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שֶׁבֶר

𐤔𐤁𐤓

sheber

H7667 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

A breaking or fracture, either physical or metaphorical; a state or event of destruction or calamity, or the shattered pieces resulting from such breaking. The term also extends to the interpretation or explanation of something mysterious, especially dreams (by analogy: 'a breaking open' of meaning).

Semantic Range

fracture, physical break, collapse, ruin, calamity, crushing (emotional or societal), shattering, broken state, destruction, disaster, interpretation (especially of dreams), explanation, ruinous event

Root / Etymology

From the root שבר (š-b-r), meaning 'to break, shatter, burst.' שֶׁבֶר (sheber) is a masculine noun formed directly from this root, indicating the result, condition, or event of breaking. The connection to 'interpretation' (as in dreams) arises from the figurative sense of 'releasing' or 'breaking open' hidden meaning.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In its earliest and most literal usages, שֶׁבֶר refers to a physical breakage—whether of materials, bones, or ruins. During the monarchic and exilic periods, it broadly came to indicate disaster or calamity (e.g., the 'breaking' of a nation in war, or personal ruin). In poetic and prophetic literature, שֶׁבֶר often marks a metaphorical state of being broken, crushed emotionally or spiritually, or experiencing societal collapse. In some biblical texts, notably in Genesis 41 regarding Joseph, שֶׁבֶר is used as a term for the 'solution' or 'interpretation' of dreams—a figurative breaking open of mysteries. English translations often render it as 'destruction,' 'ruin,' 'breaking,' or 'interpretation,' but sometimes narrow the sense, missing nuances of state (being broken) versus event (act of breaking) or extending too far into exclusively metaphysical or spiritualized meaning. Not to be confused with שָׁבֶר (shever) meaning 'grain/corn' in some late biblical and post-biblical contexts, which derives from a different route or etymology.

Translation Consistency

primary "break" 30 occurrences

Most occurrences are rendered with ‘breaking’/‘shattering’ and the basic idea is a break or brokenness (physical or metaphorical). ‘Break’ is the most natural, versatile English base: it covers physical fracture, ruin/destruction, shattered state, and the figurative sense of ‘breaking open’ meaning (interpretation). It is simpler and more idiomatic than formal alternatives like ‘destruction’ or ‘fracture.’

Alternatives (14 occurrences):
"shattering" (7x) "destruction" (2x) "shatterings" (2x) "interpretation" (1x) "fracture" (1x) "destruction of" (1x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

or שֵׁבֶר; from שָׁבַר; a fracture, figuratively, ruin; specifically, a solution (of a dream); affliction, breach, breaking, broken(-footed, -handed), bruise, crashing, destruction, hurt, interpretation, vexation.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

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

Root שבר to break, shatter, burst, destroy
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H4866 מִשְׁבֵּר in the birth-breaking of
H4867 מִשְׁבָּר your breaking waves
H7665 שָׁבַר I will cause to shatter
H7666 שָׁבַר the grain-dealer
H7668 שֶׁבֶר in the broken grain

Word Forms

18 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H7667-08 שֶׁ֣בֶר shever HNcmsc destruction breaking breaking 19
H7667-18 וְ/שֶׁ֧בֶר veshever HC/Ncmsa and destruction and shattering and breaking 6
H7667-15 וָ/שֶׁ֖בֶר vashever HC/Ncmsa and destruction and shattering and breaking 3
H7667-11 שִׁבְרֵ֔/ךְ shiverekhe HNcmsc/Sp2fs is your destruction your shattering your shattering 2
H7667-05 מִ֝/שְּׁבָרִ֗ים mishevarim HR/Ncmpa from breakings shatterings from shatterings 1
H7667-13 שִׁבְר֖/וֹ shivero HNcmsc/Sp3ms its interpretation his breaking its interpretation 1
H7667-06 שָֽׁבֶר shaver HNcmsa destruction shattering shattering 1
H7667-01 בְּ/שֶׁ֖בֶר beshever HR/Ncmsc in the destruction in breaking-of in the destruction of 1
H7667-02 כְּ/שֵׁ֨בֶר keshever HR/Ncmsc like a breaking like a shattering like a breaking 1
H7667-09 שִׁבְרָֽ/הּ shiverah HNcmsc/Sp3fs its breaking her shattering its breaking 1

Occurrences in Scripture

44 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H7667-08 Leviticus 21:19 שֶׁ֣בֶר shever HNcmsc broken breaking breaking
H7667-08 Leviticus 21:19 שֶׁ֥בֶר shever-2 HNcmsc broken breaking breaking
H7667-08 Leviticus 24:20 שֶׁ֚בֶר shever HNcmsa fracture breaking breaking
H7667-08 Leviticus 24:20 שֶׁ֔בֶר shever-2 HNcmsa fracture breaking breaking
H7667-13 Judges 7:15 שִׁבְר֖/וֹ shivero HNcmsc/Sp3ms its interpretation his breaking its interpretation
H7667-18 Isaiah 1:28 וְ/שֶׁ֧בֶר veshever HC/Ncmsa and-breaking and shattering and breaking
H7667-08 Isaiah 15:5 שֶׁ֖בֶר shever HNcmsa of destruction breaking breaking
H7667-09 Isaiah 30:13 שִׁבְרָֽ/הּ shiverah HNcmsc/Sp3fs its breaking her shattering its breaking
H7667-02 Isaiah 30:14 כְּ/שֵׁ֨בֶר keshever HR/Ncmsc like a breaking like a shattering like a breaking
H7667-08 Isaiah 30:26 שֶׁ֣בֶר shever HNcmsc breach breaking breaking
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