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שְׁבָרִים

𐤔𐤁𐤓𐤉𐤌

Shevarim

H7671 noun

SILEX Entry

Root שבר to break, to shatter, to fracture

Definition

Proper noun designating a place name, 'Shebarim', and a plural common noun meaning 'breakings' or 'ruins' when used generically. The primary biblical usage refers to the location called 'Shebarim' mentioned in Joshua 7:5, most likely referencing a site characterized by broken terrain, ruins, or perhaps a stone quarry. It can also refer, more generally, to places of broken fragments or destruction.

Semantic Range

breakings, shatterings, ruins, broken pieces; Shebarim (a place named for its broken or ruined aspect)

Root / Etymology

Derived from the root שבר, meaning 'to break' or 'to shatter.' The noun שֶׁבֶר (shever) means 'fracture,' 'breach,' or 'ruin,' and the plural form שְׁבָרִים (shebarim) thus means 'breakings,' 'ruins,' or 'shattered pieces.' As a place name, it likely describes the physical characteristic of the location (i.e., 'the breakings' or 'the ruins').

Historical & Contextual Notes

In its primary attested biblical occurrence (Joshua 7:5), Shebarim is a geographical site marking the retreat of the Israelites after their defeat at Ai. The name may indicate actual ruins, a quarry, or simply an area marked by broken stones or terrain. Later translations and interpretations (such as in the Septuagint) sometimes render the name descriptively, not as a proper noun. The same plural form is used elsewhere in the Hebrew Bible for literal breakings or shatterings, particularly relating to physical destruction. English translations frequently transliterate the place name, but the underlying meaning may suggest a descriptive rather than strictly nominal sense. There is no evidence that 'Shebarim' refers to a specific ethnic or political group. No shift in meaning is evidenced in post-exilic or later biblical literature, as the place name is not reused or attested beyond this context. Standard English renderings as 'Shebarim' as a place name are accurate but do not convey the possible connotation of 'the shattered places/ruins.'

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

plural of שֶׁבֶר; ruins; Shebarim, a place in Palestine; Shebarim.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

שבר (sh-b-r) — break, shatter, fracture

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
H7667 שֶׁבֶר in breaking-of

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H7671-01 הַ/שְּׁבָרִ֔ים hashevarim HTd/Np Shebarim the Breakings 1

Occurrences in Scripture

1 total occurrence

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H7671-01 Joshua 7:5 הַ/שְּׁבָרִ֔ים hashevarim HTd/Np Shebarim the Breakings
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