To multiply
רָבַבStrong’s H7231ravav (ra-vav)
Appears in 21 verses of the Old Testament
In short
Ravav is the Hebrew word usually translated “are many”, “become numerous” and “it is great”. It appears in 21 verses of the Old Testament.
“And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them,”
Meaning
- To be or become many, be or become much, be or become great(Qal)
- (Pual) ten thousands
How it's translated
- they are many 7
- to become numerous 1
- it is great 1
- and it will become many 1
- because were numerous you 1
- and they have been many 1
- they abound 1
- they have become many 1
Word-by-word English from the STEPBible tagged text.
Where it's used most
- Psalms 7
- Isaiah 4
- Jeremiah 3
- Genesis 2
- Exodus 1
- Deuteronomy 1
9 books in all.
Related words
Explore in Scripture
- Genesis 18:20And the LORD said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous;
- Exodus 23:29I will not drive them out from before thee in one year; lest the land become desolate, and the beast of the field multiply against thee.
- Deuteronomy 7:7The LORD did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people:
- 1 Samuel 25:10And Nabal answered David’s servants, and said, Who is David? and who is the son of Jesse? there be many servants now a days that break away every man from his master.
- Job 35:6If thou sinnest, what doest thou against him? or if thy transgressions be multiplied, what doest thou unto him?
- Psalms 3:1Lord, how are they increased that trouble me! many are they that rise up against me.
Hebrew dictionary
רָבַב ravav · to multiply
1) to be or become many, be or become much, be or become great 1a)(Qal) 1a1) to be or become many 1a2) to be or become great 1a3) to be long (of journey) 2) (Pual) ten thousands
From STEPBible’s Hebrew lexicon (based on Brown-Driver-Briggs).
Webster's 1828 Dictionary
How the English word “multiply” was understood when the King James Version was still the common Bible of English readers.
MUL'TIPLY, verb transitive
[Latin multiplico; multus, many, and plico, to fold or double.]
- To increase in number; to make more by natural generation or production, or by addition; as, to multiply men, horses or other animals; to multiply evils.“I will multiply my signs and wonders in Egypt” Exodus 7:3
- In arithmetic, to increase any given number as many times as there are units in any other given number.
All definitions and other forms of “multiply”
MUL'TIPLY, verb intransitive
To grow or increase in number.
- “Be fruitful and multiply” Genesis 1:22“When men began to multiply on the face of the earth” Genesis 6:1
- To increase in extent; to extend; to spread.“The word of God grew and multiplied” Acts 12:24
Noah Webster, An American Dictionary of the English Language (1828). Verse references are checked against the KJV. Read the full entry.
Verses are from the King James Version. Word meanings come from the original Hebrew, not from any one translation.