שִׁבְיָה
𐤔𐤁𐤉𐤄
shibyâh
H7633 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
State or process of being taken captive; the condition of captivity, exile, or deportation; refers both to the collective experience of being taken away as captives and the individuals who are in such a condition. In specific contexts, it can denote the people who are held as captives, or the act of forced removal itself.
Semantic Range
captivity, state of being taken captive, condition or experience of exile, those taken captive (collective), deportation, prisoners (in context)
Root / Etymology
Derived from the root שׁבה (š-b-h), meaning 'to take captive, to carry away.' The form is a feminine abstract noun, indicating the state, condition, or result of being captured or exiled. It is closely related to שְׁבִי (šəvî), which is a masculine noun with a similar meaning but can focus more specifically on the act of captivity or prisoners.
Historical & Contextual Notes
The term שִׁבְיָה primarily appears in poetic or prophetic passages to denote the state of captivity, often of Israelites after military defeat (e.g., after Assyrian or Babylonian conquests). The word stands in contrast to related terms like גָּלוּת (gālût, 'exile, diaspora'), which can denote long-term expatriation rather than the immediate condition of being a captive. While in later periods the experience and institutions around exile and captivity became foundational to Judean identity, in most First Temple contexts שִׁבְיָה emphasizes the traumatic experience of being forcibly taken. English translations often use 'captivity' or 'exile,' but such renderings may not always distinguish between the initial moment and the ongoing state; שִׁבְיָה leans toward the latter. The term was not used for internal slavery or debt servitude, but for military or political captivity, especially in the wake of destruction or conquest. Translation traditions sometimes use the term 'Jewish captivity' anachronistically for periods before the development of Judaism as a religion; such usage should be contextually limited and historically clarified.
Translation Consistency
שִׁבְיָה most commonly denotes the condition or state of being taken away and is regularly translated as “captivity” in English. This single noun best captures the primary semantic range (state/process of exile, deportation) while remaining natural. In contexts that emphasize the persons involved, translators can render the grammatical form as “captives,” but keeping the base word as “captivity” maintains a consistent, typical English grounding for all occurrences.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
feminine of שְׁבִי; exile (abstractly or concretely and collectively); captives(-ity).
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
שבה (š-b-h) — to take captive, to carry away, to imprison
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H7617 | שָׁבָה | like captured women |
| H7618 | שְׁבוּ | sparkling gemstone |
| H7622 | שְׁבוּת | captivity of |
| H7628 | שְׁבִי | in the captivity |
| H7630 | שֹׁבַי | Captive-One |
Word Forms
6 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H7633-02 |
הַ/שִּׁבְיָ֔ה | hashiveyah | HTd/Ncbsa |
captives | the captivity | the captives | 3 |
H7633-03 |
שִׁבְיָ֜/הּ | shiveyah | HNcbsc/Sp3fs |
captives | her captivity | her captivity | 3 |
H7633-04 |
שִׁבְיָ/ם֙ | shiveyam | HNcbsc/Sp3mp |
of their captivity | their captivity | of their captivity | 2 |
H7633-01 |
בַּ/שִּׁבְיָ֔ה | bashiveyah | HRd/Ncbsa |
into captivity | in the captivity | in the captivity | 2 |
H7633-06 |
וְ/שִׁבְיָ֔ה | veshiveyah | HC/Ncbsa |
and the captives | captivity | and the captives | 1 |
H7633-05 |
בַ/שִּׁבְיָ֗ה | vashiveyah | HRd/Ncbsa |
of the captives | in the captivity | of the captives | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
12 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H7633-01 |
Deuteronomy 21:11 | בַּ/שִּׁבְיָ֔ה | bashiveyah | HRd/Ncbsa |
among the captives | in the captivity | in the captivity |
H7633-03 |
Deuteronomy 21:13 | שִׁבְיָ֜/הּ | shiveyah | HNcbsc/Sp3fs |
of her captivity | her captivity | her captivity |
H7633-06 |
Deuteronomy 32:42 | וְ/שִׁבְיָ֔ה | veshiveyah | HC/Ncbsa |
and the captives | captivity | and the captives |
H7633-01 |
Jeremiah 48:46 | בַּ/שִּׁבְיָֽה | bashiveyah | HRd/Ncbsa |
into captivity | in the captivity | in the captivity |
H7633-03 |
Nehemiah 3:36 | שִׁבְיָֽה | shiveyah | HNcbsa |
of captivity | her captivity | her captivity |
H7633-04 |
2 Chronicles 6:37 | שִׁבְיָ/ם֙ | shiveyam | HNcbsc/Sp3mp |
of their captivity | their captivity | of their captivity |
H7633-04 |
2 Chronicles 6:38 | שִׁבְיָ֖/ם | shiveyam | HNcbsc/Sp3mp |
of their captivity | their captivity | of their captivity |
H7633-03 |
2 Chronicles 28:5 | שִׁבְיָ֣ה | shiveyah | HNcbsa |
captives | her captivity | captives |
H7633-02 |
2 Chronicles 28:11 | הַ/שִּׁבְיָ֔ה | hashiveyah | HTd/Ncbsa |
the-captives | the captivity | the captives |
H7633-02 |
2 Chronicles 28:13 | הַ/שִּׁבְיָה֙ | hashiveyah | HTd/Ncbsa |
captivity | the captivity | the captivity |