Lexical Summary shebash: perplexed Original Word: שְׁבַשׁ Strong's Exhaustive Concordance be astonished (Aramaic) corresponding to shabats; to entangle, i.e. Perplex -- be astonished. see HEBREW shabats NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origin(Aramaic) a prim. root Definition to be perplexed NASB Translation perplexed (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs [שְׁבַשׁ] verb Hithpa`el be perplexed (ᵑ7 id., entangle, beguile, Late Hebrew שָׁבַשׁ confuse, disarrange; compare Assyrian šabâšu (šabasu), turn about; Syriac  flatter, allure, SchulthHom. Wurz. 90; so Mandean Pa`el שבש NöM 49; compare Arabic  (as loan-word Nöl.c.) confuse); — Participle plural מִשְׁתַּבְּשִׁין Daniel 5:9. Topical Lexicon Word Concept and Scope Strong’s Hebrew 7672 שְׁבַשׁ portrays a sudden, overwhelming bewilderment. Used only once, it captures the nobles’ reaction to divine intervention at Belshazzar’s feast, exposing the inadequacy of human wisdom when confronted with God’s judgment. Context within Daniel 5 During the lavish banquet in Babylon, sacred vessels from the Jerusalem temple were profaned. A mysterious hand wrote upon the plaster of the palace wall. The king’s composure collapsed, and the text records, “Then King Belshazzar was greatly alarmed; his face grew even paler, and his nobles were perplexed” (Daniel 5:9). The royal counselors—men accustomed to confident counsel—are struck silent. שְׁבַשׁ frames their confusion as part of the larger drama: God confronts a proud empire, and every earthly security disintegrates. Historical Background Belshazzar (acting as coregent under Nabonidus) held his feast near the end of the Neo-Babylonian Empire. While the city’s walls still seemed impregnable, the Medo-Persian army was already pressing in. The nobles in Daniel 5 represent the political, military, and intellectual elite of Babylon. Their bewilderment signals a final unraveling of imperial order on the very night Babylon would fall (Daniel 5:30–31). Theological Themes 1. Sovereignty of God: The bewilderment expressed by שְׁבַשׁ illustrates how easily the Lord overturns human confidence (compare Psalm 33:10). Prophetic Resonance The scene anticipates later oracles of end-times perplexity: “On the earth there will be distress of nations in perplexity” (Luke 21:25). Just as Babylon’s nobles stood powerless before God’s verdict, so future kingdoms will tremble when Christ returns in glory (Revelation 6:15–17). Ministry Applications • Preaching on Moral Reckoning: שְׁבַשׁ underscores that sin eventually produces confusion and fear. A sermon on Daniel 5 can warn against casual irreverence toward holy things. Cross-References and Parallels • Genesis 11:7 – God confuses language at Babel; pride meets divine disruption. Conclusion Though appearing only once, שְׁבַשׁ serves as a vivid reminder that God can dissolve the composure of the mighty in a single moment. The word prompts readers to humble themselves, seek wisdom from above, and find security not in earthly power but in the sovereign Lord who writes His verdicts upon history’s wall. Forms and Transliterations מִֽשְׁתַּבְּשִֽׁין׃ משתבשין׃ miš·tab·bə·šîn MishtabbeShin mištabbəšînLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Daniel 5:9 HEB: עֲל֑וֹהִי וְרַבְרְבָנ֖וֹהִי מִֽשְׁתַּבְּשִֽׁין׃ NAS: and his nobles were perplexed. KJV: in him, and his lords were astonied. INT: him and his nobles were perplexed 1 Occurrence |
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