Lexical Summary Rabbah: Rabbah Original Word: רַבָּה Strong's Exhaustive Concordance Rabbah, Rabbath Feminine of rab; great; Rabbah, the name of two places in Palestine, East and West -- Rabbah, Rabbath. see HEBREW rab NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom rabab Definition two places in Isr. NASB Translation Rabbah (15). Brown-Driver-Briggs רַבָּה proper name, of a location Rabba (properly great or populous, that is, city); — 1 capital of Ammonites explicitly, רַבַּת בְּנֵי עַמּוֺן 2 Samuel 12:26,27; 2 Samuel 17:27; Deuteronomy 3:11; Jeremiah 49:2; Ezekiel 21:25; רַבָּה alone 2 Samuel 11:1 "" 1 Chronicles 20:1 (twice in verse), Amos 1:14; Jeremiah 49:3; Ezekiel 25:5; Joshua 13:25 (P); with ה locative רַבָּ֑תָה 2 Samuel 12:29; in Greek Period Philadelphia, Lagonom 215, 94; 219, 82 (but Ραββατμανα Polybv. 71.4), modern Ammâ132-Janmiles northeast from Heshbon, 28 2-Janmiles east of Jordan; compare BuhlGeogr.260;- ᵐ5 Ραββαθ, Ραββα 2 הָרַבָּה city in Judah Joshua 15:60 (P), site unknow; — ᵐ5 Σωθηβα, A ᵐ5L Αρεββα. Topical Lexicon Geographical SettingRabbah of the Ammonites lay in the highlands east of the Jordan, commanding the fertile headwaters of the Jabbok. Abundant springs made it “a city of waters” (2 Samuel 12:27), while steep wadis protected its walls. The modern site is Amman, capital of Jordan. A much smaller Rabbah in the hill country of Judah is noted once (Joshua 15:60), but the Ammonite capital accounts for the remaining references. Early Biblical Mentions Moses alludes to Rabbah’s fame when he remarks that King Og’s iron bed “is still in Rabbah of the Ammonites” (Deuteronomy 3:11). In the allotment to Gad, Joshua’s record draws Israel’s eastern border “as far as Aroer, which is opposite Rabbah” (Joshua 13:25), indicating that the city remained under Ammonite control in the days of the conquest. Davidic Campaigns Centuries later, the Ammonites hired Aramean mercenaries against David (2 Samuel 10). After initial victory, Joab laid siege to Rabbah: “They destroyed the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah, but David remained in Jerusalem” (2 Samuel 11:1). That decision set the stage for the king’s sin with Bathsheba, intertwining Rabbah with one of Scripture’s starkest moral lessons. When Joab captured the water supply he sent for David, who took the city’s crown of gold and precious stones, placing it on his own head (2 Samuel 12:26-30; 1 Chronicles 20:1-3). Rabbah thus became both a military trophy and a reminder that God’s grace can redeem personal failure. Prophetic Oracles The prophets employed Rabbah as a symbol of Ammonite pride destined for judgment: • “I will sound the battle cry against Rabbah of the Ammonites” (Jeremiah 49:2). These pronouncements, delivered across three centuries, demonstrate divine consistency: the same city once spared in Joshua’s day and conquered in David’s reign was later condemned for persistent hostility toward God’s people. Fulfilment and Later History After Nebuchadnezzar’s campaigns Rabbah declined, becoming a provincial town under the Persians and later the Greeks, who renamed it Philadelphia. Roman expansion revived the site, but the grandeur foretold by Amos and Ezekiel never returned; ruins testified to the accuracy of the prophetic word until modern rebuilding. Ministry Reflections 1. God’s patience has limits. Rabbah survived from the Exodus to the monarchy, yet prophetic warnings eventually materialized. Persistent rebellion invites certain judgment. 2. Spiritual warfare demands vigilance. David’s moral lapse occurred while his army fought at Rabbah. Leaders who neglect their post are vulnerable, and private sin can overshadow public victory. 3. Christ’s redemptive pattern shines through. David’s restored fellowship and ultimate triumph at Rabbah prefigure the greater Son of David, who conquers sin while extending mercy. 4. The reliability of Scripture is underscored. Historical, geographical, and prophetic details about Rabbah harmonize across Pentateuch, Historical Books, and Prophets, confirming the unified testimony of the Bible. Forms and Transliterations בְּרַבַּ֖ת בְרַבָּ֔ה ברבה ברבת וְהָֽרַבָּ֑ה והרבה מֵרַבַּ֣ת מרבת רַבַּ֣ת רַבַּ֨ת רַבָּ֑ה רַבָּ֑תָה רַבָּ֔ה רַבָּ֖ה רַבָּֽה׃ רַבָּה֒ רַבָּה֙ רבה רבה׃ רבת רבתה ḇə·rab·bāh bə·rab·baṯ ḇərabbāh berabBat bərabbaṯ mê·rab·baṯ merabBat mêrabbaṯ rab·bā·ṯāh rab·bāh rab·baṯ rabBah rabbāh rabBat rabbaṯ rabBatah rabbāṯāh veharabBah verabBah wə·hā·rab·bāh wəhārabbāhLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Deuteronomy 3:11 HEB: הֲלֹ֣ה הִ֔וא בְּרַבַּ֖ת בְּנֵ֣י עַמּ֑וֹן NAS: bedstead; it is in Rabbah of the sons KJV: [is] it not in Rabbath of the children INT: not he Rabbah of the sons of Ammon Joshua 13:25 Joshua 15:60 2 Samuel 11:1 2 Samuel 12:26 2 Samuel 12:27 2 Samuel 12:29 2 Samuel 17:27 1 Chronicles 20:1 1 Chronicles 20:1 Jeremiah 49:2 Jeremiah 49:3 Ezekiel 21:20 Ezekiel 25:5 Amos 1:14 15 Occurrences |
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