Lexical Summary shebil or shebul: Path, track, way Original Word: שָׁבִיל Strong's Exhaustive Concordance path From the same as shebel; a track or passage-way (as if flowing along) -- path. see HEBREW shebel NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom the same as shobel Definition a way, path NASB Translation paths (2). Brown-Driver-Briggs שְׁבוּל, שְׁבִיל noun [masculine] way, path (properly as flowing along, stretching out ? compare Late Hebrew שְׁבִיל, Arabic  ); Aramaic שְׁבִילָא); — plural suffix רַבִּים וּשְׁבִילְיךָ֯ בְּמַיִם [Kt שְׁבִילְךָ Psalm 77:20 (of ׳י; "" דַּרְכֶּ֑ךָ); construct (figurative of course of life) שְׁבוּלֵי עוֺלָם Jeremiah 18:15 (Kt; Qr שְׁבִילֵי; "" דְּרָכִים). Topical Lexicon Semantic Range and Figurative ImageryThe noun שָׁבִיל (shabil) designates a trodden path or track, the well-marked way made by repeated passage. In Scripture the word communicates more than geography; it evokes the ordered movement of God and humanity within covenant history. Whenever a pathway is mentioned in Scripture, questions of direction, destiny, and obedience press upon the reader. Thus שָׁבִיל carries moral and theological weight well beyond its modest frequency. Occurrences in Canonical Context 1. Psalm 77:19 sets shabil inside a psalm of lament that recalls the Red Sea deliverance. “Your path led through the sea, Your way through the mighty waters, but Your footprints were unseen”. Here the “path” belongs to God Himself. The psalmist proclaims that Yahweh forges a track where none seems possible, underscoring divine sovereignty and inscrutability. The invisible footprints remind worshipers that God’s guidance may be hidden yet utterly reliable. 2. Jeremiah 18:15 presents the opposite pole. Judah has “stumbled in their ways, in the ancient roads, and have walked along bypaths and not on the highway”. Shabil appears negatively: the people abandon God’s established course for counterfeit routes. The prophetic indictment links apostasy with a refusal to stay on the divinely revealed track. Theological Themes • Divine Initiative in Salvation Psalm 77:19 echoes Exodus imagery: the Lord plows a road through chaos. The path is not merely a route of escape but the stage on which redemption unfolds. That motif anticipates New Testament revelation: “The Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:10), ultimately fulfilling the pattern of God making a way where there is none. • Covenant Fidelity versus Apostasy Jeremiah contrasts “ancient roads” with “bypaths,” sharpening the ethical dimension of shabil. To reject God’s path is to desert covenant identity. The prophetic call urges a return: “Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths” (Jeremiah 6:16). Though a different Hebrew word is used there, the concept aligns: the covenant community must choose between well-worn obedience and seductive detours. • Hiddenness and Trust Psalm 77 highlights that God’s pathway may not be perceptible (“Your footprints were unseen”), yet it is sure. Believers are invited to trust the unseen Guide (2 Corinthians 5:7). The motif fuels assurance in seasons of obscurity; God is still charting the course. • Christological Fulfillment The Old Testament expectation of a divinely provided way culminates in Jesus’ declaration, “I am the way” (John 14:6). The singular “way” absorbs every righteous path image, including shabil. The Lord no longer merely makes a path; He embodies it. Consequently, true discipleship means walking in Him (1 John 2:6). Historical and Cultural Notes Ancient Near Eastern travel relied on recognizable tracks across rugged terrain. These paths could shift with weather and warfare, making trusted routes invaluable. In Psalm 77 the miracle rests on God’s capacity to lay a firm way even through unstable waters, highlighting power over creation. Jeremiah’s critique assumes the audience knows the security of established roads; thus choosing “bypaths” is inexplicable folly. Ministry Implications • Guidance and Counseling Shabil imagery encourages believers to seek God’s direction, confident that He provides a path even when circumstances appear pathless. Pastors can comfort the perplexed with Psalm 77:19, urging faith in God’s unseen but active leadership. • Call to Repentance Jeremiah’s usage equips exhorters to warn against doctrinal and moral drift. When congregations flirt with novelty at the expense of biblical fidelity, the prophet’s metaphor supplies fresh language for repentance: abandon the bypaths, return to the ancient shabil. • Discipleship Pathways Churches often speak of “next steps.” Rooting such language in the biblical path motif anchors practical processes in revelation. Disciples walk the track God has already blazed in Christ, empowered by the Spirit (Galatians 5:25). • Evangelism Just as God opened a way through the sea, the gospel proclaims an open road to the Father for all who believe (Hebrews 10:19-20). Shabil underscores the gracious initiative resident in the cross and resurrection. Synthesis Though שָׁבִיל appears only twice, it bridges the grand narrative: from Exodus deliverance to prophetic warning, from hidden footprints to the incarnate Way. Its testimony is clear: God both forges and reveals the path of life; human flourishing depends on walking that singular, sovereign track. Forms and Transliterations וּֽ֭שְׁבִֽילְךָ ושבילך שְׁבִילֵ֣י שבילי šə·ḇî·lê šəḇîlê sheviLei ū·šə·ḇî·lə·ḵā ūšəḇîləḵā UshevilechaLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Psalm 77:19 HEB: [וּשְׁבִילֶיךָ כ] (וּֽ֭שְׁבִֽילְךָ ק) בְּמַ֣יִם NAS: was in the sea And Your paths in the mighty KJV: [is] in the sea, and thy path in the great INT: the sea your way path waters the mighty Jeremiah 18:15 2 Occurrences |
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