8228. shepha
Lexical Summary
shepha: Abundance, overflow, plenty

Original Word: שֶׁפַע
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: shepha`
Pronunciation: SHEH-fah
Phonetic Spelling: (sheh'-fah)
KJV: abundance
NASB: abundance
Word Origin: [from an unused root meaning to abound]

1. resources

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
abundance

From an unused root meaning to abound; resources -- abundance.

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
from an unused word
Definition
abundance
NASB Translation
abundance (1).

Brown-Driver-Briggs
שֶׁ֫פַע noun [masculine] abundance; — construct ׳שׁ Deuteronomy 33:19.

Topical Lexicon
Definition and Semantic Nuance

שֶׁפַע conveys the idea of profuse plenty—an overflowing that exceeds mere sufficiency. Unlike common terms for “much” or “many,” this word paints a picture of richness so great that it cannot be contained, whether in material resources, blessings, or glory.

Biblical Context and Usage

Its single appearance in Deuteronomy 33:19 occurs within Moses’ farewell blessings upon the tribes. Addressing Zebulun and Issachar, Moses declares that they will “feast on the abundance of the seas and the hidden treasures of the sand” (Deuteronomy 33:19). Here שֶׁפַע anchors the promise to concrete geography—coastlines and trade routes—yet simultaneously telescopes beyond the physical to assure the tribes of God-ordained fullness in every sphere of life.

Historical Setting

Zebulun’s allotment bordered the sea trade, while Issachar’s territory included fertile valleys open to caravan routes. Archaeological studies of Iron Age Phoenician commerce confirm that Mediterranean shipping lanes pulsed with lucrative trade in purple dye, metal ore, and grain during the period. Moses speaks prophetically to this reality: divine abundance will flow through ordinary labor and commerce under the covenant banner.

Theological Significance

1. Covenant Generosity: שֶׁפַע demonstrates that the Abrahamic promise of blessing (Genesis 12:2–3) matures under Mosaic revelation. Abundance is not accidental; it is the outworking of covenant fidelity.
2. Missional Centripetal Force: “They will call the peoples to a mountain” (Deuteronomy 33:19). Material plenty becomes a magnet drawing the nations toward Israel’s worship. Provision serves proclamation.
3. Typological Foretaste: The lavish language anticipates the eschatological fullness described in passages such as Isaiah 60:5–6, where “the abundance of the sea” again flows to Zion, prefiguring the consummate kingdom.

Connections with Related Themes

• Abundance of mercy—Psalm 103:8
• Abundance of peace—Psalm 37:11
• Abundant life promised by Jesus—John 10:10

Though expressed with different Hebrew or Greek terms, each instance traces back to the same divine impulse to overflow grace.

Ministry and Practical Application

• Stewardship: שֶׁפַע reminds believers that plenty is entrusted to serve worship and witness, not self-indulgence (1 Timothy 6:17–19).
• Contentment: The word rebukes scarcity mindsets by grounding confidence in God’s capacity to supply “according to His riches in glory” (Philippians 4:19).
• Missional Hospitality: Congregations positioned at modern “trade routes” (financial centers, universities, digital platforms) can, like Zebulun, leverage abundance to invite “peoples to the mountain” of gospel truth.

Christological and Eschatological Outlook

In the Messiah, the promise of שֶׁפַע finds its ultimate expression: “From His fullness we have all received grace upon grace” (John 1:16). Revelation 21 pictures nations bringing their glory into the New Jerusalem, echoing Deuteronomy 33:19 on a cosmic scale. Thus the solitary Old Testament occurrence reverberates through redemptive history, culminating in everlasting, unthreatened abundance.

Key Reflections

• Abundance is covenantal before it is material.
• God grants overflow so that worship might overflow.
• Every modern expression of plenty stands under the ancient charge to “call the peoples.”

Forms and Transliterations
שֶׁ֤פַע שפע še·p̄a‘ šep̄a‘ Shefa
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Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman's Concordance
Deuteronomy 33:19
HEB: צֶ֑דֶק כִּ֣י שֶׁ֤פַע יַמִּים֙ יִינָ֔קוּ
NAS: For they will draw out the abundance of the seas,
KJV: for they shall suck [of] the abundance of the seas,
INT: righteous out the abundance of the seas will draw

1 Occurrence

Strong's Hebrew 8228
1 Occurrence


še·p̄a‘ — 1 Occ.

8227b
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