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אַרְבַּע

𐤀𐤓𐤁𐤏

ʼarbaʻ

H702 adjective

SILEX Entry

Root רבע to be four, fourfold, consisting of four

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.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

masculine אַרְבָּעָה; from רָבַע; four; four.

Bantu Hebrew

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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 Occurrences
H702-01 אַרְבַּ֥ע areba HAcfsa four four 93
H702-02 אַרְבָּעָ֥ה arebaah HAcmsa four four 66
H702-20 וְ/אַרְבָּעָה֮ vearebaah HC/Acmsa and four and four 44
H702-19 וְ/אַרְבַּ֥ע veareba HC/Acfsa and four and four 37
H702-03 אַרְבַּ֣עַת arebaat HAcmsc four four of 14
H702-06 בְּ/אַרְבָּעָה֩ bearebaah HR/Acmsa on the fourteenth in four 13
H702-21 וְ/אַרְבַּ֣עַת vearebaat HC/Acmsc and-four and four of 12
H702-13 לְ/אַרְבַּעְתָּֽ/ם learebaetam HR/Acmsc/Sp3mp for the four of them to their four 6
H702-10 לְ/אַרְבַּ֥ע leareba HR/Acfsa to four to four 6
H702-05 בְּ/אַרְבַּ֥ע beareba HR/Acfsa in-four in four 5

Occurrences in Scripture

320 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H702-11 Genesis 2:10 לְ/אַרְבָּעָ֥ה learebaah HR/Acmsa into four to four
H702-19 Genesis 11:13 וְ/אַרְבַּ֥ע veareba HC/Acfsa and four and four
H702-19 Genesis 11:15 וְ/אַרְבַּ֥ע veareba HC/Acfsa and four and four
H702-01 Genesis 11:16 אַרְבַּ֥ע areba HAcfsa four four
H702-19 Genesis 11:17 וְ/אַרְבַּ֥ע veareba HC/Acfsa and four and four
H702-17 Genesis 14:5 וּ/בְ/אַרְבַּע֩ uveareba HC/R/Acfsa in the four and in four
H702-02 Genesis 14:9 אַרְבָּעָ֥ה arebaah HAcmsa four four
H702-01 Genesis 15:13 אַרְבַּ֥ע areba HAcfsa four four
H702-01 Genesis 23:15 אַרְבַּ֨ע areba HAcfsa four four
H702-01 Genesis 23:16 אַרְבַּ֤ע areba HAcfsa four four
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