רִבְלָה
𐤓𐤁𐤋𐤄
Rivelah
H7247 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Riblah is a proper noun denoting a city located in Syria, specifically on the north-eastern frontier of the territory traditionally ruled by the Israelites, situated near the Orontes River. The primary lexical meaning is as a toponym. In biblical usage, Riblah most often refers to a significant administrative or military center during key events in the late monarchic and exilic periods. It does not function as a common noun but solely denotes this place. Semantic range is essentially restricted to designating this ancient city.
Semantic Range
the city of Riblah in Syria; foreign military-administrative outpost; location of judgment and royal captivity
Root / Etymology
The root is uncertain. The form appears to be derived from a root similar to רבל, with some commentators linking it by folk etymology to the concept of 'fruitfulness' or 'fertility,' possibly due to the area's agricultural productivity, but there is no direct attested verbal root in biblical Hebrew. Modern scholarship generally considers the etymology uncertain.
Historical & Contextual Notes
Riblah figures prominently in narratives relating to the final days of the kingdom of Judah: Pharaoh Necho established his headquarters at Riblah during his campaign in the region (2 Kings 23:33), and Nebuchadnezzar set up his base there during the Babylonian conquest (2 Kings 25:6, 20–21; Jeremiah 39:5–6; 52:9–10, 26–27). The site functioned as a place where high-level prisoners—such as Josiah’s son Jehoahaz and King Zedekiah of Judah—were brought for judgment by foreign monarchs. The identification of Riblah in the Modern era places it near modern Ribleh, on the Orontes, north of Baalbek. Notably, the city is outside the traditional Israelite territory, acting as a foreign administrative outpost. It should not be confused with other similarly named sites. Riblah is always a place name in the Hebrew Bible and never an ethnonym or common noun, and is unrelated to later meanings or peoples. English translations render it simply as 'Riblah,' and the context always indicates the city’s geopolitical significance during moments of Israelite/Judahite subjugation or royal captivity.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from an unused root meaning to be fruitful; fertile; Riblah, a place in Syria; Riblah.
Bantu Hebrew
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רבל (uncertain) (r-b-l (uncertain)) — uncertain; possibly fruitfulness (folk etymology)
Word Forms
5 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H7247-04 |
רִבְלָ֑תָ/ה | rivelatah | HNp/Sd |
Riblah | to Riblah | 5 |
H7247-01 |
בְּ/רִבְלָ֖ה | berivelah | HR/Np |
at Riblah | in Riblah | 3 |
H7247-03 |
הָ/רִבְלָ֖ה | harivelah | HTd/Np |
to Riblah | to Riblah | 1 |
H7247-02 |
בְּ/רִבְלָֽתָ/ה | berivelatah | HR/Np/Sd |
in Riblah | in Riblah-ward | 1 |
H7247-05 |
בְ/רִבְלָה֙ | verivelah | HR/Np |
at Riblah | in Riblah | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
11 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H7247-03 |
Numbers 34:11 | הָ/רִבְלָ֖ה | harivelah | HTd/Np |
to Riblah | to Riblah |
H7247-05 |
2 Kings 23:33 | בְ/רִבְלָה֙ | verivelah | HR/Np |
at Riblah | in Riblah |
H7247-04 |
2 Kings 25:6 | רִבְלָ֑תָ/ה | rivelatah | HNp/Sd |
Riblah | to Riblah |
H7247-04 |
2 Kings 25:20 | רִבְלָֽתָ/ה | rivelatah | HNp/Sd |
Riblah | to Riblah |
H7247-01 |
2 Kings 25:21 | בְּ/רִבְלָ֖ה | berivelah | HR/Np |
at Riblah | in Riblah |
H7247-04 |
Jeremiah 39:5 | רִבְלָ֖תָ/ה | rivelatah | HNp/Sd |
Riblah | to Riblah |
H7247-01 |
Jeremiah 39:6 | בְּ/רִבְלָ֖ה | berivelah | HR/Np |
at Riblah | in Riblah |
H7247-04 |
Jeremiah 52:9 | רִבְלָ֖תָ/ה | rivelatah | HNp/Sd |
to Riblah | to Riblah |
H7247-02 |
Jeremiah 52:10 | בְּ/רִבְלָֽתָ/ה | berivelatah | HR/Np/Sd |
in Riblah | in Riblah-ward |
H7247-04 |
Jeremiah 52:26 | רִבְלָֽתָ/ה | rivelatah | HNp/Sd |
Riblah | to Riblah |