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שֵׁשַׁךְ

𐤔𐤔𐤊

Sheshakhe

H8347 noun

SILEX Entry

Root uncertain uncertain (proper noun, cryptogram, symbolic name)

Definition

Sheshak – a cryptic or symbolic designation for the city of Babylon, specifically used in the context of prophetic oracles, especially in Jeremiah. The term appears as a proper noun referring to the city that was the political and cultural center of the Neo-Babylonian Empire. It functions both as a literal and a coded name within biblical literature.

Semantic Range

Babylon (symbolic name), cryptic designation for the imperial city, atbash cipher for Babel

Root / Etymology

Root uncertain. The word is not derived from a recognizable Hebrew root and is widely considered to be an example of atbash, a cryptographic device in which the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet is exchanged for the last, the second for the second to last, and so on. In the atbash cipher, שֵׁשַׁךְ (Sheshak) corresponds to בָּבֶל (Babel/Babylon).

Historical & Contextual Notes

Sheshak is found only in Jeremiah (Jer 25:26; 51:41), where it serves as a cryptic reference to Babylon, likely using the cipher atbash to conceal or veil the city's identity in an era of political sensitivity. This usage represents a literary device in prophetic literature. The term should not be conflated with later or traditional names for Babylon. While some have proposed alternative etymologies or readings, the atbash explanation is overwhelmingly supported in modern scholarship. English translations often simply transliterate or footnote the term; they may indicate it symbolizes 'Babylon,' but this obscures its function as a coded reference in context. In these texts, Sheshak thus functions as a symbolic or covert reference to the imperial power threatening the Judahites in the late monarchic and exilic periods. The word does not appear outside of these specific passages, nor does it function as a general name for the city in broader biblical literature.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

of foreign derivation; Sheshak, a symbolic name of Babylon; Sheshach.

Bantu Hebrew

No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.

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Root Family

לא־ידוע (unknown) — uncertain, cryptogram, symbolic designation

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H1887 הֵא Look!
H2295 חׇגְלָה Hoglah
H5868 עֲיָם Ayam
H728 אֲרַוְנָה Arnijah
H829 אֶשְׁפָּר apportioned choice portion

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H8347-01 שֵׁשַׁ֖ךְ sheshakhe HNp Sheshach Sheshak 2

Occurrences in Scripture

2 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H8347-01 Jeremiah 25:26 שֵׁשַׁ֖ךְ sheshakhe HNp Sheshach Sheshak
H8347-01 Jeremiah 51:41 שֵׁשַׁ֔ךְ sheshakhe HNp Sheshach Sheshak
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