Hebrew word · H7237

רַבָּה

rabah

Rabbah

Literally 'the great (one)', short for 'Rabbah of the sons of Ammon', the Ammonite capital on the citadel hill of modern Amman. Joab and David besieged and took it (2 Sam 11:1; 12:26–31). The prophets denounced it (Jer 49:2–3; Ezek 21:20; 25:5; Amos 1:14).

Appears 15 times in 14 verses of the Hebrew Old Testament. ·

What it means

Rabbath = "great"

the capital city of the Ammonites located east of the Jordan

Another name of am.mon (עַמּוֹן "Ammon" H5983)

Abridged from Brown, Driver and Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (1906), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

In depth

From the study of Deuteronomy 3:11

Range of meaning

Literally 'the great (one)', short for 'Rabbah of the sons of Ammon', the Ammonite capital on the citadel hill of modern Amman. Joab and David besieged and took it (2 Sam 11:1; 12:26–31). The prophets denounced it (Jer 49:2–3; Ezek 21:20; 25:5; Amos 1:14).

Against the English

Versions agree on the place. The Septuagint appears to take the word as a description and locates the bed 'in the citadel' of the Ammonites.

Used elsewhere in the period

Ammonite inscriptions (e.g. the Amman Citadel Inscription, 9th century BC) come from this site. The area around Amman has extensive dolmen fields.

Where it appears

Deuteronomy · 1
  1. Deuteronomy 3:11 בְּרַבַּ֖ת in Rabbah of

    (For only Og king of Bashan had remained of the remnant of the Rephaim. His bed of iron, nine cubits long and four cubits wide, is still in Rabbah of the Ammonites.)

    Here: Rabbah ('the great [city]') was the Ammonite capital, modern Amman. The bed is located outside Og's own kingdom, in foreign hands.

Joshua · 2
  1. Joshua 13:25 רַבָּֽה׃ Rabbah

    The territory of Jazer, all the cities of Gilead, and half the land of the Ammonites as far as Aroer, near Rabbah;

    Here: "The Great (City)," also called Rabbath-bene-Ammon. It was the Ammonite capital on the citadel hill of modern Amman. It is named here as a landmark, not as a town Gad owned.

  2. Joshua 15:60 וְהָֽרַבָּ֑ה and <the> Rabbah

    Kiriath-baal (that is, Kiriath-jearim), and Rabbah—two cities, along with their villages.

    Here: 'And the Great [one]', with the definite article. This is a Judean town whose location is unknown. It is not Rabbah of the Ammonites (modern Amman).

2 Samuel · 5
  1. 2 Samuel 11:1 רַבָּ֑ה Rabbah

    In the spring, at the time when kings march out to war, David sent out Joab and his servants with the whole army of Israel. They destroyed the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah, but David remained in Jerusalem.

    Here: The Ammonite capital, on the site of modern Amman, Jordan. The name means something like "the great one." It lies roughly two days' or more travel from Jerusalem, which matters for the messages sent back and forth later in the chapter.

  2. 2 Samuel 12:26 בְּרַבַּ֖ת against Rabbah of

    Meanwhile, Joab fought against Rabbah of the Ammonites and captured the royal fortress.

  3. 2 Samuel 12:27 בְרַבָּ֔ה against Rabbah

    Then Joab sent messengers to David to say, “I have fought against Rabbah and have captured the water supply of the city.

  4. 2 Samuel 12:29 רַבָּ֑תָה Rabbah towards

    So David assembled all the troops and went to Rabbah; and he fought against it and captured it.

  5. 2 Samuel 17:27 מֵרַבַּ֣ת from Rabbah of

    When David came to Mahanaim, he was met by Shobi son of Nahash from Rabbah of the Ammonites, Machir son of Ammiel from Lo-debar, and Barzillai the Gileadite from Rogelim.

    Here: 'From' + 'Rabbah' ('the Great [city]'), the Ammonite capital, modern Amman. David's army had captured it not long before (12:26–31).

1 Chronicles · 2
  1. 1 Chronicles 20:1 רַבָּ֔ה רַבָּ֖ה Rabbah

    In the spring, at the time when kings march out to war, Joab led out the army and ravaged the land of the Ammonites. He came to Rabbah and besieged it, but David remained in Jerusalem. And Joab attacked Rabbah and demolished it.

Jeremiah · 2
  1. Jeremiah 49:2 רַבַּ֨ת Rabbah of

    Therefore, behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will sound the battle cry against Rabbah of the Ammonites. It will become a heap of ruins, and its villages will be burned. Then Israel will drive out their dispossessors, says the LORD.

    Here: Ammon's capital, whose name means "the Great (city)". It is the site of modern Amman's citadel. The name itself suggests size and strength, which the verse is about to tear down.

  2. Jeremiah 49:3 רַבָּה֒ Rabbah

    Wail, O Heshbon, for Ai has been destroyed; cry out, O daughters of Rabbah! Put on sackcloth and mourn; run back and forth within your walls, for Milcom will go into exile together with his priests and officials.

    Here: Rabbah ('the great one'), capital of Ammon, on the site of modern Amman.

Ezekiel · 2
  1. Ezekiel 21:20 רַבַּ֣ת Rabbah of

    Mark out one road for the sword to come against Rabbah of the Ammonites, and another against Judah into fortified Jerusalem.

  2. Ezekiel 25:5 רַבָּה֙ Rabbah

    I will make Rabbah a pasture for camels, and Ammon a resting place for sheep. Then you will know that I am the LORD.’

Amos · 1
  1. Amos 1:14 רַבָּ֔ה Rabbah

    So I will kindle a fire in the walls of Rabbah to consume its citadels amid war cries on the day of battle and a violent wind on the day of tempest.

    Here: The capital of Ammon, fully 'Rabbah of the sons of Ammon,' on the site of modern Amman, Jordan. The name means 'great,' and it had a famously strong citadel (2 Sam 12:26–29).

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.