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rb (raḇ, rabbā) adj. great, big
1
large
Common Aramaic
TAD D7.8 3↗ הלו תאתא זי לך רבתא מטאת למגז עמרא זילה‏ : your large ewe has come here for shearing its wool ; TAD C3.7 A.R.2.22↗ ספינה רבה הי‏ : it is a large boat ; Dan 7:3↗ וְאַרְבַּע חֵיוָן רַבְרְבָן‏ : four large beasts ; PAT260:1.4↗ ˁbdw trˁyˀ ˀln šttyhn dy plzˀ dy bbslqˀ rbtˀ dy bt bl : they made these six brass gates that are in the large portico of the Temple of Bel ; BT Suk 5b(15)↗ אפי רברבי ואפי זוטרי‏ : a large face (of a man) and a small face (of a cherub)
2
great, of major significance
Common Aramaic
Fakh.6↗ ˀlh | rḥmn | zy | tṣlwth | ṭbh | ysb skn | mrˀ | rb : merciful god whose prayer is good, dweller in GN, great lord ; BarRak.1.10↗ mlkn | rbrbn : great kings ; TAD D.22.49:3↗ אלהא רבא‏ : great god ; GozBdSt.4↗ ybˁwn lh bˁlšmyn rbˀ : great BaalShamayin will hold him responsible ; Ezra 4:10↗ אָסְנַפַּר רַבָּא וְיַקִּירָא‏ ; 4QEne1.22.3↗ ועד זמן יום קצא ד[י] דינא רבא די מנהון יתעבד‏ : until the end-time when the great judgment shall be done from them ; TgO Gen18:18var.↗ עַם רב‏ : a great people ; SYAP 10:39↗ רברבני חכמתא ברכון לרביתה‏ : the wisest of men blessed the girl ; ATS 1.1:236↗ maṣbuta rabtia : the major baptism
(1)
important, chief (see also s.v. rb n.m.)
Common Aramaic
BT Ber 47a(38)↗ גברא רבא‏ : a great man ; BT BB 51b(14)↗ שביק מר רברבי ועבד כזוטרי‏ : do you abandon the great (authorities) and act according to the lesser ones?
(2)
(logic) fem.: major premise
Syr
BhBS.E Eth. 4.6.2 text not cited
(3)
fem. : miracle
CPA, Syr
ActAM 4.1:9↗ ܗܕܢ ܗܘ ܕܥܒܕ ܪܒܪ̈ܒܬܐ ܘܡܬܡ̈ܗܬܐ‏ : the one who performed miracles and wonders ; IshIsa 40:26↗ ܗܠܝܢ ܪܘܪ̈ܒܬܐ ܘܬܕܡܪ̈ܬܐ‏
(4)
substantial
JLAtg, Syr, Man
TgO Gen12:17↗ מַכתָשִין רַברְבִין‏ : severe afflictions ; Cyrillona 2:53↗ ܙܒܢܐ ܪܒܐ ܐܝܬ ܠܢ ܬܢܢ‏ : we have been here a long time ; AM 239:8↗ umiṭraria rurbia nihuia : there will be substantial rains
(1)
adv. : brab : substantially, in large amounts
Man
AM 238:20↗ uqraba ukupna ušigša brab nihuia : there will be war, famine, and great disorder
3
(of age) : older
JLAtg, Gal, PTA, Sam, JBA, LJLA
GenApoc 12.10↗ שם] ב̇ר̇י̇ רבא יליד לה בר לקדמין‏ ; TgO Gen19:31↗ וַאֲמַרַת רַבְתָא לְזעֵירְתָא‏ : the older one said to the younger one ; TgJ Ez16:46↗ וַאֲחָתִיך רַבְתָא שֹמְרוֹן הִיא‏ : your big sister is Samaria ; PTBes 62.c:62[2]↗ ברתיה דר׳ חייה רבה‏ : the daughter of Rabbi Hiyya the elder ; TN Gen29:16↗ שמא {דרבא} דרבתא לאה ושמה דזעירתא רחל‏ : the older one's name was Leah, the younger ones' Rachel ; BT Hor 11b(46)↗ ומי מלכי זוטרי מקמי רברבי‏ : so do the younger ones reign before the older ones? ; PJ Gen29:16↗ text not cited
(1)
elder
Palmyrene
(2)
adult, fully grown
OfAEg, Man
TAD C3.9 R212↗ כל נפש] 4 בגו יור 1 נשן רבה‏ : four souls in total among which one slave and one mature woman ; AM 269:18↗ kiba brbia uianqia nihuia : there will be pain among the adults and the children
4
רברב : very big (?)
Qumran
GenApoc 13.14↗ א̊נ[בא ]ר̊ברב וש̇פי̇ר ומתחזה בהן‏
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pl. raḇrəḇīn -> rawrəḇīn; JPA, CPA also rwb; Mand. pl. both rbia and rurbia ; fem. sg. emph. JBA רבתי , Mand. rabtia
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The two Mandaic plurals may well be semantically distinct, i.e rbia "big", rurbia "really big". Similarly Qumran may exhibit a singular form רברב "really big".
Page refs. in other dictionaries: LS2: 1425[706]DJBA: 1052aJastrow: 1438Drower/Macuch: 422b, 36a, 428a, 431b, 41Payne-Smith ~: 3783J. Payne-Smith: 525Levy Ch-W: 2:397Tal Sam: 808DCPA[Schulthess]: 387[187b]DJA: 79aQumran: 216

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Wed, 04 Nov 2026 23:47:33 -0500