רָבַע
ra.va
to mate
Lexicon Entry
Lexicon data from STEPBible TIPNR, Tyndale House, Cambridge. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.
What Original Readers Understood
ExploredThe Hebrew word "רָבַע" (ra.va, Strong's number H7250) means "to mate." Its simple definition implies a basic, biological action involving two entities coming together for reproductive purposes. The word "רָבַע" is used three times in the Bible, indicating its relatively limited scope of application, likely in specific contexts such as the natural world or animal husbandry. Its restricted occurrences might suggest that this term is not a generic expression, rather a precise designation for the action described. From a broader perspective, the significance of "רָבַע" lies in its concise, unadorned representation of a fundamental biological process. This straightforwardness allows for a clear, uncomplicated understanding of its meaning and usage within its specific contexts of reference.
Source data & methodology
Occurrences in Scripture
3 total occurrences across the text
“ ‘You shall not lie with any animal to defile yourself with it. No woman may give herself to an animal, to lie down with it: it is a perversion.
Leviticus 19:19“ ‘You shall keep my statutes. “ ‘You shall not cross-breed different kinds of animals. “ ‘You shall not sow your field with two kinds of seed; “ ‘Don’t wear a garment made of two kinds of material.
Leviticus 20:16“ ‘If a woman approaches any animal and lies with it, you shall kill the woman and the animal. They shall surely be put to death. Their blood shall be upon them.