שׁוֹבָךְ
𐤔𐤅𐤁𐤊
Shovakhe
H7731 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Proper name designating a prominent Aramean (Syrian) military commander who served under Hadadezer, king of Zobah, encountered in David's military campaigns. The term is used exclusively as a proper name in the Hebrew Bible and does not function as a common noun.
Semantic Range
proper name of an Aramean military commander; no common noun usage
Root / Etymology
Root uncertain. The form שׁוֹבָךְ may reflect a Northwest Semitic personal name; the suggestion in Strong's that it is 'perhaps for שׂוֹבֶךְ' is not linguistically substantiated. There is no clear etymological derivation from a known Hebrew or Aramaic verbal root.
Historical & Contextual Notes
שׁוֹבָךְ is found only as a personal name in 2 Samuel 10:16,18 and 1 Chronicles 19:16,18, referring to the general of Hadadezer, king of Zobah, against whom David fought. The figure is clearly identified as Aramean (commonly rendered 'Syrian') and not as an Israelite or Judahite. In most English translations, the name appears as 'Shobach' (2 Samuel) or 'Shophach' (1 Chronicles), reflecting variant traditions in the Masoretic Text (MT) and the Chronistic history. There is no indication the name is connected to a common noun with a known meaning in Classical Hebrew. Some later English Bible translations unconsciously transpose the identity into later historical categories (e.g., 'Syrian' as an ethnic term for Aramean) and the term 'Jew' is not relevant. The divergence in spelling (שׁוֹבָךְ vs. שׁוֹפָךְ) between the Samuel and Chronicles accounts likely reflects traditional variations or scribal transmission, not a difference in meaning. No evidence suggests broader use in other Semitic languages. Thus, the name is best left untranslated and understood as a theophoric or personal name of uncertain derivation linked to the Aramean military hierarchy in the Davidic period.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
perhaps for שׂוֹבֶךְ; Shobak, a Syrian; Shobach.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
uncertain (uncertain) — uncertain (proper name)
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H1085 | בִּלְדַּד | Bildad |
| H1095 | בֵּלְטְשַׁאצַּר | Belteshatsar |
| H1114 | בִּלְשָׁן | Bilshan |
| H1150 | בִּנְעָא | Bin'a |
| H116 | אֱדַיִן | and then |
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H7731-01 |
שׁוֹבַ֧ךְ | shovakhe | HNp |
Shobach | Shovakh | 1 |
H7731-02 |
וְ/שׁוֹבַ֛ךְ | veshovakhe | HC/Np |
and Shobach | and Shobak | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H7731-02 |
2 Samuel 10:16 | וְ/שׁוֹבַ֛ךְ | veshovakhe | HC/Np |
and Shobach | and Shobak |
H7731-01 |
2 Samuel 10:18 | שׁוֹבַ֧ךְ | shovakhe | HNp |
Shobach | Shovakh |