Lexical Summary rab: Great, many, much, chief, captain, master Original Word: רַב Strong's Exhaustive Concordance archer By contraction from rabab; an archer (or perhaps the same as rab) -- archer. see HEBREW rabab see HEBREW rab NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom rabab Definition an archer NASB Translation archer (1), arrows (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs III. [רַב] noun masculine archer; — plural רַבִּים Jeremiah 50:29 ("" דֹּרְכֵי קֶשֶׁת; Gie רֹבִים, II. רבה), suffix רַבָּיו Job 16:13 (in figurative; Bö and others רֹבָיו; Vrss. Ew and others his missiles).. I. רבד (√ of following; compare Arabic Topical Lexicon Overview Strong’s Hebrew 7228 designates a company of bow-men or “archers.” The term occurs only twice, yet in both settings it stands at the heart of divine judgment: first as the invisible assailants wounding Job, and again as the summoned warriors who will topple Babylon. In each passage the archers serve as executors of a righteous decree that cannot be escaped. Occurrences • Job 16:13 – “His archers surround me; He pierces my kidneys without mercy; He pours my gall on the ground.” Historical Background Archery dominated Near-Eastern warfare from the third millennium B.C. onward. Composite bows, quivers, and companies of skilled bow-men formed the backbone of Assyrian, Babylonian, and Persian armies. An archer could strike accurately at ranges beyond the reach of spears, so ancient chroniclers often pictured them as unstoppable agents of fate. The prophets adopt this cultural reality, portraying archers as the human means by which the Lord’s verdict reaches its target (Jeremiah 50:14; Isaiah 13:18). Theological Significance 1. Instrument of Divine Affliction 2. Instrument of Divine Judgment 3. Certainty and Precision Canonical Connections • Genesis 49:23 – “The archers attacked him…” portrays Joseph harassed yet ultimately preserved; the righteous may be struck but cannot be destroyed (2 Corinthians 4:8-9). Ministry and Pastoral Implications 1. Suffering Saints Job 16:13 invites believers to bring raw lament before God. Acknowledging the Lord’s sovereignty in pain does not negate honest anguish; it sanctifies it (Psalm 62:8). 2. Accountability of Nations Jeremiah’s oracle warns modern powers that economic strength or military alliances cannot shield from divine reckoning. “Righteousness exalts a nation” (Proverbs 14:34). 3. Spiritual Warfare Ephesians 6:16 exhorts the church to “take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.” Earthly archers foreshadow unseen forces; only God’s provided armor ensures victory. Christological Foreshadowing At Calvary the spotless Lamb endured the ultimate barrage of judgment aimed at sinners (Isaiah 53:5). By absorbing the deadly arrows, He disarmed the rulers and authorities (Colossians 2:15) and offers refuge to all who flee to Him (Hebrews 6:18). Key References for Further Study Psalm 11:2; Psalm 64:3; Proverbs 25:18; Isaiah 13:18; Jeremiah 51:3; Lamentations 3:12; Zechariah 9:14. Forms and Transliterations רַ֠בִּים רַבָּ֗יו רביו רבים rab·bāw rab·bîm rabBav rabbāw Rabbim rabbîmLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Job 16:13 HEB: יָ֘סֹ֤בּוּ עָלַ֨י ׀ רַבָּ֗יו יְפַלַּ֣ח כִּ֭לְיוֹתַי NAS: His arrows surround me. Without KJV: His archers compass me round about, INT: surround and his arrows splits my kidneys Jeremiah 50:29 2 Occurrences |
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confine, tie.)