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רֹבַע

𐤓𐤁𐤏

rôbaʻ

H7255 noun

SILEX Entry

Root רבע to make four, divide into four, be fourfold

Definition

A quarter, specifically one of four equal parts or sections into which something can be divided; used particularly in geographic or spatial contexts, such as a quarter of a city, territory, or camp. By extension, may denote the fourth part in enumerative sequences.

Semantic Range

quarter (one-fourth of an area or entity), fourth part, district or sector (especially in a city), quarter section, one of four divisions

Root / Etymology

From the root רבע, whose core meaning is 'to make four, be four, divide into four parts.' רֹבַע (rôba‘) is a nominal form referring to 'quarter' (one-fourth).

Historical & Contextual Notes

רֹבַע occurs sparingly in the Hebrew Bible and is primarily attested in later or post-biblical Hebrew for designating a quarter of a city or a territorial division (cf. Nehemiah 3:11; 3:24). While the core sense is a mathematical fourth, in practice it may refer to a district or precinct, particularly within a city context. In earlier periods, Israelites may have conceptualized space—such as a camp, a city, or land holdings—by dividing it into four parts (e.g., cardinal directions or administrative quarters). In the post-exilic period, the term is explicitly associated with sections of Jerusalem during its reconstruction (Nehemiah). English translations often render רֹבַע as 'quarter,' which accurately preserves the connotation of a district or division but may obscure the sense of equal partitioning unless context is noted. Unlike other division terms (such as חֵלֶק 'portion, section'), רֹבַע implies a specifically fourfold division. The English term 'quarter' may carry additional historical connotations in some contexts (e.g., medieval city quarters) that should not be retrojected onto biblical usage.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from רָבַע; a quarter; fourth participle

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

רבע (r-b-ʿ) — to make four, divide into four, be fourfold

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H702 אַרְבַּע four
H703 אַרְבַּע four
H7243 רְבִיעִי fourth
H7244 רְבִיעַי fourth (feminine)
H7250 רָבַע to lie-flat with her

Word Forms

2 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H7255-01 רֹ֣בַע rova HNcmsc fourth part quarter of 1
H7255-02 וְ/רֹ֛בַע verova HC/Ncmsc and a fourth and quarter-of 1

Occurrences in Scripture

2 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H7255-01 Numbers 23:10 רֹ֣בַע rova HNcmsc fourth part quarter of
H7255-02 2 Kings 6:25 וְ/רֹ֛בַע verova HC/Ncmsc and a fourth and quarter-of
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