Lexical Summary Yareb: Yareb Original Word: יָרֵב Strong's Exhaustive Concordance Jareb From riyb; he will contend; Jareb, a symbolical name for Assyria -- Jareb. Compare Yariyb. see HEBREW riyb see HEBREW Yariyb NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom rib Definition "let him contend," the name of an Assyr. king NASB Translation Jareb (2). Brown-Driver-Briggs יָרֵב noun masculine, eipthet of Assyrian king (properly, si vera lectio, verb = let him contend, or (one who) contends); — only ׳מֶלֶךְ י Hosea 5:18; Hosea 10:6, i.e. Tiglath-Pileser III; WMMZAW xvii (1897), 335 proposes מַלְכִּי רַב (י- old noun ending) = Assyrian šarru rabbu; CheExpos., Nov. 1807, 864 מלך רב; CheEncy. Bib. JAREB conjecture מלך ערבי, Arabian king; compare, further, Comm., SchrCOT, on the passage JA SelbieHastings DB, JAREB and references Topical Lexicon Name and MeaningYarēb appears twice in the Book of Hosea as a royal title associated with Assyria. Most English versions render it “King Jareb,” while the Berean Standard Bible translates the term descriptively as “the great king” (Hosea 5:13; 10:6), conveying a ruler whose power is perceived as formidable enough to “contend” on behalf of supplicants. Occurrences 1. Hosea 5:13 – Ephraim and Judah, wounded by their own rebellion, look to Assyria and “the great king” for healing, but find no deliverance. Historical Setting Hosea ministered during the eighth century BC, when the Northern Kingdom (Ephraim/Israel) vacillated between alliances with Egypt and Assyria. Tiglath-Pileser III (Pul), Shalmaneser V, and Sargon II successively dominated the region, demanding tribute and threatening invasion. In desperation Israel repeatedly turned to Assyria, imagining that its monarch—here labeled Yarēb—could counterbalance regional threats. Hosea exposes that political calculation as misplaced trust. Literary and Theological Significance 1. Judgment on False Dependencies Hosea’s pairing of sickness/wound with foreign aid underscores a covenant lawsuit: “But he cannot cure you or heal your wound” (Hosea 5:13). The prophet indicts the nation for forsaking Yahweh’s covenantal care in favor of international diplomacy. Yarēb serves as an ironic foil; the seemingly “great” king proves powerless before the true King of Israel. 2. Exposure of Idolatry The calf-idol carried to Assyria (Hosea 10:6) dramatizes the shame of trusting both images and imperial overlords. Tribute paid to Yarēb drains Israel’s wealth, while the covenant curses (Leviticus 26; Deuteronomy 28) begin to unfold. 3. Covenant Faithfulness of God Even as Hosea proclaims doom, the larger prophetic message moves toward restoration (Hosea 14). The failure of Yarēb highlights God’s unbroken promise: only the Lord can “heal their apostasy” (Hosea 14:4). Ministry Implications • Reliance on worldly power structures, whether political, financial, or military, cannot substitute for covenant faith in God. Conclusion Yarēb stands as a prophetic emblem of misplaced confidence. Israel’s appeal to Assyria’s “great king” ends in deeper shame, reinforcing the biblical theme that salvation comes not by human might but by the steadfast love and sovereignty of the covenant-keeping God. Forms and Transliterations יָרֵ֑ב ירב yā·rêḇ yārêḇ yaRevLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Hosea 5:13 HEB: אֶל־ מֶ֣לֶךְ יָרֵ֑ב וְה֗וּא לֹ֤א NAS: to King Jareb. But he is unable KJV: to king Jareb: yet could INT: to King Jareb he not Hosea 10:6 2 Occurrences |
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