Lexical Summary shabach: To praise, to commend, to glorify Original Word: שָׁבַח Strong's Exhaustive Concordance commend, glory, keep in, praise, still, triumph A primitive root; properly, to address in a loud tone, i.e. (specifically) loud; figuratively, to pacify (as if by words) -- commend, glory, keep in, praise, still, triumph. Brown-Driver-Briggs I. [שָׁבַח] verb Pi`el soothe, still (Arabic  be free from care, etc., JenZA 1 (1886),188;iv (1889),269, compare Assyrian pašâ—u, grow calm, so BaES9 SchulthLex.); — Pi`el Imperfect3masculine singular sf יְשַׁבְּחֶ֑נָּה Proverbs 29:11he stilleth it, i.e. רוּחוֺ his temper (Bi Toy read חָשַׁךְ אַמּוֺ ); 2 masculine singular sf תְּשַׁבְּחֵם Psalm 89:10 thou stillest them, i.e. waves ("" גֵּאוּת הַיָּם). Hiph`il Participle (probably Masoretic error for Pi`el מְשַׁבֵּחַ) מַשְׁבִּיחַ שְׁאוֺן יַמִּים Psalm 65:8 stilling the roar of the seas. II. [שָׁבַח] verb Pi`el laud, praise (late Aramaism, compare Aramaic (including Old Aramaic) שׁבח, 1 laud, praise; God.(׳י) : Imperfect3masculine plural sfיְשַׁבְּח֑וּמְךָ Psalm 63:4 ("" בֵּרַךְ); Imperative feminine singular שַׁבְּחִי Psalm 147:12, masculine plural sf שַׁבְּהּ֫וּהוּ Psalm 117:1(both "" הִלֵּל ); his works, Imperfect3masculine singular יְשַׁבַּח Psalm 145:4 ("" הִגִּיד) 2 commend,congratulate, the dead, Infinitiveabsolute שַׁבֵּחַ Ecclesiastes 4:2 (Ges§ 113gg; with מִן compare); mirth, as best thing, Perfect1singular שִׁבַּחְתִּי Ecclesiastes 8:15. Hitph. boast of (בְּ): Infinitiveconstruct הִשְׁתַּבֵּחַ Psalm 106:47=1Chronicles 16:35, ᵐ5 (ἐγ) καυχᾶσθαι ἐν Topical Lexicon Semantic SpectrumShabach moves along two main lines: (1) laudatory proclamation—public, enthusiastic praise directed toward the Lord; (2) calming or commending—both the stilling of tumult and the verbal approval of something. Rather than representing contradictory ideas, the two poles form a single concept: an authoritative utterance that either elevates or pacifies. Whether praising God, restraining a storm, or commending an action, shabach is a word of vocal mastery. Canonical Distribution Eleven occurrences cluster in three literary settings: • Historical narrative: 1 Chronicles 16:35 Seven appear in the Psalter, underscoring its dominance as a liturgical term; the remaining four show the word’s adaptability to practical and reflective contexts. Corporate Praise and Davidic Worship The first biblical use (1 Chronicles 16:35) rises from David’s procession of the ark, a formative moment in Israel’s worship culture. The king prays, “Save us, O God of our salvation…that we may give thanks to Your holy name, that we may glory in Your praise.” Shabach here frames national identity: redeemed people are a praising people. This template re-emerges in Psalm 106:47, echoing the chronicler’s language during post-exilic turbulence, proving that covenant praise transcends eras. Personal Adoration Psalm 63:3 places shabach on individual lips: “Because Your loving devotion is better than life, my lips will glorify You.” The verb captures intimate, life-shaping devotion; praise is not an occasional exercise but the believer’s reflex when confronted with steadfast love. Divine Sovereignty Over Chaos In Psalms 65:7 and 89:9 the word shifts to God’s action: He “stilled the roaring of the seas” and “still[s] them” when their waves mount up. The same authoritative speech that calls worship forth can silence oceans. The implication is theological: the Lord who demands praise also possesses the power to quiet every threat. Shabach therefore ties liturgy to cosmology—our songs are grounded in His mastery of creation. Universal Call Psalm 117:1 extends the summons globally: “Praise the Lord, all you nations! Exalt Him, all you peoples!” The brevity of the psalm intensifies the imperative. In New Testament perspective (Romans 15:11), this verse anticipates Gentile inclusion in redemptive history; shabach thus participates in the unfolding missionary vision. Intergenerational Transmission Psalm 145:4 anchors praise in pedagogy: “One generation will proclaim Your works to the next, and will declare Your mighty acts.” Worship is catechetical; elders shape the spiritual memory of youth by shabach proclamations, fulfilling Deuteronomy 6 within a musical framework. Zion’s Liturgical Vocation Psalm 147:12 commands, “Exalt the Lord, O Jerusalem!” The city of God, already distinguished by covenant and temple, is further defined by her obligation to shabach. Civic identity is inseparable from doxology. Wisdom Literature: Restraint and Commendation 1. Proverbs 29:11 contrasts rashness and restraint: “A fool vents all his anger, but a wise man holds it back.” Here shabach is self-control in speech—praise’s opposite side, the art of withholding. These texts show that authoritative utterance can assess earthly realities just as it magnifies divine glory. Theological Threads • God is worthy of exuberant, public praise (1 Chronicles 16:35; Psalm 117:1). Together these passages affirm a doctrine of speech that culminates in Hebrews 13:15—the “sacrifice of praise.” Historical Trajectory From David’s tabernacle to the Second Temple and onward to Christian liturgy, shabach shaped hymnic traditions. Early synagogue worship employed psalms of shabach; the primitive church inherited them (Ephesians 5:19). The term’s presence in the Greek Septuagint as ainéō (praise) fed New Testament vocabulary, linking Old and New Covenant worship. Eschatological Glimpse The universal imperative of Psalm 117 anticipates Revelation 7:9, where a multinational multitude cries out before the throne. Shabach thus points to the consummation when every tongue will join the eternal doxology. Application for Contemporary Ministry • Worship leaders can draw on shabach texts to encourage robust, verbal praise that is both confessional and missional. Summary Shabach encapsulates the believer’s calling to use the tongue for God’s glory and neighbor’s good. Whether lauding the Lord, commanding the sea, or weighing earthly joys, the word signals speech under divine authority—speech that ultimately finds its fullest expression in the unending praise of the redeemed. Forms and Transliterations בחוהו וְשִׁבַּ֤חְתִּֽי וְשַׁבֵּ֧חַ ושבח ושבחתי יְשַׁבְּחֶֽנָּה׃ יְשַׁבְּחֽוּנְךָ׃ יְשַׁבַּ֣ח ישבח ישבחונך׃ ישבחנה׃ לְ֝הִשְׁתַּבֵּ֗חַ לְהִשְׁתַּבֵּ֖חַ להשתבח מַשְׁבִּ֤יחַ ׀ משביח שַׁ֝בְּח֗וּהוּ שַׁבְּחִ֣י שבחי תְשַׁבְּחֵֽם׃ תשבחם׃ bə·ḥū·hū beChuhu bəḥūhū lə·hiš·tab·bê·aḥ lehishtabBeach ləhištabbêaḥ maš·bî·aḥ mašbîaḥ mashBiach šab·bə·ḥî šabbəḥî shabbeChi ṯə·šab·bə·ḥêm ṯəšabbəḥêm teshabbeChem veshabBeach veshibBachti wə·šab·bê·aḥ wə·šib·baḥ·tî wəšabbêaḥ wəšibbaḥtî yə·šab·baḥ yə·šab·bə·ḥen·nāh yə·šab·bə·ḥū·nə·ḵā yəšabbaḥ yəšabbəḥennāh yəšabbəḥūnəḵā yeshabBach yeshabbeChennah yeshabbeChunechaLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance 1 Chronicles 16:35 HEB: לְשֵׁ֣ם קָדְשֶׁ֔ךָ לְהִשְׁתַּבֵּ֖חַ בִּתְהִלָּתֶֽךָ׃ NAS: name, And glory in Your praise. KJV: name, [and] glory in thy praise. INT: name to your holy and glory your praise Psalm 63:3 Psalm 65:7 Psalm 89:9 Psalm 106:47 Psalm 117:1 Psalm 145:4 Psalm 147:12 Proverbs 29:11 Ecclesiastes 4:2 Ecclesiastes 8:15 11 Occurrences |
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, Pa`el praise see SchwIdioticon 91 SchulthLex: —