H7251 H7251
To make square, to be four-sided — shaping objects with four equal sides and right angles, especially sacred furniture
The verb רָבַע (raba') means to make square or four-sided, and it appears almost exclusively as a passive participle (רָבוּעַ) describing the shape of sacred objects in the tabernacle and temple. The altar of burnt offering is 'square' — five cubits by five cubits (Exod 27:1; 38:1). The altar of incense is likewise 'square' — one cubit by one cubit (Exod 30:2). The high priest's breastpiece is folded into a 'square' — a span by a span (Exod 28:16). Ezekiel's visionary temple court is 'square' (Ezek 40:47; 43:16; 45:2). The consistent application to sacred architecture suggests that geometric precision was integral to the holiness of Israel's worship spaces. Spanish 'cuadrado' and French 'carré' both convey the four-sided regularity.
Senses
1. square, four-sided (passive participle) — To make square or four-sided; almost always as a passive participle describing the geometric shape of sacred objects and structures. Applied to the bronze altar of burnt offering (Exod 27:1; 38:1), the golden altar of incense (Exod 30:2), and the high priest's breastpiece (Exod 28:16; 39:9). Ezekiel extends it to the visionary temple court and altar hearth (Ezek 40:47; 43:16; 45:2). The fourfold symmetry was not merely aesthetic but liturgically significant — a square form signified completeness and consecrated order. Spanish 'cuadrado' and German 'viereckig' both capture the four-cornered shape. 12×
AR["مُرَبَّعاً", "مُرَبَّعًا", "مُرَبَّعٌ", "مُرَبَّعَةً", "مُرَبَّعَةٌ"]·ben["চতুর্ভুজ", "চতুষ্কোণ", "বর্গাকার"]·DE["[מרבע]", "[מרבעת]", "[רבוע]", "[רבעה]", "square", "squared"]·EN["square", "squared"]·FR["carré", "squared", "être-carré"]·heb["מרובע", "מרובעות", "מרובעים", "מרובעת", "רבוע", "רבועה", "ריבוע"]·HI["चौकोर", "चौरस"]·ID["Empat-persegi", "Persegi", "bujur-sangkar", "empat-persegi", "persegi", "persegi-empat"]·IT["[מרבע]", "[מרבעת]", "[רבוע]", "[רבעה]", "square", "squared"]·jav["Pesagi", "pasagi", "persagi", "pesagi", "pesagi,"]·KO["네모난", "네모진", "정사각형의"]·PT["Quadrado", "quadradas", "quadrado"]·RU["Квадратным", "квадратный", "квадратным", "четырёхугольные", "четырёхугольным"]·ES["Cuadrado", "cuadrada", "cuadrado", "cuadrados"]·SW["fremu", "mraba", "za-mraba"]·TR["kare"]·urd["مربع", "چوکور"]
Related Senses
H3605 1. all, every, whole (5352×)H0259 1. one (cardinal numeral) (940×)H8147 1. cardinal number two (666×)G3956 1. all (collective plural) (616×)H3967 1. cardinal numeral hundred (550×)H1419a 1. great, large (general quality) (486×)H7969 1. cardinal number three (431×)H0505 1. cardinal number thousand (427×)H7651 1. seven (cardinal number) (393×)G1520 1. cardinal number one (339×)H6240 1. ten (cardinal number) (334×)H6242 1. twenty (cardinal number) (315×)H2568 1. cardinal number five (309×)H0702 1. four (cardinal number) (277×)G3956 2. every, each (distributive) (227×)H8337 1. six (cardinal number) (215×)G3956 3. all things, everything (substantive) (211×)G3956 4. (187×)H6235 1. ten (177×)G3173 1. great in size or extent (176×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† [רָבַע] vb.denom., only Pt. pass. squared, square;— Qal Pt. pass. רָבוּעַ square, of altar Ex 27:1; 30:2; 37:25; 38:1, cf. Ez 43:16; breastplate 30:2; 39:9; pl. רְבֻעִים, of doorways, etc. [on text v. Kit Benz] 1 K 7:5; fs. רְבֻעָה as subst. = a square Ez 41:21 (acc. Co Toy, om. מְזוּזַה, and joining ר׳ to v 20; Krae reads מְזוּזֹת רְבֻעֹת, cf. 1 K 6:33, רְבִיעִי 2). Pu. Pt. square, מְרֻבַּע Ez…