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מִשְׁבֵּר

𐤌𐤔𐤁𐤓

mishbêr

H4866 noun

SILEX Entry

Root שבר to break, shatter, burst forth

Definition

Orifice or opening of the womb, specifically referring to the place through which birth occurs; more generally, the act or process of birth, particularly focusing on the idea of breaking or bursting forth. In poetic and metaphorical usage, can denote a point or moment of critical transition or a breaking point, such as labor pains or distress preceding new life.

Semantic Range

orifice of the womb, place of birth, opening through which birth occurs, moment of parturition, metaphorical crisis or breaking point, labor pains

Root / Etymology

From the root שבר, meaning 'to break, shatter, burst forth.' The noun form מִשְׁבֵּר derives from this root, emphasizing the aspect of breaking through or bursting out, referring in this context to the moment of birth when the fetus emerges from the womb.

Historical & Contextual Notes

מִשְׁבֵּר appears in poetic or prophetic texts, often referring explicitly to the opening of the womb in the context of childbirth (e.g., 2 Kings 19:3; Isaiah 37:3; Hosea 13:13). The term may evoke the tension, pain, and threshold inherent in the act of giving birth, sometimes as a metaphor for impending crisis or intense suffering giving way to deliverance. It focuses on the critical transition of birth rather than the broader process of pregnancy or childbearing, and at times is employed metaphorically for dramatic turning points in national or communal life. English translations often render it as 'birth,' 'birthstool,' or 'breaking forth,' but these may not always capture the tension and suddenness implied by the Hebrew. Distinct from related terms such as יְלֵדָה (yeledah, 'birth'), which broadly denotes the act of giving birth, or רֶחֶם (reḥem, 'womb'), which refers to the organ itself; מִשְׁבֵּר centers on the moment and place of emergence. Later Hebrew and postbiblical usage less commonly employs this term.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from שָׁבַר; the orifice of the womb (from which the fetus breaks forth); birth, breaking forth.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

שבר (š-b-r) — break, shatter, burst forth

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H4867 מִשְׁבָּר your breaking waves
H7665 שָׁבַר I will cause to shatter
H7666 שָׁבַר the grain-dealer
H7667 שֶׁבֶר in breaking-of
H7668 שֶׁבֶר in the broken grain

Word Forms

2 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H4866-02 מַשְׁבֵּ֔ר masheber HNcmsa the point of birth womb-breaking place 2
H4866-01 בְּ/מִשְׁבַּ֥ר bemishebar HR/Ncmsc at the breaking forth in the birth-breaking of 1

Occurrences in Scripture

3 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H4866-02 2 Kings 19:3 מַשְׁבֵּ֔ר masheber HNcmsa the point of birth womb-breaking place
H4866-02 Isaiah 37:3 מַשְׁבֵּ֔ר masheber HNcmsa the point of birth womb-breaking place
H4866-01 Hosea 13:13 בְּ/מִשְׁבַּ֥ר bemishebar HR/Ncmsc at the breaking forth in the birth-breaking of
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