Smith's Bible Dictionary

(Frankie) #1

Rabbi
a title of respect signifying master, teacher, given by the Jews to their doctors and teachers, and
often addressed to our Lord. (Matthew 23:7,8; 26:25,49; Mark 9:6; 11:21; 14:45; John 1:38,49;
3:2,26; 4:31; 6:25; 9:2; 11:8) Another form of the title was Rabboni. (John 20:16) The titles were
used with different degrees of honor; the lowest being rab, master then rabbi, my master ; next
rabban, our master ; and greatest of all, Rabboni, my great master.
Rabbith
(multitude) a town in the territory, perhaps on the boundary, of Issachar. (Joshua 18:20) only.
Rabboni
(John 30:18) [Rabbi]
Rabmag
(Jeremiah 39:3,13) a title borne by Nergal-sharezer, probably identical with the king called by
the Greeks Neriglissar. [NERGAL-SHAREZER] (it probably means chief of the magi ; at all events
it was “an office of great power and dignity at the Babylonian court, and probably gave its possessor
special facilities for gaining the throne.”)
Rabsaris
(chief of the eunuchs).
•An officer of the king of Assyria sent up with Tartan and Rabshakeh against Jerusalem in the time
of Hezekiah. (2 Kings 18:17) (B.C. 713.)
•One of the princes of Nebuchadnezzar, who was present at the capture of Jerusalem, B.C. 588.
(Jeremiah 39:3,13) Rabsaris is probably rather the name of an office than of an individual.
Rabshakeh
(chief cupbearer), (2 Kings 19:1; Isaiah 36:1; Isaiah 37:1) ... one of the officers of the king of
Assyria sent against Jerusalem in the reign of Hezekiah. [Hezekiah] (B.C. 713.) The English version
takes Rabshakeh as the name of a person; but it is more probably the name of the office which he
held at the court, that of chief cupbearer.
Raca
a term of reproach derived from the Chaldee reka, worthless. (“Raca denotes a certain looseness
of life and manners, while ’fool,’ in the same passage, means a downright wicked and reprobate
person.”) (Matthew 5:22)
Race
[Games]
Rachab
Rahab the harlot. (Matthew 1:15)
Rachal
(trade), (1 Samuel 30:29) a town in the southern part of the tribe of Judah, one of the towns to
which David sent presents out of the spoil of the Amalekites.
Rachel
(ewe, or sheep), the younger of the daughters of Laban, the wife of Jacob (B.C. 1753) and
mother of Joseph and Benjamin. The incidents of her life may be found in Genesis29-33, 35. The
story of Jacob and Rachel has always had a peculiar interest. The beauty of Rachel, Jacob’s deep
love and long servitude for her, their marriage, and Rachel’s death on giving birth to Benjamin,
with Jacob’s grief at her loss, (Genesis 48:7) makes a touching tale. Yet from what is related to us
concerning her character there does not seem much to claim any high degree of admiration and

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