Lexical Summary shabah: To take captive, to capture Original Word: שָׁבָה Strong's Exhaustive Concordance bring away, carry, carry away, lead, lead away, take captives, take away A primitive root; to transport into captivity -- (bring away, carry, carry away, lead, lead away, take) captive(-s), drive (take) away. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origina prim. root Definition to take captive NASB Translation captives (2), captors (2), captors captive (1), captured (4), carried (4), carried away captive (1), carried captive (1), carried off (1), driven away (1), keep (1), led them captive (1), led captive (1), take (3), take them away captive (1), take them captive (1), taken (8), taken captive (5), took (2), took them captive (2), took away (1), took captive (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs שָׁבָה verb take captive (Late Hebrew, Old Aramaic id.;Arabic  ( ); Aramaic שְׁבָא,  ) — Qal Perfect3masculine singular ׳שׁ Jeremiah 41:14; suffixוְשָׁבָם (consecutive) Jeremiah 43:12 (but read וְשָׁבָה Gie; Du conjectures וְשׁמְמוּ); 2 masculine singular שָׁבִיתָ 2 Kings 6:22; Psalm 68:19, etc., Imperfect3masculine singular וַיִּשְׁבְּ Numbers 21:1; Jeremiah 41:10, etc.; Imperative masculine singular וּשְׁבֵה Judges 5:12; Infinitive construct שְׁבוֺת Obadiah 11; Participle active plural שֹׁבִים Isaiah 14:2, etc.; passive masculine plural שְׁבוּיִם Isaiah 61:1, feminine plural construct שְׁבֻיוֺת Genesis 31:26; — take captive 1.a. with accusative of person, Numbers 24:22 (JE), 1 Samuel 30:2; 2 Kings 5:2; 2 Kings 6:22 (+ ב instrumental) Jeremiah 41:10 (twice in verse) (but Jeremiah 41:10 b Gie reads וַיַּשְׁכֵּם, compare ᵐ5 Luc), Jeremiah 41:14, Genesis 34:29 (P), 2 Chronicles 28:8 (+ מִן part), + 6 t.; + Jeremiah 43:12 apparently with accusative idols (but see above; accusative land Gie). b. accusative חֵילוֺ Obadiah 11 הָֽרְכוּשׁ2Chronicles 21:17, cattle, etc., 1 Chronicles 5:21; 2Chron 14:14 c. participle in periphrastic conjugation (לְשֹׁבֵיהֶם) וְהָיוּ שֹׁבִים Isaiah 14:2; participle with suffix = their captives, etc., 1 Kings 8:46 2Chronicles 6:36; Isaiah 14:2; Jeremiah 50:33, +5 t.; Passive participle Isaiah 61:1 = captives; כִּשְׁבֻיוֺת חָ֑רֶב Genesis 31:26 my daughters as captives of the sword. 2 with accusative of congnate meaning with verb שְׁבִי Judges 5:12 lead captive thy captives, compare Psalm 68:19; 2Chronicles 28:17, so (+ מִן person) Numbers 21:1 (JE), and (accusative שִׁבְיָה) 2 Chronicles 28:5,11; שִׁבְיוֺ ׳שׁ Deuteronomy 21:10 = take him captive. Niph`al be taken captive: Perfect3masculine singular נִשְׁבָּה, of man Genesis 14:14, of beast Exodus 22:9 (E), of ׳עֵדֶר י Jeremiah 13:17; 3plural נִשְׁבּוּ, human subject 1 Samuel 30:8,5; 1 Kings 8:47 2Chronicles 6:37; Ezekiel 6:9. Topical Lexicon Scope and Narrative Function The verb שָׁבָה (shavah) appears roughly forty-eight times and consistently bears the idea of taking, leading, or holding someone or something captive. Used of men, women, cities, flocks, or even thoughts, it punctuates Israel’s history with sober reminders of what happens when covenant loyalty is abandoned, yet it also frames radiant promises of release when God intervenes. Historical Vignettes of Captivity 1. Early Tribal Warfare – Judges 5:12 celebrates Barak’s victory over Canaan: “Arise, Barak, and take captive your captors…”. Here shavah is turned back on Israel’s oppressors, portraying the Lord as One who can reverse fortunes in a single day. Theological Themes • Covenant Sanctions Captivity was embedded in covenant curses (Deuteronomy 28:41). Shavah thus becomes a forensic term: exile is not random misfortune but divine discipline. • Divine Sovereignty Over Nations Isaiah 46:2 shows idols being “carried off into captivity,” proving that every captor is itself capturable. God alone is unconquerable; He both appoints and overrules human empires (Isaiah 45:13). • Restoration Motif Job 42:10: “The Lord restored the fortunes of Job when he prayed for his friends”. Personal restoration parallels national restoration, teaching that God’s grace reaches both individuals and communities. • Reversal of Fortunes Prophets often double the verb to emphasize total reversal: Zephaniah 3:20, “For I will give you honor and praise among all the peoples of the earth when I restore your captives before your very eyes”. Prophetic and Messianic Trajectory While shavah itself does not appear in Isaiah 61:1, the Servant’s proclamation “freedom to the captives” assumes its imagery. Luke 4:18 places that promise on Jesus’ lips, confirming that the physical captivities of Israel foreshadow humanity’s deeper bondage to sin and death. Pastoral and Missional Implications 1. Intercession for the Imprisoned Psalm 79:11 pleads, “May the groaning of the prisoners come before You.” Believers are exhorted to remember those in chains (Hebrews 13:3) and labor in prayer for persecuted saints, confident that God still “brings out prisoners into prosperity” (Psalm 68:6). 2. Preaching Deliverance Shavah frames the gospel call: just as God broke Babylon’s bars, He liberates hearts held by addiction, bitterness, and deception. Proclaiming Christ means announcing captivity’s end. 3. Discipleship and Holiness 2 Corinthians 10:5 applies the concept spiritually: “We demolish arguments… and take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” The church practices shavah in reverse, seizing rogue thoughts and submitting them to the Lord. Eschatological Hope Amos 9:14 envisions a final reversal: “I will restore My people Israel; they will rebuild and inhabit ruined cities.” Zechariah 14:2 foresees a last assault on Jerusalem, but subsequent verses promise the Messiah’s victory. Shavah thus stretches from Genesis wars to Revelation’s consummation, assuring believers that every hostile power will ultimately be taken captive by the Lamb (Revelation 17:14). Key Representative Occurrences Numbers 21:1; Deuteronomy 21:10; Judges 5:12; 1 Samuel 30:2; 2 Kings 5:2; 2 Kings 17:6; 2 Kings 25:11; 2 Chronicles 28:8; Nehemiah 5:5; Job 42:10; Psalm 68:18; Psalm 126:1,4; Isaiah 20:4; Isaiah 46:2; Jeremiah 29:14; Jeremiah 50:33; Ezekiel 39:25; Amos 1:6; Zephaniah 3:20; Zechariah 14:2. Conclusion Shavah traces a stark line from human rebellion to divine redemption. It reminds readers that sin leads inexorably to bondage, but it also heralds the Lord who overturns captivity and gathers His people in everlasting freedom. Forms and Transliterations וְשָׁב֤וּם וְשָׁב֧וּם וְשָׁבִ֥יתָ וְשָׁבָ֑ם וַיִּ֣שְׁבְּ ׀ וַיִּ֥שְׁבְּ ׀ וַיִּשְׁבֵּם֙ וַיִּשְׁבּ֗וּ וַיִּשְׁבּ֛וּ וַיִּשְׁבּ֣וּ וַיִּשְׁבּ֤וּ וַיִּשְׁבּ֧וּ וַיִּשְׁבּ֨וּ וַיִּשְׁבּוּ֩ וַיִּשְׁבּוּ־ וישב וישבו וישבו־ וישבם ושבום ושבית ושבם כִּשְׁבֻי֖וֹת כשביות לְשֹֽׁבֵיהֶ֔ם לִשְׁבוּיִם֙ לשבוים לשביהם נִשְׁבָּ֖ה נִשְׁבּ֑וּ נִשְׁבּֽוּ׃ נִשְׁבּוּ־ נשבה נשבו נשבו־ נשבו׃ שְׁב֥וֹת שְׁבִיתֶ֖ם שִׁבְיֽוֹ׃ שֶׁבְיְךָ֖ שָׁ֘בִ֤יתָ שָׁב֖וּ שָׁב֣וּ שָׁבִ֛יתָ שָׁבָ֥ה שָׁבוּ֙ שֹֽׁבֵיהֶם֙ שֹׁבִ֣ים שֹׁבֵיהֶ֖ם שֽׁוֹבֵיהֶ֔ם שׁוֹבֵ֡ינוּ שׁוֹבֵיהֶ֛ם שׁוֹבֵיהֶֽם׃ שבה שבו שבות שביהם שביו׃ שביך שבים שבית שביתם שוביהם שוביהם׃ שובינו תִּשְׁבֶּֽךָּ׃ תשבך׃ kiš·ḇu·yō·wṯ kišḇuyōwṯ kishvuYot lə·šō·ḇê·hem leshoeiHem ləšōḇêhem liš·ḇū·yim lišḇūyim lishvuYim niš·bāh niš·bū niš·bū- nišbāh nišbū nišbū- nishBah nishBu šā·ḇāh šā·ḇî·ṯā šā·ḇū šāḇāh šāḇîṯā šāḇū šə·ḇî·ṯem šə·ḇō·wṯ šeḇ·yə·ḵā šəḇîṯem šəḇōwṯ šeḇyəḵā shaVah shaVita shaVu sheviTem sheVot shevyeCha shivYo shoeiHem shoVeinu shoVim šiḇ·yōw šiḇyōw šō·ḇê·hem šō·ḇîm šō·w·ḇê·hem šō·w·ḇê·nū šōḇêhem šōḇîm šōwḇêhem šōwḇênū tiš·be·kā tišbekā tishBeka vaiYishb vaiyishBem vaiyishBu veshaVam veshaVita veshaVum way·yiš·bêm way·yiš·bū way·yiš·bū- way·yišb wayyišb wayyišbêm wayyišbū wayyišbū- wə·šā·ḇām wə·šā·ḇî·ṯā wə·šā·ḇūm wəšāḇām wəšāḇîṯā wəšāḇūmLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Genesis 14:14 HEB: אַבְרָ֔ם כִּ֥י נִשְׁבָּ֖ה אָחִ֑יו וַיָּ֨רֶק NAS: that his relative had been taken captive, he led KJV: that his brother was taken captive, he armed INT: Abram for had been taken his relative armed Genesis 31:26 Genesis 34:29 Exodus 22:10 Numbers 21:1 Numbers 24:22 Numbers 31:9 Deuteronomy 21:10 Deuteronomy 21:10 Judges 5:12 1 Samuel 30:2 1 Samuel 30:3 1 Samuel 30:5 1 Kings 8:46 1 Kings 8:46 1 Kings 8:47 1 Kings 8:47 1 Kings 8:48 1 Kings 8:50 2 Kings 5:2 2 Kings 6:22 1 Chronicles 5:21 2 Chronicles 6:36 2 Chronicles 6:36 2 Chronicles 6:37 48 Occurrences |
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