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שָׁבִיל

𐤔𐤁𐤉𐤋

shâbîyl

H7635 noun

SILEX Entry

Root שבל to flow, trail, move along

Definition

A path or trail formed by the movement of people, animals, or water; a route or passageway, often informal or natural rather than constructed. The term can refer to visible tracks, beaten ways, or figuratively as channels of activity or conduct.

Semantic Range

path, trail, track, passageway, route, figurative channel

Root / Etymology

From the root שבל, which fundamentally conveys the sense of 'flowing, going, trailing.' שָׁבִיל (shâbîyl) is derived as a noun form, indicating that which is 'flowed along' or a trail created by repeated passage. Its etymology links it with motion and passage but specifies a concrete entity (the track itself).

Historical & Contextual Notes

שָׁבִיל appears sparingly in the Hebrew Bible, primarily in poetic or proverbial contexts (e.g. Psalm 77:19, Proverbs 16:17). It often denotes a less formal or less constructed path compared to דֶּרֶךְ (déreḵ), which is the usual Hebrew term for 'way' or 'road.' The use of שָׁבִיל tends to have a particular connection to natural or habitual tracks—as made by water, animals, or frequent use—rather than deliberate construction. In later Hebrew, especially post-biblical literature and Modern Hebrew, the word expanded to denote 'trail' distinct from roads for vehicles. English translations usually render שָׁבִיל as 'path' or 'track,' though they sometimes miss the nuance of a trail made by habitual movement. There are no strong distinctions of social or cultic connotation, and the term remains neutral and descriptive.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from the same as שֹׁבֶל; a track or passage-way (as if flowing along); path.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

שבל (sh-b-l) — to flow, trail, move along

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H7640 שֹׁבֶל trailing robe-train
H7641 שִׁבֹּל ears of
H7642 שַׁבְלוּל trail-sliding snail
H7732 שׁוֹבָל to Shobal

Word Forms

3 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H7635-01 שְׁבִילֵ֣י sheviley HNcmpc paths trails of 1
H7635-03 ו/שבילי/ך vshvylykh HC/Ncmpc/Sp2ms and your paths and your trails 1
H7635-02 וּֽ֭/שְׁבִֽילְ/ךָ ushevilekha HC/Ncmsc/Sp2ms and your path your trail 1

Occurrences in Scripture

3 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H7635-01 Jeremiah 18:15 שְׁבִילֵ֣י sheviley HNcmpc paths trails of
H7635-03 Psalms 77:20 ו/שבילי/ך vshvylykh HC/Ncmpc/Sp2ms and your paths and your trails
H7635-02 Psalms 77:20 וּֽ֭/שְׁבִֽילְ/ךָ ushevilekha HC/Ncmsc/Sp2ms and your path your trail
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