7733. Shobeq
Lexical Summary
Shobeq: Lattice

Original Word: שׁוֹבֵק
Part of Speech: Proper Name Masculine
Transliteration: Showbeq
Pronunciation: sho-bake'
Phonetic Spelling: (sho-bake')
KJV: Shobek
NASB: Shobek
Word Origin: [active participle from a primitive root meaning to leave]

1. forsaking
2. Shobek, an Israelite

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
Shobek

Active participle from a primitive root meaning to leave (compare shbaq); forsaking; Shobek, an Israelite -- Shobek.

see HEBREW shbaq

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
from an unused word
Definition
one who signed Nehemiah's covenant
NASB Translation
Shobek (1).

Brown-Driver-Briggs
שׁוֺבֵק proper name, masculine one of those sealed Nehemiah 10:25; Σωβηκ, ᵐ5L Σωβειρ.

Topical Lexicon
Occurrence and Identity

Shobek is named a single time in Scripture, in Nehemiah 10:24, where he is listed among the Levites who sealed the post-exilic covenant. Though the text supplies no genealogy or exploits, his signature situates him in the circle of spiritual leaders who stood with Nehemiah during Jerusalem’s restoration around 445 BC.

Historical Setting

The walls had been rebuilt (Nehemiah 6) and the Law publicly read (Nehemiah 8). Deep conviction followed, leading the nation to “enter into a curse and an oath to follow the Law of God” (Nehemiah 10:29). Chapter 10 preserves the names of those who ratified that oath—priests, Levites, and lay chiefs. Shobek’s inclusion links him to the sweeping revival that reclaimed Israel’s identity after exile.

Role in the Covenant Renewal

1. Representative Leadership
• As a Levite, Shobek represented the tribe charged with teaching the Law (Deuteronomy 33:10). By affixing his seal, he pledged to resume that calling in a community that had long neglected it.
2. Temple Support
• The covenant detailed practical commitments: funding offerings, supplying wood for the altar, bringing “the firstborn of our sons and cattle” and “the firstfruits of our ground” (Nehemiah 10:36-37). Shobek’s name stands beside those promises, binding him to the renewal of worship.
3. Corporate Accountability
• The signature list merges great and lesser-known figures, modeling shared responsibility. Shobek’s presence reminds modern readers that faithful service, not notoriety, secures a place in God’s record.

Ministry Significance

• Integrity of Lesser-Known Servants

Shobek never reappears in Scripture, yet his single act contributes to national obedience. The passage demonstrates that covenant faithfulness is often upheld by people whose accounts remain untold.
• Continuity of Levitical Ministry

His participation confirms that the Levitical office did not lapse with exile. The priests and Levites resumed their God-given duties—reading Scripture, leading worship, guarding holiness.
• Covenant Fidelity as Revival Catalyst

The renewal Shobek embraced prepared the way for a century of relative stability in Judea, preserving a remnant through whom Messianic promises would unfold.

Theological Themes

1. Covenant Commitment

God’s people publicly bound themselves “to obey carefully all the commands” (Nehemiah 10:29). Shobek illustrates that genuine revival couples confession (Nehemiah 9) with concrete obedience (Nehemiah 10).
2. Stewardship of Worship

The covenant climax—“We will not neglect the house of our God” (Nehemiah 10:39)—echoes forward to every generation. Shobek’s signature ties him to the unbroken priority of maintaining God-ordained worship.
3. Remembrance of Names

Scripture records Shobek to underscore divine mindfulness of every faithful act (Malachi 3:16). Though obscure in human history, he is memorialized in sacred history.

Practical Lessons for Today

• Stand Publicly for Biblical Truth—Shobek teaches that identifying with God’s covenant people, even in a mere signature, honors the Lord.
• Embrace Ordinary Faithfulness—A single, obedient step taken in humility can bolster communal revival.
• Guard the House of God—Commitment to resource and maintain corporate worship remains central to covenant life.

Cross-References for Study

Nehemiah 8:1-8; Nehemiah 9:1-3; Nehemiah 10:29-39; Deuteronomy 33:8-11; Malachi 3:16; 1 Peter 2:5.

Forms and Transliterations
שׁוֹבֵֽק׃ שובק׃ shoVek šō·w·ḇêq šōwḇêq
Links
Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman's Concordance
Nehemiah 10:24
HEB: הַלּוֹחֵ֥שׁ פִּלְחָ֖א שׁוֹבֵֽק׃
NAS: Hallohesh, Pilha, Shobek,
KJV: Hallohesh, Pileha, Shobek,
INT: Hallohesh Pilha Shobek

1 Occurrence

Strong's Hebrew 7733
1 Occurrence


šō·w·ḇêq — 1 Occ.

7732
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