Lexical Summary Shebat: Shebat Original Word: שְׁבָט Strong's Exhaustive Concordance Sebat Of foreign origin; Shebat, a Jewish month -- Sebat. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originof foreign origin Definition eleventh month in the Jewish calendar NASB Translation Shebat (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs שְׁבָט proper name, month Shebat, 11th month (post-exilic) = Feb.-March; loan-word from Babylonian Šabâ‰u (COTNehemiah 1:1 DlWB), Zechariah 1:7 (derived from šabâ‰u, strike, kill destroy (DlProl 38; WB), LyonBib Sacr Apr. (1884), 384 JenZA iv (1889), 273 Muss-ArnJBL xi (1892) 171 f. and others, as month of destroying rain; another conjecture in ZimKAT 3. 594 n; this month called שבט also in Nabataean, Palmyrene, see Lzb SAC111) שְׁבִי, שִׁבְיָה, שְׁבִית see שׁבה. שׁבל (√ of following; compare Arabic Topical Lexicon Meaning and Calendar Placement Shebat is the eleventh month of the biblical sacred calendar that begins with Nisan (Exodus 12:2). On the civil calendar that starts with Tishri, it is the fifth month. Falling in the heart of winter, Shebat aligns with the latter part of January and the first part of February on the Gregorian calendar. Its position after Tevet and before Adar places it in the season of the latter rains, with the land beginning to show the earliest signs of new life through sprouting almond blossoms. Scriptural Setting in Zechariah 1:7 Zechariah 1:7 offers the only canonical occurrence of the name: “On the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month, the month of Shebat, in the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came to the prophet Zechariah … ”. The dating anchors the prophet’s night visions in January-February 519 BC during the early years of the return from exile. The context emphasizes divine initiative—the “word of the Lord came”—reminding the post-exilic community that the covenant God continues to speak with precision in time and history. Historical Background By the second year of Darius I, the first wave of Judean exiles had been back in the land for nearly two decades, yet the temple remained unfinished (Ezra 4:24–5:2). Economic hardship, external opposition, and internal discouragement marked the era. Haggai had stirred the people to resume building in the sixth month of that same year (Haggai 1:1). Five months later, in Shebat, Zechariah received a series of visions to sustain that momentum. Thus Shebat became a pivotal moment in the rebuilding process and in the prophetic call to covenant faithfulness. Prophetic Significance 1. Timing of Vision: Recording the exact date underscores the reliability of prophetic revelation. Just as God ordered creation by days and seasons (Genesis 1), He marks redemptive history by specific moments such as “the twenty-fourth day of Shebat.” Theological Implications • Covenant Continuity: Even in the low ebb of Jewish national life, God’s word arrives on schedule, confirming His unbroken covenant commitment. Liturgical and Ministry Application • Annual Reflection: In Jewish tradition, the fifteenth of Shebat (Tu BiShevat) highlights trees’ first fruits, prompting thanksgiving for God’s provision. Christians may similarly use the month to celebrate spiritual fruitfulness that God brings after seasons of waiting. Lessons for Believers 1. God speaks precisely and purposefully; every date He records carries meaning. Forms and Transliterations שְׁבָ֔ט שבט šə·ḇāṭ šəḇāṭ sheVatLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Zechariah 1:7 HEB: הוּא־ חֹ֣דֶשׁ שְׁבָ֔ט בִּשְׁנַ֥ת שְׁתַּ֖יִם NAS: is the month Shebat, in the second KJV: which [is] the month Sebat, in the second INT: which is the month Shebat year the second |
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IV. cause to hang down, 
flowing dress; Assyrian šubultu, sunbultu (Meissn), Arabic 
, 
(BaNB 207), Ethiopic 
Aramaic שֻׁבַלְתָּא 
, all ear of grain).