Lexical Summary shobeb: Backsliding, rebellious Original Word: שׁוֹבֵב Strong's Exhaustive Concordance backsliding From shuwb; apostate, i.e. Heathenish or (actually) heathen -- backsliding. see HEBREW shuwb NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom shub Definition turning back, apostate NASB Translation apostate (1), backsliding (1), faithless (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs שׁוֺבֵב adjective backturning, apostate (perhaps for ׳מְשׁוֺ, see I. שׁוֺבָב); — as substantive, ׳לְשׁו Micah 2:4 (but read probably שׁוֺבֵינוּ our captors); feminine הַבַּת הַשּׁוֺבֵבָה Jeremiah 31:22 (of Israel), Jeremiah 49:4 (of Ammon). Topical Lexicon Overview of the TermThe noun שׁוֹבֵב appears three times in the Hebrew Scriptures and consistently describes a condition of moral or spiritual defection—one who has turned aside from covenant loyalty. Each use places the word on the lips of a prophet warning of the destructive consequences of such waywardness. Its rarity heightens its rhetorical force: the term is summoned only when ordinary language for sin or rebellion will not do, when the prophet must expose a deep-seated refusal to be shaped by the Lord’s gracious rule. Root Concept of Waywardness Built on the notion of turning away, שׁוֹבֵב conveys more than momentary lapse; it paints the portrait of habitual unfaithfulness. The image is not of someone who stumbles but of one who chooses a divergent path and persists in it. Because human life in biblical theology is fundamentally covenantal—a walking “before the LORD” (Genesis 17:1)—to become שׁוֹבֵב is to reverse that walk and proceed in the opposite direction. Covenantal and Familial Metaphor The prophets frequently portray Israel as the Lord’s spouse or daughter, and שׁוֹבֵב intensifies that metaphor. A daughter who abandons the Father’s household forfeits protection and inheritance; a faithless wife shatters the intimacy of the marriage bond. In both Jeremiah occurrences the word is coupled with “daughter,” underscoring the grief of a broken household. Prophetic Usage in Jeremiah “How long will you wander, O faithless daughter? For the LORD has created a new thing in the land— a woman will shelter a man.” Here the address is tender yet urgent. Judah’s faithlessness is contrasted with the unprecedented grace God is preparing—a future reversal so astonishing that normal gender imagery is upended. The invitation is implicit: cease wandering and participate in the new creation. “Why do you boast in the valleys— your valley flows away, O faithless daughter? You trusted in your treasures and said, ‘Who can come against me?’” Directed to Ammon, the prophet’s taunt exposes misplaced confidence. Material security cannot cancel covenant guilt; the faithless will learn that judgment will “come against” them regardless of topography or wealth. שׁוֹבֵב thus links arrogance with apostasy. Poetic Lament in Micah Micah 2:4 concludes a woe oracle against Israel’s land-grabbing elite: “We are utterly ruined!... To a traitor He apportions our fields!” The community’s lament acknowledges that their own disloyalty has invited an external “traitor.” The term suggests both internal unfaithfulness and the external agent God employs to discipline His people. The ambiguity serves the prophet’s purpose: wickedness within draws devastation from without. Historical Context 1. Late seventh to early sixth century B.C., Jeremiah ministers during the decline of Judæan independence, when back-and-forth political alignments mirrored spiritual double-mindedness. Theological Significance • Divine Faithfulness versus Human Faithlessness: שׁוֹבֵב magnifies the constancy of the LORD, who remains committed to His promises even while naming and judging betrayal. Practical Ministry Applications 1. Discipleship: Pastors may employ שׁוֹבֵב texts to differentiate between occasional sin and entrenched apostasy, calling believers to continuous repentance rather than episodic remorse. Christological Fulfillment The New Testament applies Israel’s restoration promises to Jesus Christ, “the mediator of a better covenant” (Hebrews 8:6). Where שׁוֹבֵב exposes the human heart, the cross supplies the remedy: “He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree” (1 Peter 2:24). The faithlessness of the daughter is met by the faithfulness of the Son, securing the new creation foretold in Jeremiah 31. Homiletical Outline (Suggested) 1. The Faithless Heart Exposed (Jeremiah 49:4) Conclusion שׁוֹבֵב stands as a solemn reminder that habitual defection from the Lord invites judgment, yet within every prophetic indictment lies the divine offer of restoration. In Christ the promised “new thing” has dawned, empowering once-faithless hearts to become faithful sons and daughters who walk uprightly before their God. Forms and Transliterations הַשּֽׁוֹבֵבָ֑ה השובבה לְשׁוֹבֵ֥ב לשובב haš·šō·w·ḇê·ḇāh hashshoeVah haššōwḇêḇāh lə·šō·w·ḇêḇ leshoVev ləšōwḇêḇLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Jeremiah 31:22 HEB: תִּתְחַמָּקִ֔ין הַבַּ֖ת הַשּֽׁוֹבֵבָ֑ה כִּֽי־ בָרָ֨א NAS: will you go here and there, O faithless daughter? KJV: How long wilt thou go about, O thou backsliding daughter? INT: go first faithless for has created Jeremiah 49:4 Micah 2:4 3 Occurrences |
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