burned against the people, and YHWH struck the people with a very great blow.

• Numbers 13:18

  and see the land, what it is like, and the people who live in it, whether they are strong or weak, whether they are few or many,

• Numbers 14:18

  ‘YHWH is slow to anger and abounding in loyal love, forgiving iniquity and transgression; but he will by no means leave the guilty unpunished, visiting the iniquity of fathers on children, on the third and on the fourth generation.’

• Numbers 16:3

  And they assembled against Moses and against Aaron and said to them, “Enough of you! For all the community, all of them, are holy, and YHWH is among them. Why then do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of YHWH?”

• Numbers 16:7

  and put fire in them and lay incense on them before YHWH tomorrow, and the man whom YHWH chooses, he shall be the holy one. Enough of you, sons of Levi!”

• Numbers 20:11

  And Moses raised his hand and struck the crag with his staff twice, and much water came out, and the community and their livestock drank.

• Numbers 20:15

  our fathers went down to Egypt, and we lived in Egypt many days, and the Egyptians dealt badly with us and with our fathers.

• Numbers 21:6

  Then YHWH sent among the people the fiery serpents, and they bit the people, and many people of Israel died.

• Numbers 22:3

  And Moab was very afraid of the people, because they were many; and Moab dreaded the sons of Israel.

• Numbers 22:15

  And Balak sent again princes, more numerous and more honored than these.

• Numbers 24:7

  Water shall flow from his buckets, and his seed shall be by many waters; and his king shall be higher than Agag, and his kingdom shall be exalted.

• Numbers 26:54

  To the large you shall increase his inheritance, and to the small you shall reduce his inheritance; to each his inheritance shall be given according to those counted of him.

• Numbers 26:56

  According to the lot its inheritance shall be divided between the large and the small.”

• Numbers 32:1

  The sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad had much livestock, very numerous; and they saw the land of Jazer and the land of Gilead, and look, the place was a place for livestock.

And 421 more times.