7631. shebib
Lexical Summary
shebib: Flame, Spark

Original Word: שְׂבִיב
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: sbiyb
Pronunciation: sheh-BEEB
Phonetic Spelling: (seb-eeb')
NASB: ablaze with flames, flame
Word Origin: [(Aramaic) corresponding to H7632 (שָׁבִיבּ - flame)]

1. flame

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
flame

(Aramaic) corresponding to shabiyb -- flame.

see HEBREW shabiyb

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
(Aramaic) corresponding to shabib
Definition
a flame
NASB Translation
ablaze with flames (1), flame (1).

Brown-Driver-Briggs
[שְׁבִיב] noun [masculine] flame; — emphatic שְׁבִיבָא דִּי נוּרָא Daniel 3:22; plural absolute שְׁבִבִין דִּי נוּר Daniel 7:9.

Topical Lexicon
Overview

Strong’s Hebrew 7631 (שְׂבִיב) denotes a blazing flame or flash of fire. Within the Aramaic sections of the Book of Daniel it is used twice to portray overwhelming heat and radiant brilliance—both images underlining the irresistible, holy energy that either consumes or glorifies, depending on one’s relationship to God.

Occurrences in Scripture

1. Daniel 3:22
2. Daniel 7:9

Daniel 3:22 – Divine Protection Amid Judgment

Nebuchadnezzar’s furnace, overheated in prideful rage, becomes the setting for God’s vindication of His faithful servants. “Since the king’s command was so urgent and the furnace so extremely hot, the flames of the fire killed those men who carried up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego” (Daniel 3:22). The very blaze intended to destroy the worshipers of the true God instead slays the king’s own mighty warriors. The singular use of שְׂבִיב underscores that human strength is powerless before the fiery reality unleashed by divine decree. The verse is a reminder that the Lord’s sovereignty can reverse earthly power structures in a moment.

Pastoral application: Believers facing hostility for their obedience can rest in the knowledge that God may employ the enemy’s own instruments to display His deliverance, and that judgment begins with those who oppose His purposes.

Daniel 7:9 – Heavenly Majesty and Cosmic Courtroom

In Daniel’s night vision, thrones are placed and the Ancient of Days takes His seat. “His throne was flaming with fire, and its wheels were all ablaze” (Daniel 7:9). Here שְׂבִיב conveys not destructive heat but unapproachable majesty. Fire forms the very furniture of the divine court, indicating purity, judgment, and sovereign authority. The scene parallels Ezekiel’s fiery chariot-throne (Ezekiel 1:4-28) and anticipates Revelation’s fiery imagery surrounding the glorified Christ (Revelation 1:14-16).

Theologically, the flame accentuates two truths: God is light without darkness (1 John 1:5) and a consuming fire toward sin (Hebrews 12:29). Judgment and holiness converge, assuring the faithful that evil empires will be tried in a court where no corruption can stand.

Intertextual Connections

Exodus 3:2 – The burning bush that is not consumed foreshadows God’s ability to protect the righteous in the midst of flame.
Isaiah 66:15-16 – Final judgment “in flaming fire” echoes the fiery throne of Daniel 7.
Acts 2:3 – Tongues of fire at Pentecost reveal that the same holy flame can empower and purify the church.

Historical and Cultural Background

Fire was a common emblem of deity in the ancient Near East—seen in temple rituals, royal iconography, and myths. Daniel intentionally recasts this cultural symbol: the ultimate flame is not the domain of Babylonian gods or kings but of the God of Israel. The Babylonian furnaces and the imperial court are overshadowed by a greater throne whose flame cannot be manipulated by human hands.

Theological Themes

1. Divine Sovereignty: Both passages affirm that God controls the intensity and target of the flame.
2. Judgment and Vindication: The same fire that judges the wicked preserves or exalts the faithful.
3. Holiness: Flame communicates the moral purity of God and His intolerance of defilement.
4. Eschatology: Daniel 7 locates final judgment within the blazing presence of God, foreshadowing the lake of fire prepared for ultimate rebellion (Revelation 20:14-15).

Implications for Worship and Ministry

• Preaching: Emphasize God’s dual role as Deliverer and Judge, urging hearers to find refuge in Christ before facing the fiery throne.
• Discipleship: Encourage believers to pursue holiness, knowing that works will be tested “with fire” (1 Corinthians 3:13).
• Worship: Incorporate hymns and prayers that celebrate God’s radiant majesty, fostering reverent awe rather than casual familiarity.
• Evangelism: Present the gospel as the only safe passage through the inevitable fire of divine scrutiny.

Conclusion

שְׂבִיב pictures an intense flame that cannot be quenched by human effort. Whether devouring Nebuchadnezzar’s soldiers or illuminating the seat of the Ancient of Days, it testifies that God’s fiery presence is both protective and punitive. The word invites every generation to submit to the Lord whose flame purifies the faithful and consumes all opposition.

Forms and Transliterations
שְׁבִיבִ֣ין שְׁבִיבָ֖א שביבא שביבין šə·ḇî·ḇā šə·ḇî·ḇîn šəḇîḇā šəḇîḇîn sheviVa sheviVin
Links
Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman's Concordance
Daniel 3:22
HEB: קַטִּ֣ל הִמּ֔וֹן שְׁבִיבָ֖א דִּ֥י נוּרָֽא׃
NAS: hot, the flame of the fire
KJV: hot, the flame of the fire
INT: slew them the flame who of the fire

Daniel 7:9
HEB: נְקֵ֔א כָּרְסְיֵהּ֙ שְׁבִיבִ֣ין דִּי־ נ֔וּר
NAS: His throne [was] ablaze with flames, Its wheels
KJV: [was like] the fiery flame, [and] his wheels
INT: pure his throne ablaze forasmuch fire

2 Occurrences

Strong's Hebrew 7631
2 Occurrences


šə·ḇî·ḇā — 1 Occ.
šə·ḇî·ḇîn — 1 Occ.

7630
Top of Page
Top of Page