Word

רִיב

rîyb · H7378 · Hebrew · 67 occurrences

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Meanings

to quarrel, to contend, to accuse

Action by which humans initiate a possible argument or conflict with other humans or with a deity by accusing them of wrongdoing or by taking action in a different way

Examples
Genesis 26:20 the herdsmen of Gerar quarreled with the herdsmen of Isaac, saying, “The water is ours!” So he named the well Esek, because they argued with him.
Genesis 26:21 Then they dug another well, and they quarreled over it too, so he named it Sitnah.
Genesis 26:22 Then he moved away from there and dug another well, and they did not quarrel over it; so he named it Rehoboth, for he said, “At last the LORD has made room for us, and we will be fruitful in the land.”
Exact meaning is not clear but likely action by which a person or deity initiates a conflict with someone, accusing that person of wrongdoing and resulting in a consequence or punishment (to contend (with) > punish)

Examples
Amos 7:4 So the Lord GOD showed me, and behold, the Lord GOD was calling to contend with them by fire, and it consumed the great deep and began to consume the farmland.
enemy, foe, adversary

Participle someone who is in conflict with or opposes a person, usually involving a legal or ethical dispute

Examples
1 Samuel 2:10 “Those who contend with the LORD will be terrified; Against them He will thunder in the heavens, The LORD will judge the ends of the earth; And He will give strength to His king, And will exalt the horn of His anointed.”
Action by which humans or deities resolve a conflict for their own benefit or for the benefit of (other) humans who may not be in a position to do that for themselves (to plead (another's cause), to defend, to take up (another's) cause)

Examples
1 Samuel 25:39 When David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, “Blessed be the LORD, who has pleaded the cause of the shame inflicted on me by the hand of Nabal, and has kept back His servant from evil. The LORD has also returned the evildoing of Nabal on his own head.” Then David sent a proposal to Abigail, to take her as his wife.
Proverbs 22:23 For the LORD will plead their case And take the life of those who rob them.
Proverbs 23:11 For their Redeemer is strong; He will plead their case against you.
to contend against, to bring charges against

Exact meaning is not at all clear but possibly action by which a person or deity accuses or files a legal complaint against someone; but see also רִיב

Examples
Hosea 4:4 Yet let no one find fault, and let no one rebuke; For your people are like those who contend with a priest.

How it’s used In 9 roles

Every occurrence, grouped by the words it is grammatically related to.

the word studied the word it goes with

Who or what does itSubject

61 occurrences in 19 groups

Not stated: he, she or it 13
Not stated: you (one person) 11
Not stated: I 8
Not stated: you (more than one) 6
Not stated (infinitive) 5
Not stated: they 3
Other words · 13 groups that occur once or twice (15) 15

What it acts on, or what is saidObject

16 occurrences in 6 groups

רִיבdispute, cause, strife 11
אַלְמָנָהwidow 1
עַםpeople 1
נִיme 1
וֹhim 1
הָher 1

With prepositionsPrepositional phrases

43 occurrences in 41 groups

עִמָּדagainst+ נִיme 3
לto/for+ וֹhim 3
Other words · 39 groups that occur once or twice (41) 41

With adverbsAdverbs

7 occurrences in 5 groups

לֹאnot 3
אַלnot, do not 2
חִנָּםwithout cause, for nothing 1
מַדּוּעַwhy? 1
עוֹדstill, again, yet 1

Whose, or of whatGenitive or possessive

3 occurrences in 3 groups

כֹּהֵןpriest 1
ךָyour 1
הוּhis 1

What it doesIt is the subject

2 occurrences in 2 groups

חָתַתto be dismayed, to be shattered 1
מוּתto die 1

What is done to itIt is the object

2 occurrences in 2 groups

רִיבdispute, cause, strife 1
שָׁלַחto send, to send away 1

What is said to be itIt is the predicate

1 occurrences in 1 groups

עַםpeople 1

After prepositionsPrepositional phrases

6 occurrences in 2 groups

לto/for 5
כlike/as 1

When two words share a role, as in “Paul and Barnabas said”, the verse appears under each, so a section’s counts can add up to more than the number of occurrences.

MACULA Greek Linguistic Datasets, available at https://github.com/Clear-Bible/macula-greek/, licensed CC BY 4.0; MACULA Hebrew Linguistic Datasets © 2022-2024 by Biblica, Inc., CC BY 4.0. Westminster Leningrad Codex (tanach.us). OpenScriptures Hebrew Bible morphology (hb.openscriptures.org), CC BY 4.0.

Near synonyms 1 word

שָׁפַט shâphaṭ · H8199 · to judge, to pronounce judgement, to administer justice: However, their core semantic centers differ: רִיב (rîyb, H7378) emphasizes the act of contending/disputing/striving, while שָׁפַט (shâphaṭ, H8199) centers on judging/executing judgment/ruling. This is real but partial overlap, not full synonymy.

In the other Testament 1 word

κρίνω krínō · G2919 · to come to a conclusion, to decide, to make up one’s mind: Greek κρίνω (krínō, G2919) focuses on judicial judgment and condemnation, while Hebrew רִיב (rîyb, H7378) emphasizes the broader legal disputation process including contention, pleading, and striving in legal contexts—both lexemes overlap in forensic/juridical settings where dispute leads to judgment.

Semantic domains 3 entries

Conflict002003002006: Genesis 26:20-21 twice records the herdsmen of Gerar "quarreling" with Isaac's herdsmen over wells, and Genesis 31:36 records Jacob "quarreling" with Laban, directly attesting the sense of contentious dispute.
Chastise002003002005: This lexeme's very wide range of contexts (legal, personal, and covenantal disputes) extends toward formal rebuke, though the sampled citations here attest ordinary interpersonal quarreling rather than this narrower chastising sense.
Enemies001001003002: The contentious relationships this verb describes (Genesis 31:36's Jacob-Laban dispute, Exodus 17:2's Israel-Moses quarrel) can shade toward outright hostility, though the sampled citations attest quarreling rather than settled enmity specifically.

Word family 5 words

Words formed from the same root. They share a form, not always a meaning.

רִיבrîyb · H7378רִיב rîyb · H7379 · dispute, quarrel, strife · 61×יָרִיב yârîyb · H3401 · adversary, enemy · 3×יָרֵב Yârêb · H3377 · great · 2×מְרִיבָה mᵉrîybâh · H4808 · dispute, quarrel, strife, argument · 2×

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon H7378. rib or rub רִיב [NöZMG xxxvii (1883). 530, 534 Ges§ 73b] verb strive, contend…

H7378. rib
or rub רִיב [NöZMG xxxvii (1883). 530, 534 Ges§ 73b]
verb strive, contend (compare Arabic () agitate (the mind), disquiet; compare also Syriac cry, shout, Aph`el also quarrel noisily, shouting, clamour (see Nöl.c.); on Sabean proper name ריב = Arabic see DHMib. 14); —
Qal Perfect3masculine singular רָב Jdg 11:25; 1Sa 25:29; 1Sa 25:2masculine singular רַבְתָּ Lam 3:58, רִיבוֺתָ Job 33:13, etc.; Imperfect3masculine singular יָרִיב Jdg 6:31 +, jussive יָרֵב Hos 4:4; 1Sa 24:16, לוֺ(בּוֺׅ יָ֫רֶב Jdg 6:31-32, וַיָּ֫רֶב Gen 31:36 +; 2 masculine singular תרוב Pro 3:30 Kt, תָּרִיב Qr; 3 masculine plural יְרִיבֻן Exo 21:18, etc.; Imperative masculine singular רִיב Mic 6:1; Pro 25:9, רִיבָה Psa 35:1 +, masculine plural רִיבוּ Isa 1:17; Hos 2:4; Infinitive absolute רוֺב Jdg 11:25, רֹב Job 40:2; רִיב Jer 50:34 (Ges§ 73d Köi. 509 BaNB 80); construct רִיב Isa 3:13; Job 9:3 + Jdg 21:22 Qr (Kt רוב), רִב Amo 7:4; Pro 25:8; Participle רָב Isa 19:20 +; — strive:
1 involving bodily struggle Exo 21:18 (that is, one with another; E); public hostilities, לוֺ רָב יָרָיוּ Deu 33:7 (with) his hands he strove for it, with עִם of Israel, רָב הֲרוֺב Jdg 11:25 (|| נִלְחַם).
2 with words, with ב person Gen 31:36 (E), Exo 17:2 a (J) Jdg 6:32, so (in figurative) Hos 2:4 compare Hos 2:4; often = quarrel, with עִם person, Gen 26:20; Exo 17:2b Num 20:3 (all J), Neh 13:25; subject God Job 9:3; Job 13:19; Job 23:6; also Job 40:2 (עִם of God; on infinitive absolute see Ges§ 113ee), in General Pro 3:30; with אֵת person Jdg 8:1; Neh 5:7; Neh 13:11, Neh 13:17, subject ׳י Isa 49:25 (compare I. יָרִיב below), Psa 35:1 (|| לָחַם); אֵת of ׳י Isa 45:9 (participle one striving), Num 20:13 (P); with עַל of thing Gen 26:21-22, absolute = find fault Hos 4:4 (|| הוֺכִיחַ). Especially
3 conduct a (legal) case, suit, usually figurative, ׳י subject; Isa 3:13 (|| דִּין), Isa 57:16 (|| קָצַף), Psa 103:9 (נָטַר[אַף]), compare בָּאֵשׁ לָרִב קֹרֵא Amo 7:4; with accusative of person with whom (unfriendly sense), Job 10:2; Isa 27:8; with accusative of congnate meaning with verb רִיב in good sense, = take one's part, 1Sa 24:15 (Gi; v.1Sa 24:16 van d. H. Baer; || שָׁפַט), Mic 7:9; Jer 50:34 (אֶתרִֿיבָם יָרִיב רִיב, infinitive construct = infinitive absolute, see above), Jer 51:36 (|| נקם), Lam 3:58; Pro 22:23; Psa 43:1 (+ מִגּוֺי; || שָׁפַט), Psa 119:154 (+ גָּאַל), also Psa 74:22 (God, his own cause); + מִיַּד person against whom 1Sa 25:39 (of vengeance); + אֵת person against whom Pro 23:11, so (without accusative of congnate meaning with verb) Isa 50:8; Jer 2:9 (twice in verse); compare הֶהָרִים אֶתֿ Mic 6:1 (II. אֵת 1c; ᵐ5 πρός, whence We Now אֶלֿ in the presence of, but on אֶל רִיב see
4); ׳ר = plead, with ל person for whom Jdg 6:31 (3 t. in verse); Job 13:8, with accusative of person for whom Isa 1:17, of God Isa 51:22, compare Deu 33:8 (obscure, see Dr); of human disputes Pro 25:8, ר ׳רִיבְךָ אֶתרֵֿעֶ֑ךָ Pro 25:9.
4 = make complaint, with אֶל person unto and against whom Jdg 21:22; Jer 2:29; Jer 12:1; Job 33:13.
Hiph`il Participle suffix מריבו 1Sa 2:10 Kt (Qr מְרִיבָיו), i.e. (those) displaying contention against him (׳י), compare plural construct כֹהֵן כִמְרִיבֵי ועַמְּךָ ְ Hos 4:4, obscure; RSProph. 406 בִי מָרוּ thy people have rebelled against me, O priest ! Beck Wü We GASm הַכֹּהֵן כִּכְמָרָיו וְעַמִּי (׳הַכּ as voc., and [by some] joined to Hos 4:5); HermannSK, 1879, 516 {abbrev}הַכּ מְרִיבִי וְעִמְּךָ, compare Oort (רִיבִי); RubenCrit, Rem. on the passage הַכּ כָמוֺךָ ועַמִּי ׳ְ, so Now. — וַיָּרֶכ 1Sa 15:5 see ארב
Hiph`il

Brown, Driver and Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (1906), public domain

Topical studies with this word 3 entries

Enemies1 occurrence Chastise1 occurrence Conflict64 occurrences

Meanings adapted from the UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament, © United Bible Societies, CC BY-SA 4.0 and the UBS Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew (from the Semantic Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew), © United Bible Societies, CC BY-SA 4.0; MACULA Greek Linguistic Datasets, available at https://github.com/Clear-Bible/macula-greek/, licensed CC BY 4.0; MACULA Hebrew Linguistic Datasets © 2022-2024 by Biblica, Inc., CC BY 4.0. Westminster Leningrad Codex (tanach.us). OpenScriptures Hebrew Bible morphology (hb.openscriptures.org), CC BY 4.0.

Sources

eRhema lexical overview, based on the UBS Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew and the UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament (© United Bible Societies, CC BY-SA 4.0) and Macula Hebrew and Greek (Clear Bible, CC BY 4.0); released under CC BY-SA 4.0