רֶ֫כֶב120 H7393
Chariot or chariotry (collective war-vehicle force); rarely, the upper millstone of a hand-mill.
The primary military term for wheeled war vehicles in the Hebrew Bible, covering everything from Pharaoh's chariot corps at the Red Sea (Exod 14:7) to the iron chariots of the Canaanites (Josh 17:16) and Solomon's chariot cities (1 Kgs 9:19). Arabic markaba and Korean byeongeo confirm the war-vehicle reading across language families. A fascinating secondary sense appears just three times: the upper millstone, the stone that 'rides' atop the lower -- the woman at Thebez dropped one on Abimelech's head (Judg 9:53). The metaphor from r-k-b ('to mount, ride') links both senses.
Senses
1. chariot, chariotry — A wheeled war vehicle or the collective chariot force of an army -- Pharaoh's chariots (Exod 14:7), Sisera's nine hundred iron chariots (Judg 4:3), Solomon's chariot corps (1 Kgs 10:26). Often paired with cavalry (parashim) and horses (susim). Arabic markabat/markabat, Spanish carro/carros, and Korean byeongeo converge on the military-vehicle reading. The collective sense ('chariotry') is more common than reference to a single vehicle. 117×
AR["مَركَبَةٍ", "مَرْكَباتٍ", "مَرْكَبَاتٌ", "مَرْكَبَاتٍ", "مَرْكَبَةً", "مَرْكَبَةٍ", "مَرْكَبَةَ"]·ben["দায়ূদ", "রথ", "রথের"]·DE["Rekab", "Wagen"]·EN["chariot", "chariots"]·FR["Récab", "char"]·heb["רֶכֶב", "רכב"]·HI["रथ", "रेखेव"]·ID["dan-dua-ratus", "kereta"]·IT["carro", "chariot"]·jav["kareta", "kereta", "kreta", "kréta"]·KO["병거", "병거와", "병거의", "수레", "수레도", "전차를"]·PT["carro", "carros", "carros-de"]·RU["колесниц", "колесницу", "колесницы"]·ES["carro", "carro-de", "carros"]·SW["gari", "gari-la-vita", "magari", "magari-ya-farasi", "magari-ya-vita", "na-wapanda-farasi", "ya-farasi"]·TR["araba", "arabalar", "arabayı", "savaş-arabaları", "savaş-arabası"]·urd["رتھ", "رث", "رث۔"]
Gen 50:9, Exod 14:7, Deut 20:1, Josh 11:4, Judg 4:15, Judg 4:16, 1 Sam 13:5, 2 Sam 1:6, 2 Sam 8:4, 2 Sam 10:18, 1 Kgs 1:5, 1 Kgs 10:26 (+38 more)
2. upper millstone — The upper grinding stone of a hand-mill that 'rides' atop the lower stone -- a vivid metaphorical extension of the root r-k-b ('to ride, mount'). Deuteronomy 24:6 forbids taking a millstone as pledge; Judges 9:53 narrates the woman who dropped an upper millstone on Abimelech; 2 Samuel 11:21 recalls the same event. Spanish piedra de molino and Korean maestol/wistol ('millstone/upper-stone') confirm this distinct concrete-object sense. 3×
AR["رَحى", "رَحًى", "وَحَجَرًا-عُلْوِيًّا"]·ben["এবং-নিচের-পাট", "চাকার", "জাঁতার"]·DE["ein-millstone", "millstone", "und-upper-millstone"]·EN["a-millstone", "and-upper-millstone", "millstone"]·FR["et-upper-millstone", "meule", "un-millstone"]·heb["ו-רכב", "רכב"]·HI["और-पाट", "चक्की-का"]·ID["atas", "dan-pemutarnya"]·IT["e-upper-millstone", "millstone", "un-millstone"]·jav["utawi-watu-giling", "watu-gilingan"]·KO["그리고-윗돌을", "맷돌-의", "맷돌의"]·PT["e-pedra", "mó", "pedra-de-moinho"]·RU["жернова", "жёрнова", "и-верхний-камень"]·ES["molino", "piedra-de-molino", "y-piedra-de-molino"]·SW["jiwe-la-kusagia", "kusagia", "na-jiwe-la-juu"]·TR["değirmen-taşının", "ve-üst-taşını"]·urd["اور-پتھر", "چکّی-کا", "چکی-کا"]
Related Senses
H2719 1. sword, weapon of war (410×)H4196 1. altar (place of sacrifice) (403×)H7198 1. bow (weapon) (72×)H7979 1. table (71×)H7782 1. ram's horn trumpet (69×)H4294 2. staff, rod, scepter (63×)H4043 1. shield, defensive weapon (60×)H0646 1. ephod (priestly garment) (49×)H8504 1. blue (violet-blue yarn/fabric) (49×)H2595 1. spear, lance (48×)H2671 1. arrow, projectile weapon (46×)H4818 1. chariot, war-chariot (44×)H3658 1. lyre, harp (stringed instrument) (42×)H1537 1. Gilgal (place name) (41×)H0713 1. purple (fabric/dye) (38×)H0905 3. poles, staves (37×)H7392 1. Qal participle: rider, charioteer (37×)H4501 1. cultic lampstand (menorah) (36×)H0212 1. wheel (35×)H7626 2. rod, staff, stick (33×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
רֶ֫כֶב120 n.m. 2 K 13, 7 [even Na 2:5, where read מַרְאֵיהֶם (for -הֶן) We Now AlbrZAW xvi (1896), 90] chariotry, chariot, mill-stone; appar. also riders (cf. LagBN151);—abs. ר׳ Gn 50:9 +, רָ֑כֶב 2 S 8:4 +; cstr. רֶכֶב Ex 14:9 +; sf. רִכְבִּי Ju 4:7 +, רִכְבּוֹ 2 K 5:9 +, רִכְבָּהּ Na 2:14; pl. cstr. רִכְבֵי Ct 1:9;—Ho 10:13 v. infr.;— 1. 109 coll. chariotry, chariots [sometimes of specific no. 2…