BIBLE HEBREW WORD STUDY
Rekheb (רֶכֶב) — Chariot in the Bible
Rekheb (רֶכֶב) is a Hebrew noun referring primarily to a chariot or a team of horses, used extensively in the Old Testament to describe military vehicles and forces.
Meaning of the word
The Hebrew noun רֶכֶב (rekheb, Strong's H7393) denotes a vehicle, most commonly a chariot pulled by horses. Its basic sense is a riding vehicle, and from this core meaning the word extends to cover the team of horses that draws such a vehicle and, by further extension, the cavalry or chariot corps as a whole military force.
Beyond the battlefield, the lexicon entry notes that רֶכֶב can also refer, by analogy, to a rider or to the upper millstone—the stone that turns upon the lower one, 'riding' on it as a chariot rides on its wheels. The KJV usage provided lists 'chariot,' 'chariots,' and 'horsemen' as the primary renderings, showing that in practice the term is overwhelmingly tied to military transportation and mounted troops.
Usage in Scripture
All eight example verses in this set come from Exodus 14, the account of Israel's deliverance at the Red Sea. Here רֶכֶב consistently refers to Pharaoh's chariots and the broader Egyptian chariot corps. The repetition across verses 6, 7, 9, 17, 18, 23, 26, and 28 shows that the term is used as a shorthand for the Egyptian military machine: Pharaoh 'made ready his chariot' (v. 6), mustered six hundred chosen chariots plus 'all the chariots of Egypt' (v. 7), and the force that pursued Israel is described as 'all the horses and chariots of Pharaoh, and his horsemen' (v. 9).
Within the chapter רֶכֶב also serves a theological function. Moses declares that the Lord will gain honor 'upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen' (v. 17), and that 'the Egyptians shall know that I am Jehovah' through the same chariots and horsemen (v. 18). The same chariots are then drowned in the sea (vv. 23, 26, 28), demonstrating that the very vehicles that symbolized Egyptian power become the instruments of their downfall. This concentrated use in Exodus 14 illustrates how רֶכֶב functions not only as a piece of military equipment but as a literary marker for earthly military might in contrast with divine deliverance.
The word in detail
- H7393 רֶכֶב (rekheb) covers a semantic range from a single chariot vehicle to the team drafting it and the cavalry force it represents. The same noun is occasionally extended metaphorically to a rider and to the upper millstone, both understood as something that 'rides' upon another object.
Example verses
- Exodus 14:7 Pharaoh's muster of six hundred chosen chariots plus 'all the chariots of Egypt' shows how רֶכֶב can refer collectively to a nation's entire chariot force, not just individual vehicles.
- Exodus 14:9 Here רֶכֶב is paired with 'horses' and 'horsemen,' illustrating the extended sense of the word as a cavalry unit rather than a single chariot.
- Exodus 14:17 Pharaoh's chariots are singled out as objects upon which the Lord will gain honor, turning the word into a theological motif of military pride overcome by divine power.
- Exodus 14:28 The final mention of the chariots covers them under the returning waters, closing the chapter by showing that the very force named רֶכֶב is completely undone by the sea.
Common questions
What does רֶכֶב (H7393) literally mean?
It literally means a vehicle, most often a horse-drawn chariot. From this root it also extends to the team of horses drawing the chariot and to the cavalry force as a whole.
Is רֶכֶב ever used for something other than a military chariot?
Yes, the lexicon notes that by analogy the word can also refer to a rider or to the upper millstone, the stone that 'rides' upon the lower one as it turns.
Where does רֶכֶב appear in the passages shown?
All eight example verses are from Exodus 14, where the word repeatedly describes Pharaoh's chariots and the Egyptian chariot army that pursued Israel and was drowned in the Red Sea.