רָבַךְ
𐤓𐤁𐤊
râbak
H7246 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To soak or saturate, particularly in the context of immersing bread in oil or fat; by extension, to moisten or enrich food with oil or fat. The word is primarily associated with the culinary act of soaking bread in oil, commonly encountered in food preparation in ancient contexts, and may also extend to fried or richly oiled foods.
Semantic Range
to soak (bread in oil), to saturate (food), to moisten (with oil or fat), to enrich or soften with oil; by extension in post-biblical Hebrew or interpretation, to fry or prepare richly with fat
Root / Etymology
Root is ר-ב-ך (רָבַךְ). The precise etymological connection to other known roots is uncertain, as this root appears only in this form and is not widely attested elsewhere in Hebrew or cognate Semitic languages. The apparent meaning connects with the concept of softness achieved by saturation or soaking, potentially a denominative development from the perceived characteristics of richly soaked or fried foods. Etymology uncertain.
Historical & Contextual Notes
רָבַךְ is a rarely attested verb, occurring only in Levitical contexts (e.g., Leviticus 6:21) relating to ritual offerings prepared with oil. Its use is confined to the description of culinary preparation, specifically marking the distinction versus mere baking (אפה) or frying (טגן). Ancient Israelite sacrificial protocols occasionally required offerings prepared in a particular manner, and רָבַךְ signifies a state of food made moist or softened with oil/fat, differentiating it from bread that is simply baked or fried without such soaking. Standard English translations often render it as 'fried,' but this risks overlap with טגן, and the primary concept is strongly tied to soaking or saturating with oil. Later rabbis and translators sometimes interpreted this process as 'boiling' or 'softening,' but the verb almost always appears in conjunction with offerings or ritual food, rarely as a general culinary term. Not used outside the cultic context in the Hebrew Bible, nor does it function in later religious texts with a broader meaning. It is not to be confused with the common word for 'to bake' or 'to fry.'
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
a primitive root; to soak (bread in oil); baken, (that which is) fried.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
רבך (r-b-k) — to soak, to saturate, to moisten with oil
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H7246-01 |
מֻרְבֶּ֣כֶת | murebekhet | HVHsfsa |
soaked | made oil-soaked | 2 |
H7246-02 |
וְ/לַ/מֻּרְבָּ֑כֶת | velamurebakhet | HC/Rd/VHsfsa |
and-for-the-baked-offering | one made oil-soaked | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
3 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H7246-01 |
Leviticus 6:14 | מֻרְבֶּ֣כֶת | murebekhet | HVHsfsa |
soaked | made oil-soaked |
H7246-01 |
Leviticus 7:12 | מֻרְבֶּ֔כֶת | murebekhet | HVHsfsa |
well-mixed | made oil-soaked |
H7246-02 |
1 Chronicles 23:29 | וְ/לַ/מֻּרְבָּ֑כֶת | velamurebakhet | HC/Rd/VHsfsa |
and-for-the-baked-offering | one made oil-soaked |