The Hebrew word rôbaʻ, represented by H7255, is defined as a quarter; fourth participle. It is a specific term for a fractional division, appearing only 2 times across 2 unique verses in the Bible. Its rarity makes its usage in these contexts particularly pointed, referring to both a portion of a population and a unit of measure.
In its biblical appearances, H7255 is used to convey scale and value. In Balaam's prophecy, he asks, "Who can count the dust of Jacob, and the number of the fourth part of Israel?" Numbers 23:10. Here, the term illustrates the immense and uncountable size of the nation, suggesting that even a single quarter of it is beyond enumeration. In a starkly different context, during the famine in Samaria, the text notes that "the fourth part of a cab of dove's dung" was sold for five pieces of silver 2 Kings 6:25, highlighting extreme scarcity and desperation through the high price of a tiny measure.
Several related words provide context for the concept of measurement and counting associated with H7255:
- H4487 mânâh (appoint, count, number, prepare, set, tell): This verb, meaning to enumerate or allot, is used directly in conjunction with H7255 when Balaam questions who could count the fourth part of Israel Numbers 23:10. It is also used when David is provoked to number Israel 1 Chronicles 21:1.
- H4557 miçpâr (a number, definite or indefinite): This noun appears alongside H7255 in Numbers 23:10, referring to "the number of the fourth part of Israel." It can signify an immeasurable quantity, such as "wonders without number" Job 9:10.
- H8084 shᵉmônîym (eighty, also eightieth): This number is mentioned in the same passage as H7255, describing the price of an ass's head as fourscore pieces of silver during the severe famine in Samaria 2 Kings 6:25, providing a scale of value for the desperate economy.
The conceptual significance of H7255 lies in its ability to frame a narrative by establishing scale.
- A Symbol of Immense Population: In Numbers 23:10, the "fourth part" is not a literal statistic but a rhetorical device. It emphasizes God's promise of a numerous people, so vast that even a fraction is beyond human calculation, echoing God's promise to make Abraham's seed as innumerable as the dust of the earth Genesis 13:16.
- A Measure of Extreme Scarcity: In 2 Kings 6:25, the "fourth part" precisely defines a very small quantity of a worthless substance being sold at a high price. This use of a specific fraction powerfully illustrates the depth of the famine and the desperation of the people besieged in Samaria.
In summary, H7255 is a precise term that, despite its infrequent use, serves two distinct and powerful purposes. It is used rhetorically to express the uncountable vastness of the people of Israel and, in contrast, literally to measure the dire scarcity and inflated value of goods during a devastating siege. In both cases, the word rôbaʻ provides a critical sense of scale to the biblical narrative.
TRV