8275. sharbit

Lexical Summary

sharbit: Scepter, staff

Original Word: שַׁרְבִיט
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: sharbiyt
Pronunciation: shar-BEET
Phonetic Spelling: (shar-beet')
KJV: sceptre
NASB: scepter
Word Origin: [for H7626 (שֵׁבֶט - tribes)]

1. a rod of empire

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

sceptre

For shebet; a rod of empire -- sceptre.

see HEBREW shebet

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
from the same as shebet
Definition
a scepter
NASB Translation
scepter (4).

Brown-Driver-Briggs

שַׁרְבִֿיט noun masculine sceptre (expanded from foregoing, Ges^{§ 85w}); only Esther: absolute ׳הַשּׁ 1 Chronicles 5:2; construct ׳הַזָּהָב שׁ 1 Chronicles 4:11; 1 Chronicles 5:2 ׳שַׁרְבִט הַזּ 1 Chronicles 8:4

Topical Lexicon

Overview

שַׁרְבִיט (sharbît) denotes the royal scepter—specifically the golden scepter of the Persian monarch in the Book of Esther. The term is limited to four occurrences and is always attached to life-and-death moments in the narrative. By metonymy it embodies the king’s person, power, and favor.

Canonical Occurrences and Narrative Role

• Esther 4:11 – Court protocol makes the scepter the only means of sparing an unbidden visitor: “The only exception is for the king to extend his gold scepter so that he may live”.
• Esther 5:2 (twice) – When Esther approaches, “the king held out to her the gold scepter in his hand… So Esther drew near and touched the tip of the scepter”.
• Esther 8:4 – A second extension empowers Esther to intercede again on behalf of her people.

In every scene the scepter is the pivot between destruction and deliverance. It transforms Esther from a threatened subject into a protected intercessor.

Symbolism of Royal Authority

1. Sovereign Power – The scepter is the visible proof that the king’s decrees are supreme (compare Numbers 24:17; Psalms 45:6).
2. Judicial Mercy – Its extension overrides a standing death sentence, illustrating that mercy proceeds solely from the throne (Romans 9:15).
3. Covenant Echo – Though Persian, the gesture resonates with Israel’s hope that a king’s scepter would “not depart from Judah” (Genesis 49:10), anticipating an ultimate Ruler whose authority cannot be rescinded.

Foreshadowing of the Messianic Scepter

While Esther depicts a foreign king, the imagery looks ahead to the Messiah’s everlasting reign: “Your throne, O God, endures forever and ever, and justice is the scepter of Your kingdom” (Psalms 45:6; Hebrews 1:8 applies this to Jesus Christ). The golden scepter that spares Esther typifies the grace extended through Christ’s cross, where divine justice and mercy meet.

Historical and Cultural Background

Persian monarchs were approached under strict etiquette; unauthorized entrance implied treason. Archaeological reliefs from Persepolis show kings holding elongated staffs adorned with lotus-like heads, matching the biblical description of a “golden scepter.” To touch its tip was to enter the circle of imperial favor, paralleling Near-Eastern treaties in which subjects swore loyalty by contact with the ruler’s emblem.

Covenantal and Theological Dimensions

1. Intercession – Esther risks her life as mediator; the scepter’s acceptance prefigures the efficacy of priestly intercession (Hebrews 7:25).
2. Providence – Though God’s name is not mentioned in Esther, the narrative of the scepter displays His unseen governance in preserving the covenant people.
3. Reversal – The same symbol that could condemn becomes the instrument of salvation, mirroring the gospel paradox where a Roman cross becomes the throne of grace.

Ministry Implications

• Prayer and Access – Believers “approach the throne of grace with confidence” (Hebrews 4:16) because the true King has already extended His scepter.
• Leadership – Christian authorities wield power as a trust to protect and bless, not to threaten; the golden scepter models benevolent sovereignty.
• Courage – Esther’s example encourages modern disciples to risk personal security for the deliverance of others, trusting in God’s ultimate authority over human rulers.

Related Biblical Imagery

– Staff (מַטֶּה, Numbers 17:8) – tribal authority.

– Rod (שֵׁבֶט, Psalms 23:4) – guidance and discipline.

– Scepter of Uprightness (Psalms 45:6) – Messiah’s righteous rule.

By concentrating all these themes into a single golden scepter, Scripture teaches that true sovereignty, righteous judgment, and saving mercy converge in the hands of the King of kings.

Forms and Transliterations

הַשַּׁרְבִֽיט׃ השרביט׃ שַׁרְבִ֣ט שַׁרְבִ֤יט שַׁרְבִ֥יט שרבט שרביט haš·šar·ḇîṭ hashsharVit haššarḇîṭ šar·ḇiṭ šar·ḇîṭ šarḇiṭ šarḇîṭ sharVit

Englishman's Concordance

Esther 4:11
HEB: הַמֶּ֛לֶךְ אֶת־ שַׁרְבִ֥יט הַזָּהָ֖ב וְחָיָ֑ה
NAS: out to him the golden scepter so that he may live.
KJV: the golden sceptre, that he may live:
INT: holds the king scepter the golden may live

Esther 5:2
HEB: לְאֶסְתֵּ֗ר אֶת־ שַׁרְבִ֤יט הַזָּהָב֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר
NAS: the golden scepter which
KJV: the golden sceptre that [was] in his hand.
INT: and the king to Esther scepter the golden which

Esther 5:2
HEB: וַתִּגַּ֖ע בְּרֹ֥אשׁ הַשַּׁרְבִֽיט׃ ס
NAS: and touched the top of the scepter.
KJV: and touched the top of the sceptre.
INT: and touched the top of the scepter

Esther 8:4
HEB: לְאֶסְתֵּ֔ר אֵ֖ת שַׁרְבִ֣ט הַזָּהָ֑ב וַתָּ֣קָם
NAS: the golden scepter to Esther.
KJV: the golden sceptre toward Esther.
INT: the king to Esther scepter the golden arose

4 Occurrences

Strong's Hebrew 8275
4 Occurrences

haš·šar·ḇîṭ — 1 Occ.
šar·ḇîṭ — 3 Occ.