7261. rabreban
Lexical Summary
rabreban: Noble, Prince, Magnate

Original Word: רַבְרְבָן
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: rabrban
Pronunciation: rab-reh-BAHN
Phonetic Spelling: (rab-reb-awn')
KJV: lord, prince
NASB: nobles
Word Origin: [(Aramaic) from H726 (אֲרוֹמִי - Heights)0]

1. a magnate

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
lord, prince

(Aramaic) from rabrab; a magnate -- lord, prince.

see HEBREW rabrab

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
(Aramaic) from the same as rab
Definition
lord, noble
NASB Translation
nobles (8).

Brown-Driver-Briggs
[רַבְרְבָן] noun masculine lord, noble (compare ᵑ7, Syriac); — plural suffix רַבְרְבָנַי Daniel 4:33 my lords (of Nebuchadnezzar); נ֫וֺהִי#NAME? Daniel 5:1,2,3,9,10, of Darius Daniel 6:18; ניך- Kt, נָח- Qr (K§ 53, Anm. b)) of Belshazzar Daniel 6:23.

Topical Lexicon
Scope of the Term

רַבְרְבָן appears eight times in the Aramaic sections of Daniel, always in the plural and always in reference to the royal court of Babylon or Medo-Persia. It designates the inner circle of high officials who served at the pleasure of the monarch and were expected to possess wisdom, authority and wealth. Their presence in each narrative highlights the contrast between earthly rank and the sovereignty of the Most High God.

Historical Setting

1. Neo-Babylonian Court (Daniel 4–5)
• In Nebuchadnezzar’s restored kingdom the “nobles” are listed among “satraps, prefects, and governors” (Daniel 4:36) when the king’s sanity returns. Their mention underscores the total restoration of his administration, which the king openly attributes to God.
• Under Belshazzar they form the celebratory entourage at the last royal feast (Daniel 5:1–3). They witness drunken blasphemy, the handwriting on the wall, and the prophet’s interpretation. That very night the nobles lose both their prestige and their empire.

2. Medo-Persian Court (Daniel 6)
Daniel 6:17 (Aramaic 6:18) portrays the same social stratum in a new empire. When Darius reluctantly consigns Daniel to the lions’ den he departs to his palace and “spent the night fasting, and no entertainment was brought before him”. The “nobles” are absent from the scene, indicating their impotence before the irrevocable royal decree.

Patterns of Usage

• Court Protocol: The word consistently appears in settings of feasting, decrees or crisis, showing the nobles’ ceremonial role.
• Counsel and Control: Kings look to them for advice (Daniel 5:9–10) but within the narratives they repeatedly fail to deliver wisdom equal to Daniel’s God-given insight.
• Accountability: Their privileged proximity to power exposes them to the same divine judgment that overtakes their rulers.

Theological Significance

1. Supremacy of Divine Wisdom

The impotence of the nobles to read the mysterious writing (Daniel 5:8) illustrates the Pauline principle that “God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise” (1 Corinthians 1:27).

2. Fleeting Nature of Human Greatness

Earthly rank—however exalted—is subject to instant reversal when God’s purposes unfold. Nebuchadnezzar’s seven-year humiliation and Belshazzar’s one-night downfall both occur in full view of the nobles.

3. Witness to Revelation

Their repeated inclusion as onlookers places multiple witnesses of high social standing in the public record of God’s acts, reinforcing the historicity and credibility of the narratives.

Ministry Applications

• Leadership: Church and civic leaders are reminded that position does not guarantee spiritual insight; dependence on God like Daniel’s is essential.
• Integrity in Public Life: Daniel serves faithfully under successive regimes, modeling godly service regardless of the character of earthly leadership.
• Evangelism and Apologetics: The nobles represent influential audiences who still need clear testimony of God’s sovereignty. Modern believers are called to speak truth before the powerful with Daniel’s courage.

Canonical Connections

• Esther parallels: Haman’s courtly rank and downfall mirror the rise and vindication motif seen in Daniel.
Luke 1:52 echoes the theme: “He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has exalted the humble.”

Eschatological Foreshadowing

The failure of human nobles anticipates the final displacement of earthly kingdoms by the stone “cut without hands” (Daniel 2:34). Their transient honor contrasts with the everlasting dominion given to “the Son of Man” (Daniel 7:14).

Summary

רַבְרְבָן spotlights the highest echelons of worldly authority in Daniel’s narratives. Their prominence magnifies God’s wisdom, judgment and grace, providing enduring lessons on humility, leadership and the certainty of divine sovereignty over every throne.

Forms and Transliterations
וְרַבְרְבָנ֔וֹהִי וְרַבְרְבָנ֖וֹהִי וְרַבְרְבָנַ֖י וְרַבְרְבָנָ֜ךְ ורברבנוהי ורברבני ורברבנך לְרַבְרְבָנ֖וֹהִי לרברבנוהי רַבְרְבָנ֔וֹהִי רברבנוהי lə·raḇ·rə·ḇā·nō·w·hî ləraḇrəḇānōwhî leravrevaNohi raḇ·rə·ḇā·nō·w·hî raḇrəḇānōwhî ravrevaNohi veravrevaNach veravrevaNai veravrevaNohi wə·raḇ·rə·ḇā·nāḵ wə·raḇ·rə·ḇā·nay wə·raḇ·rə·ḇā·nō·w·hî wəraḇrəḇānāḵ wəraḇrəḇānay wəraḇrəḇānōwhî
Links
Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman's Concordance
Daniel 4:36
HEB: וְלִ֕י הַדָּֽבְרַ֥י וְרַבְרְבָנַ֖י יְבַע֑וֹן וְעַל־
NAS: and my counselors and my nobles began seeking
KJV: and my counsellors and my lords sought
INT: me and my counselors and my nobles seeking me

Daniel 5:1
HEB: לְחֶ֣ם רַ֔ב לְרַבְרְבָנ֖וֹהִי אֲלַ֑ף וְלָקֳבֵ֥ל
NAS: for a thousand of his nobles, and he was drinking
KJV: to a thousand of his lords, and drank
INT: feast A great of his nobles A thousand the presence

Daniel 5:2
HEB: בְּה֗וֹן מַלְכָּא֙ וְרַבְרְבָנ֔וֹהִי שֵׁגְלָתֵ֖הּ וּלְחֵנָתֵֽהּ׃
NAS: so that the king and his nobles, his wives
KJV: that the king, and his princes, his wives,
INT: drink the king and his nobles his wives and his concubines

Daniel 5:3
HEB: בְּה֗וֹן מַלְכָּא֙ וְרַבְרְבָנ֔וֹהִי שֵׁגְלָתֵ֖הּ וּלְחֵנָתֵֽהּ׃
NAS: and the king and his nobles, his wives
KJV: and the king, and his princes, his wives,
INT: drank and the king and his nobles his wives and his concubines

Daniel 5:9
HEB: שָׁנַ֣יִן עֲל֑וֹהִי וְרַבְרְבָנ֖וֹהִי מִֽשְׁתַּבְּשִֽׁין׃
NAS: grew [even] paler, and his nobles were perplexed.
KJV: in him, and his lords were astonied.
INT: grew him and his nobles were perplexed

Daniel 5:10
HEB: מִלֵּ֤י מַלְכָּא֙ וְרַבְרְבָנ֔וֹהִי לְבֵ֥ית מִשְׁתְּיָ֖א
NAS: of the king and his nobles; the queen
KJV: of the king and his lords, came
INT: of the words of the king and his nobles hall the banquet

Daniel 5:23
HEB: [וְרַבְרְבָנַיִךְ כ] (וְרַבְרְבָנָ֜ךְ ק) שֵֽׁגְלָתָ֣ךְ
NAS: before you, and you and your nobles, your wives
KJV: thee, and thou, and thy lords, thy wives,
INT: before as for thee lord your wives and your concubines

Daniel 6:17
HEB: בְּעִזְקְתֵ֗הּ וּבְעִזְקָת֙ רַבְרְבָנ֔וֹהִי דִּ֛י לָא־
NAS: ring and with the signet rings of his nobles, so
KJV: and with the signet of his lords; that the purpose
INT: signet ring of his nobles so not

8 Occurrences

Strong's Hebrew 7261
8 Occurrences


lə·raḇ·rə·ḇā·nō·w·hî — 1 Occ.
raḇ·rə·ḇā·nō·w·hî — 1 Occ.
wə·raḇ·rə·ḇā·nāḵ — 1 Occ.
wə·raḇ·rə·ḇā·nay — 1 Occ.
wə·raḇ·rə·ḇā·nō·w·hî — 4 Occ.

7260
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