שְׁבוּת (H7622) — Hebrew Lexicon

שְׁבוּת

𐤔𐤁𐤅𐤕

shᵉbûwth

H7622 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

State of captivity, exile, or deportation, often referring to a collective removal of a population from its homeland by force, but also encompassing the condition of being held as captives or prisoners. The term can carry a connotation of the loss of freedom and social disruption, and in some contexts it is used figuratively for being removed from a state of well-being or former prosperity.

Semantic Range

captivity, state of exile, deportation, restoration from exile, reversal of fortune, condition of being captive or held prisoner; figurative sense of lost prosperity or oppressed circumstance

Root / Etymology

Derived from the root שׁבה (sh-b-h), which means 'to take captive, carry away, lead into exile.' The noun שְׁבוּת (shᵉbûwth) designates the state or act of captivity or exile, formed from the verbal root and functioning as an abstract or collective noun.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the Hebrew Bible, שְׁבוּת is most commonly used with reference to the forced exile of the Israelite and Judahite populations, especially during the Assyrian and Babylonian deportations (e.g., Ps 126:1; Jer 29:14). It also appears in contexts describing the restoration or return from exile ('restoring the captivity'), where it can express the hope or reality of return to a previous state of stability and land possession. The phrase 'restore the captivity' (הֵשִׁיב שְׁבוּת) commonly expresses national or familial restoration and deliverance from adversity. In later biblical usage (especially post-exilic), שְׁבוּת can acquire a broader metaphorical sense, including the reversal of fortune or deliverance from any oppressive circumstance, not always strictly literal exile. English translations often render it as 'captivity,' 'exile,' or 'fortunes,' but these can narrow the nuance: the term can refer to both the act of being exiled and the population in exile, and sometimes to the act of restoration itself. It is distinct from related nouns such as שבי (shevi), which more concretely denotes individual prisoners or captives. The occurrence of שְׁבוּת in exilic and post-exilic prophetic texts reflects evolving senses in response to Israelite historical experience.

Translation Consistency

primary "captivity" 17 occurrences

"Captivity" is the most frequent and natural English rendering across occurrences and best covers the primary senses in the SILEX entry—being held as captives, deportation/exile, and the state of loss of freedom or fortune. It is broad enough to carry both literal and figurative uses (deportation, exile, reversal of fortune) while remaining the simplest, most idiomatic choice for consistent translation.

Alternatives (24 occurrences):

"captivity-of" (20x) "exile-state" (1x) "captives" (1x) "jacob" (1x) "fortunes" (1x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

or שְׁבִית; from שָׁבָה; exile, concretely, prisoners; figuratively, a former state of prosperity; captive(-ity).

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

שבה (sh-b-h) — to take captive, lead away, deport

Root שבה to take captive, lead away, deport

Strong's	Lemma	SIBI-P1
H7617	שָׁבָה	like captured women
H7618	שְׁבוּ	sparkling gemstone
H7628	שְׁבִי	in the captivity
H7630	שֹׁבַי	Captive-One
H7633	שִׁבְיָה	in the captivity

Word Forms

18 distinct forms

SIDANCE	Surface	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	SIBI-P2	Occurrences
`H7622-05`	שְׁב֨וּת	shevut	`HNcfsc`	captivity	captivity-of	captivity-of	18
`H7622-14`	שבית	shvyt	`HNcfsc`	captivity	captivity of	captivity of	5
`H7622-06`	שְׁבוּתָ֑/ם	shevutam	`HNcfsc/Sp3mp`	their captivity	their captivity	their captivity	3
`H7622-08`	שְׁבוּתֵ֑/ךְ	shevutekhe	`HNcfsc/Sp2fs`	your fortunes	your captivity	your fortunes	1
`H7622-17`	וּ/שְׁב֥וּת	ushevut	`HC/Ncfsc`	of	and captivity-of	and captivity-of	1
`H7622-02`	שְׁבִיתָֽ/ם	shevitam	`HNcfsc/Sp3mp`	their captives	their captivity	their captives	1
`H7622-04`	שְׁבִיתֵ֑/נוּ	shevitenu	`HNcfsc/Sp1cp`	our captivity	our captivity	our captivity	1
`H7622-01`	שְׁבִ֣ית	shevit	`HNcfsc`	of	captivity of	Jacob	1
`H7622-18`	ו/שבית	vshvyt	`HC/Ncfsc`	and captivity	and captivity-of	and captivity-of	1
`H7622-03`	שְׁבִ֣יתְ/הֶ֔ן	shevitehen	`HNcfsc/Sp3fp`	captivity of them	their captivity	their captivity	1
`H7622-13`	שבות/נו	shvvtnv	`HNcfsc/Sp1cp`	our captivity	our captivity	our captivity	1
`H7622-12`	שבות/ם	shvvtm	`HNcfsc/Sp3mp`	their captivity	their captivity	their captivity	1
`H7622-09`	שְׁבוּתְ/כֶ֗ם	shevutekhem	`HNcfsc/Sp2mp`	your captivity	your captivity	your captivity	1
`H7622-10`	שְׁבוּתֵי/כֶ֛ם	shevuteykhem	`HNcfpc/Sp2mp`	your-captivities	your captivities	your captivity	1
`H7622-11`	שבות	shvvt	`HNcfsc`	the captivity	captivity-of	captivity of	1
`H7622-15`	שבית/ך	shvytkh	`HNcfsc/Sp2fs`	your captivity	your captivity	your captivity	1
`H7622-07`	שְׁבוּתְ/ךָ֖	shevutekha	`HNcfsc/Sp2ms`	your captivity	your captivity	your captivity	1
`H7622-16`	שבית/כם	shvytkhm	`HNcfsc/Sp2mp`	your captivity	your exile-state	your exile-state	1

Occurrences in Scripture

41 occurrences

Filter by SIDANCE:

SIDANCE	Reference	Word	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	SIBI-P2
`H7622-07`	Deuteronomy 30:3	שְׁבוּתְ/ךָ֖	shevutekha	`HNcfsc/Sp2ms`	your captivity	your captivity	your captivity
`H7622-16`	Jeremiah 29:14	שבית/כם	shvytkhm	`HNcfsc/Sp2mp`	your captivity	your exile-state	your exile-state
`H7622-09`	Jeremiah 29:14	שְׁבוּתְ/כֶ֗ם	shevutekhem	`HNcfsc/Sp2mp`	your captivity	your captivity	your captivity
`H7622-05`	Jeremiah 30:3	שְׁב֨וּת	shevut	`HNcfsc`	fortunes	captivity-of	captivity-of
`H7622-05`	Jeremiah 30:18	שְׁבוּת֙	shevut	`HNcfsc`	the fortunes	captivity-of	captivity-of
`H7622-06`	Jeremiah 31:23	שְׁבוּתָ֑/ם	shevutam	`HNcfsc/Sp3mp`	their captivity	their captivity	their captivity
`H7622-06`	Jeremiah 32:44	שְׁבוּתָ֖/ם	shevutam	`HNcfsc/Sp3mp`	their captivity	their captivity	their captivity
`H7622-05`	Jeremiah 33:7	שְׁב֣וּת	shevut	`HNcfsc`	captivity	captivity-of	captivity-of
`H7622-05`	Jeremiah 33:7	שְׁב֣וּת	shevut-2	`HNcfsc`	captivity	captivity-of	captivity-of
`H7622-05`	Jeremiah 33:11	שְׁבוּת	shevut	`HNcfsc`	captivity	captivity-of	captivity-of
`H7622-06`	Jeremiah 33:26	שְׁבוּתָ֖/ם	shevutam	`HNcfsc/Sp3mp`	their captivity	their captivity	their captivity
`H7622-05`	Jeremiah 48:47	שְׁבוּת	shevut	`HNcfsc`	the captivity	captivity-of	captivity-of
`H7622-05`	Jeremiah 49:6	שְׁב֥וּת	shevut	`HNcfsc`	captivity	captivity-of	captivity-of
`H7622-14`	Jeremiah 49:39	שבית	shvyt	`HNcfsc`	the captivity	captivity of	captivity of
`H7622-05`	Jeremiah 49:39	שְׁב֥וּת	shevut	`HNcfsc`	of Elam	captivity-of	captivity-of
`H7622-03`	Ezekiel 16:53	שְׁבִ֣יתְ/הֶ֔ן	shevitehen	`HNcfsc/Sp3fp`	captivity of them	their captivity	their captivity
`H7622-14`	Ezekiel 16:53	שבית	shvyt	`HNcfsc`	captivity	captivity of	captivity of
`H7622-05`	Ezekiel 16:53	שְׁב֤וּת	shevut	`HNcfsc`	of	captivity-of	captivity-of
`H7622-14`	Ezekiel 16:53	שבית	shvyt-2	`HNcfsc`	captivity	captivity of	captivity of
`H7622-05`	Ezekiel 16:53	שְׁב֥וּת	shevut-2	`HNcfsc`	of	captivity-of	captivity-of
`H7622-18`	Ezekiel 16:53	ו/שבית	vshvyt	`HC/Ncfsc`	and captivity	and captivity-of	and captivity-of
`H7622-17`	Ezekiel 16:53	וּ/שְׁב֥וּת	ushevut	`HC/Ncfsc`	of	and captivity-of	and captivity-of
`H7622-05`	Ezekiel 29:14	שְׁב֣וּת	shevut	`HNcfsc`	captivity	captivity-of	captivity-of
`H7622-14`	Ezekiel 39:25	שבית	shvyt	`HNcfsc`	captivity	captivity of	captivity of
`H7622-05`	Ezekiel 39:25	שְׁב֣וּת	shevut	`HNcfsc`	captivity	captivity-of	captivity-of
`H7622-05`	Hosea 6:11	שְׁב֥וּת	shevut	`HNcfsc`	the captivity	captivity-of	captivity-of
`H7622-05`	Joel 4:1	שְׁב֥וּת	shevut	`HNcfsc`	captivity	captivity-of	captivity-of
`H7622-05`	Amos 9:14	שְׁב֣וּת	shevut	`HNcfsc`	captivity	captivity-of	captivity-of
`H7622-12`	Zephaniah 2:7	שבות/ם	shvvtm	`HNcfsc/Sp3mp`	their captivity	their captivity	their captivity
`H7622-02`	Zephaniah 2:7	שְׁבִיתָֽ/ם	shevitam	`HNcfsc/Sp3mp`	their captives	their captivity	their captives
`H7622-10`	Zephaniah 3:20	שְׁבוּתֵי/כֶ֛ם	shevuteykhem	`HNcfpc/Sp2mp`	your-captivities	your captivities	your captivity
`H7622-05`	Psalms 14:7	שְׁב֣וּת	shevut	`HNcfsc`	captivity	captivity-of	captivity-of
`H7622-05`	Psalms 53:7	שְׁב֣וּת	shevut	`HNcfsc`	captivity	captivity-of	captivity-of
`H7622-11`	Psalms 85:2	שבות	shvvt	`HNcfsc`	the captivity	captivity-of	captivity of
`H7622-01`	Psalms 85:2	שְׁבִ֣ית	shevit	`HNcfsc`	of	captivity of	Jacob
`H7622-13`	Psalms 126:4	שבות/נו	shvvtnv	`HNcfsc/Sp1cp`	our captivity	our captivity	our captivity
`H7622-04`	Psalms 126:4	שְׁבִיתֵ֑/נוּ	shevitenu	`HNcfsc/Sp1cp`	our captivity	our captivity	our captivity
`H7622-14`	Job 42:10	שבית	shvyt	`HNcfsc`	captivity	captivity of	captivity of
`H7622-05`	Job 42:10	שְׁב֣וּת	shevut	`HNcfsc`	captivity	captivity-of	captivity-of
`H7622-15`	Lamentations 2:14	שבית/ך	shvytkh	`HNcfsc/Sp2fs`	your captivity	your captivity	your captivity
`H7622-08`	Lamentations 2:14	שְׁבוּתֵ֑/ךְ	shevutekhe	`HNcfsc/Sp2fs`	your fortunes	your captivity	your fortunes

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