Ῥεβέκκα
Rhebékka
G4479 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Proper name referring to Rebekah (Hebrew: רִבְקָה), a prominent female ancestral figure in Israelite tradition, specifically the wife of Isaac and mother of Esau and Jacob. Used as a personal name without semantic content beyond its function as a referent.
Semantic Range
(proper noun) Rebekah; the wife of Isaac and mother of Jacob and Esau; no additional senses
Root / Etymology
Name derived from the Hebrew רִבְקָה (Rivqah/Ribkah). Greek Ῥεβέκκα is a direct transliteration of the Hebrew form via the Septuagint. Etymology of the original Hebrew name is uncertain; proposals include 'tie, bind, captivate,' but evidence is inconclusive.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In Koine Greek literature, especially in the Septuagint and New Testament, Ῥεβέκκα occurs strictly as a proper name for the same matriarchal figure found in the Hebrew Scriptures (Genesis, etc.). Rebekah/Rebbecca was revered as the mother of the eponymous ancestors of the Israelites, Jacob and Esau, and her story is conveyed in Genesis (mainly chapters 24–27). In both the Septuagint and New Testament, the name is rendered in close alignment with the Hebrew form rather than Hellenizing it. In English translation traditions she is typically called 'Rebecca'; however, the Greek text simply transliterates the Hebrew, preserving its original function and does not attribute semantic meaning to the name within the Greek context. The name does not denote geographic, ethnic, or religious identity, but strictly refers to the individual Rebekah. The occurrence in the New Testament is found in Romans 9:10, and in the Septuagint, repeatedly in Genesis. There is no significant lexical development; the name is used pejoratively or honorifically depending on context, but the function remains as a marker for the biblical matriarch.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
of Hebrew origin (רִבְקָה); Rebecca (i.e. Ribkah), the wife of Isaac:--Rebecca.
Root Family
Ῥεβεκκ- (Rhebékka) — personal name, referent for Rebekah
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G4479-01 |
Ῥεβέκκα | rebekka | N NOM F SG |
Rebecca | Rebekah | Rhebekka | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G4479-01 |
Romans 9:10 | Ῥεβέκκα | rebekka | N NOM F SG |
Rebecca | Rebekah | Rhebekka |