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שַׁרְבִיט

𐤔𐤓𐤁𐤉𐤈

sharbîyṭ

H8275 noun

SILEX Entry

Root שבט to strike, to rule, to wield a staff

Definition

A staff or rod held as a symbol of authority, primarily royal authority; specifically a scepter representing rulership or office, often ceremonial or symbolic in context. The term conveys both the physical object (a rod or staff) and its broader significance as an emblem of sovereign power or delegated authority.

Semantic Range

scepter, royal staff, ceremonial rod, symbol of sovereign authority, staff of office

Root / Etymology

From the root שׁ־ר־ב־ט, likely related to or a derivative of the root שֵׁבֶט (shēvet, 'rod', 'staff', 'tribe'), which fundamentally means 'stick', 'club', or 'staff'. The form שַׁרְבִיט (sharbîyṭ) is an apparent Aramaic loan into Hebrew, or an early variant influenced by cognate languages, and is morphologically distinct from שֵׁבֶט though semantically related.

Historical & Contextual Notes

The use of שַׁרְבִיט is rare and its attestations are primarily in later Hebrew, particularly in post-exilic texts such as Esther (Esth 4:11; 5:2; 8:4), reflecting a Persian imperial context. The word denotes an emblematic staff held by a monarch or high official, in contrast to שֵׁבֶט, which can mean 'tribal staff', 'rod', or 'scepter' with both disciplinary and rulership connotations. In Esther, the שַׁרְבִיט is specifically 'the golden scepter' of the Persian king, an object of court ritual. English translations often render both שַׁרְבִיט and שֵׁבֶט as 'scepter', but שַׁרְבִיט is always ceremonial and royal, not disciplinary or judicial. Later Greek and Latin translations sometimes use regal terms such as 'σκῆπτρον' (skeptron) or 'sceptrum'. The term's rarity in earlier Israelite texts suggests its functional and lexical currency primarily in post-exilic or Diaspora settings under imperial influence.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

for שֵׁבֶט; a rod of empire; sceptre.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

שבט (š-b-ṭ) — to strike, to rule, to wield a staff

Word Forms

2 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H8275-02 שַׁרְבִ֥יט sharevit HNcmsc scepter royal scepter of the scepter 3
H8275-01 הַ/שַּׁרְבִֽיט hasharevit HTd/Ncmsa the scepter the royal staff the scepter 1

Occurrences in Scripture

4 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H8275-02 Esther 4:11 שַׁרְבִ֥יט sharevit HNcmsc scepter royal scepter of the scepter
H8275-02 Esther 5:2 שַׁרְבִ֤יט sharevit HNcmsc scepter royal scepter of the scepter
H8275-01 Esther 5:2 הַ/שַּׁרְבִֽיט hasharevit HTd/Ncmsa the scepter the royal staff the scepter
H8275-02 Esther 8:4 שַׁרְבִ֣ט sharevit HNcmsc scepter royal scepter of scepter
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