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רָבַע

𐤓𐤁𐤏

râbaʻ

H7250 verb

SILEX Entry

Root רבע to stretch out, to lie flat, to crouch, to spread oneself

Definition

To lie stretched out, to crouch or squat low, with primary reference to the posture of lying flat or prone; in specific contexts, especially in relation to animals, the term denotes the act of lying down during copulation.

Semantic Range

to stretch out flat, to crouch or squat, to lie prone, to assume the posture for copulation (especially of animals), to have sexual intercourse (specifically in animal contexts or illicit sexual acts)

Root / Etymology

Root: רבע. The root conveys the idea of spreading or lying out flat. The verb רָבַע is derived directly from this root, with its basic sense involving the body being prone or pressed to the ground. This posture may also have extended metaphorical applications in some contexts.

Historical & Contextual Notes

The verb רָבַע appears primarily in contexts relating to animal behavior, often with reference to the mating posture of livestock (cf. Lev 18:23, 20:16; Ezek 23:20). It describes the act of assuming a low, spread-out position, and, in many biblical occurrences, carries the connotation of an animal (or person, in rarer cases) lying down for sexual union. In later biblical and post-biblical Hebrew, the term's use becomes more limited and largely technical, restricted to legal or ritual environments dealing with illicit or abnormal sexual practices, particularly bestiality. The nuance of general squatting or lying out flat is foundational, but in biblical usage it has become closely associated with sexual copulation, particularly of an illicit sort. Standard English translations often render the term using euphemisms or with general verbs like 'to lie with,' but the Hebrew term implies a specific posture intrinsic to animal copulation, which may be missed by non-specialist readers. Distinguished from שָׁכַב (shakav, 'to lie down') by its particular focus on the spread or prone posture, and the context of mating.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a primitive root; to squat or lie out flat, i.e. (specifically) in copulation; let gender, lie down.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

רבע (r-b-ʿ) — to stretch out, lie flat, crouch low, spread oneself

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H702 אַרְבַּע four
H703 אַרְבַּע four
H7243 רְבִיעִי fourth
H7244 רְבִיעַי fourth (feminine)
H7251 רָבַע made four-sided

Word Forms

2 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H7250-01 לְ/רִבְעָ֖/הּ leriveah HR/Vqc/Sp3fs to mate with her to lie-flat with her 2
H7250-02 תַרְבִּ֣יעַ tarebia HVhi2ms you shall breed you will cause to lie flat 1

Occurrences in Scripture

3 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H7250-01 Leviticus 18:23 לְ/רִבְעָ֖/הּ leriveah HR/Vqc/Sp3fs to mate with it to lie-flat with her
H7250-02 Leviticus 19:19 תַרְבִּ֣יעַ tarebia HVhi2ms you shall breed you will cause to lie flat
H7250-01 Leviticus 20:16 לְ/רִבְעָ֣ה leriveah HR/Vqc to mate with her to lie-flat with her
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