אַרְבַּע
𐤀𐤓𐤁𐤏
ʼarbaʻ
H702 adjective
SILEX Entry
Definition
The cardinal numeral 'four'; used as the masculine form of the number four, denoting the quantity consisting of three plus one, appearing in numerical lists, narrative sequencing, genealogies, legal texts, ritual instructions, and poetic passages.
Semantic Range
four (masculine), number four (masculine), as a modifier or as an absolute numeral; occasionally in expressions of fourfold restitution or fourfold quantity
Root / Etymology
From the root ר-ב-ע (רבע), which in verb form means 'to be four, most often used in denominative forms relating to fours or 'fourfold.' The noun form אַרְבַּע is a derivative built to function as a masculine numeral, with the feminine form אַרְבָּעָה. Root meaning centers on 'fourness' or 'consisting of four.'
Historical & Contextual Notes
אַרְבַּע is the standard masculine cardinal numeral for 'four' in Biblical Hebrew. The form אַרְבָּעָה functions as the feminine, used with feminine nouns. Occurrences of אַרְבַּע are abundant throughout the Hebrew Bible in various genres, marking both literal quantities (e.g., four rivers in Gen 2:10), temporal designation (fourth generation), symbolic or legal enumeration (e.g., four living creatures in Ezekiel; restitution of 'fourfold' in legal contexts). In ancient Israelite numbering systems, the numerals were not inflected for absolute/construct states, except in some later poetic or dialectal forms. Later, in Second Temple and rabbinic periods, the word persisted with little change in meaning. The use of masculine versus feminine forms reflects Hebrew grammatical rules and is not a matter of numeric value but of noun concord. In English translations, 'four' is an adequate rendering, though the nuance of gendered numeral forms is lost.
Translation Consistency
H702 is the cardinal numeral meaning the quantity three plus one. The vast majority of occurrences are rendered as “four,” so using the simple, natural English cardinal word “four” ensures consistent, idiomatic translation across all forms (modifier or absolute numeral). Other rare forms like “fourteen,” “fourteenth,” or “forty” reflect different lexemes or compounding contexts and should be handled by those specific numbers rather than changing the base choice here.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
masculine אַרְבָּעָה; from רָבַע; four; four.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been recorded for this word yet.
Root Family
רבע (r-b-ʿ) — to be four, fourfold, consisting of four
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H703 | אַרְבַּע | four |
| H7243 | רְבִיעִי | fourth |
| H7244 | רְבִיעַי | fourth (feminine) |
| H7250 | רָבַע | to lie-flat with her |
| H7251 | רָבַע | made four-sided |
Word Forms
22 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H702-01 |
אַרְבַּ֥ע | areba | HAcfsa |
four | four | four | 93 |
H702-02 |
אַרְבָּעָ֥ה | arebaah | HAcmsa |
four | four | four | 66 |
H702-20 |
וְ/אַרְבָּעָה֮ | vearebaah | HC/Acmsa |
and four | and four | and four | 44 |
H702-19 |
וְ/אַרְבַּ֥ע | veareba | HC/Acfsa |
and four | and four | and four | 37 |
H702-03 |
אַרְבַּ֣עַת | arebaat | HAcmsc |
four | four of | four of | 14 |
H702-06 |
בְּ/אַרְבָּעָה֩ | bearebaah | HR/Acmsa |
on the fourteenth | in four | in four | 13 |
H702-21 |
וְ/אַרְבַּ֣עַת | vearebaat | HC/Acmsc |
and-four | and four of | and four of | 12 |
H702-13 |
לְ/אַרְבַּעְתָּֽ/ם | learebaetam | HR/Acmsc/Sp3mp |
for the four of them | to their four | to their four | 6 |
H702-10 |
לְ/אַרְבַּ֥ע | leareba | HR/Acfsa |
to four | to four | to four | 6 |
H702-05 |
בְּ/אַרְבַּ֥ע | beareba | HR/Acfsa |
in-four | in four | in four | 5 |
Occurrences in Scripture
320 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H702-11 |
Genesis 2:10 | לְ/אַרְבָּעָ֥ה | learebaah | HR/Acmsa |
into four | to four | to four |
H702-19 |
Genesis 11:13 | וְ/אַרְבַּ֥ע | veareba | HC/Acfsa |
and four | and four | and four |
H702-19 |
Genesis 11:15 | וְ/אַרְבַּ֥ע | veareba | HC/Acfsa |
and four | and four | and four |
H702-01 |
Genesis 11:16 | אַרְבַּ֥ע | areba | HAcfsa |
four | four | four |
H702-19 |
Genesis 11:17 | וְ/אַרְבַּ֥ע | veareba | HC/Acfsa |
and four | and four | and four |
H702-17 |
Genesis 14:5 | וּ/בְ/אַרְבַּע֩ | uveareba | HC/R/Acfsa |
in the four | and in four | and in four |
H702-02 |
Genesis 14:9 | אַרְבָּעָ֥ה | arebaah | HAcmsa |
four | four | four |
H702-01 |
Genesis 15:13 | אַרְבַּ֥ע | areba | HAcfsa |
four | four | four |
H702-01 |
Genesis 23:15 | אַרְבַּ֨ע | areba | HAcfsa |
four | four | four |
H702-01 |
Genesis 23:16 | אַרְבַּ֤ע | areba | HAcfsa |
four | four | four |