Lexical Summary sebok: Thicket, intertwined growth Original Word: סֹבֶךְ Strong's Exhaustive Concordance thicket From cabak; a copse -- thicket. see HEBREW cabak NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom sabak Definition a thicket NASB Translation forest (1), thicket (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs [סְבֹךְ] noun [masculine] id.; — construct ִבּסֲבָךְעֵֿץ Psalm 74:5 in the thicket of trees; suffix מִסֻּבְּכוֺ Jeremiah 4:7 (abode of lion; on בְּ see Ges§ 20h; on ֻ֯ Köii. 1, 512). Topical Lexicon Root Concept and Imagery The noun סֹבֶךְ evokes the dense, intertwined growth of a wild thicket—vegetation so interlaced that it forms a covert or lair for animals. In prophetic poetry the picture of a predator springing from such hiding underscores suddenness, danger, and inevitability. The very density of the growth implies that the threat has been concealed for some time, gathering strength before bursting forth. Biblical Occurrence Jeremiah 4:7 is the lone occurrence: “A lion has gone up from his thicket; a destroyer of nations has set out. He has left his lair to lay waste your land. Your cities will be reduced to ruins without inhabitants.” Here סֹבֶךְ marks the lion’s hiding place. The imagery has a dual focus: the concealed realm where the beast has prepared and the moment of emergence when nothing can restrain its power. Historical Setting Jeremiah delivered this oracle in the early years of King Jehoiakim (circa 609–605 BC). Judah, having spurned the reforms of Josiah, now faced the rising Babylonian empire. Nebuchadnezzar, like the lion from his thicket, would shortly sweep through the fertile crescent, devastate Judah, and carry its people into exile (2 Kings 24:1–4). The thicket therefore becomes a prophetic marker of geopolitical reality and of divine retribution for national covenant-breaking. Theological Significance 1. Hidden Preparation of Judgment The thicket suggests that God’s judgments are not haphazard. While Judah presumed peace, the “destroyer of nations” had been quietly readied. Divine patience is not inactivity; it is often the period during which consequences grow unseen (Romans 2:4–5). When sin is persistent, God’s response moves from hidden to open (Numbers 32:23). The lion’s emergence dramatizes this transition: mercy withheld becomes righteous wrath revealed. Jeremiah’s audience had the Torah, the temple, and a history of deliverance, yet still rebelled. The lone use of סֹבֶךְ intensifies the message—one decisive moment is enough to expose years of complacency. Intertextual Connections • Job 38:40; Psalm 104:22: lions lurking in dens, emerging at God-appointed times. These passages employ different Hebrew words for “den” or “lair,” yet the motif remains consistent: the Lord governs both the hiding and the striking of the lion. Ministry and Discipleship Application • Call to Early Repentance: The thicket warns that judgment often matures out of sight. Congregations and individuals are urged to repent before sin bears its bitter fruit (Hebrews 3:13). Summary סֹבֶךְ encapsulates the hidden dimension of divine judgment: unseen growth of consequences, sudden revelation of wrath, and the certainty that God will bring to light all that is concealed. The prophet’s single use of the term is enough to anchor a lasting warning—and a timeless call—to seek the Lord while He may be found. Forms and Transliterations מִֽסֻּבְּכ֔וֹ מסבכו mis·sub·bə·ḵōw missubbeCho missubbəḵōwLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Jeremiah 4:7 HEB: עָלָ֤ה אַרְיֵה֙ מִֽסֻּבְּכ֔וֹ וּמַשְׁחִ֣ית גּוֹיִ֔ם NAS: has gone up from his thicket, And a destroyer KJV: is come up from his thicket, and the destroyer INT: has gone the lion his thicket destroyer of nations 1 Occurrence |
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