The term "sceptre" in the Bible is a symbol of authority, power, and governance, often associated with kingship and divine rule. It is a staff or rod that signifies the right to rule and is frequently mentioned in both the Old and New Testaments.

Old Testament References

1. Genesis 49:10: The sceptre is first mentioned in the blessing of Jacob over his sons, specifically in the prophecy concerning Judah: "The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until Shiloh comes, and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples." . This verse is significant as it foretells the enduring leadership and royal lineage of the tribe of Judah, culminating in the coming of the Messiah, often interpreted as a reference to Jesus Christ.

2. Numbers 24:17: In Balaam's prophecy, the sceptre is again a symbol of future dominion: "I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near. A star will come out of Jacob, and a scepter will rise from Israel." . This prophecy is seen as a messianic prediction, indicating the rise of a powerful ruler from Israel.

3. Esther 4:11: The sceptre is also a literal object in the narrative of Esther, representing the king's authority and the power to grant life or death: "All the king’s servants and the people of the king’s provinces know that any man or woman who approaches the king in the inner court without being summoned has but one law: that he be put to death, unless the king extends the golden scepter, allowing him to live." . Here, the sceptre is a symbol of the king's favor and mercy.

4. Psalm 45:6: The sceptre is associated with divine justice and righteousness: "Your throne, O God, endures forever and ever, and justice is the scepter of Your kingdom." . This verse is often interpreted as a messianic psalm, pointing to the eternal and righteous reign of Christ.

New Testament References

1. Hebrews 1:8: The sceptre is used to affirm the divinity and eternal kingship of Christ: "But about the Son He says: 'Your throne, O God, endures forever and ever, and justice is the scepter of Your kingdom.'" . This passage quotes Psalm 45:6, applying it directly to Jesus, emphasizing His divine authority and righteous rule.

Symbolism and Interpretation

In biblical symbolism, the sceptre represents not only earthly authority but also divine sanction and legitimacy. It is a powerful emblem of leadership that is both temporal and spiritual. The sceptre's association with Judah and the messianic prophecies underscores its significance in the biblical narrative as a symbol of the coming Messiah, who would establish an everlasting kingdom characterized by justice and righteousness.

Throughout Scripture, the sceptre serves as a reminder of God's sovereign rule and the ultimate authority of Christ as King of Kings. It is a testament to the fulfillment of God's promises and the establishment of His kingdom on earth as it is in heaven.Sceptre

This word originally meant a rod or staff . It was thence specifically applied to the shepherd's crook, (Leviticus 27:32; Micah 7:14) and to the wand or sceptre of a ruler. The allusions to it are all of a metaphorical character, and describe it simply as one of the insignia of supreme power. (Genesis 49:10) We are consequently unable to describe the article from any biblical notice we may infer that it was probably made of wood. The sceptre of the Persian monarch is described as "golden" i.e. probably of massive gold. (Esther 4:11)

Sceptre

A "rod" or decorated staff, sometimes six feet long, borne by kings and magistrates as a symbol of authority, Genesis 49:10 Numbers 24:17 Esther 4:11 5:2 Isa 14:5 Zechariah 10:11. See ROD.

(Hebrews shebet = Gr. skeptron), properly a staff or rod. As a symbol of authority, the use of the sceptre originated in the idea that the ruler was as a shepherd of his people (Genesis 49:10; Numbers 24:17; Psalm 45:6; Isaiah 14:5). There is no example on record of a sceptre having ever been actually handled by a Jewish king. 1. (n.) A staff or baton borne by a sovereign, as a ceremonial badge or emblem of authority; a royal mace.

2. (n.) Hence, royal or imperial power or authority; sovereignty; as, to assume the scepter.

3. (v. t.) To endow with the scepter, or emblem of authority; to invest with royal authority.

SCEPTRE; SCEPTER

sep'-ter (shebheT, sharbhiT, expanded form in Esther 4:11; Esther 5:2; Esther 8:4; rhabdos (Additions to Esther 15:11; Hebrews 1:8), skeptros): A rod or mace used by a sovereign as a symbol of royal authority. The Hebrew shebheT is the ordinary word for rod or club, and is used of an ordinary rod (compare 2 Samuel 7:14), of the shepherd's crook (Psalm 23:4), scribe's baton or marshal's staff (Judges 5:14), as well as of the symbol of royalty. Its symbolism may be connected with the use of the shebheT for protection (2 Samuel 23:21 Psalm 23:4) or for punishment (Isaiah 10:24; Isaiah 30:31). It is used with reference to the royal line descended from Judah (Genesis 49:10), and figuratively of sovereignty in general and possibly of conquest (Numbers 24:17, in Israel; Isaiah 14:5, in Babylonia; Amos 1:5, 8, in Syria, among Philistines; Zechariah 10:11, in Egypt), the disappearance or cutting off of him that holdeth the scepter being tantamount to loss of national independence. The kingship of Yahweh is spoken of as a scepter (Psalm 45:6 (Hebrew verse 7) quoted in Hebrews 1:8). The manner of using the scepter by an oriental monarch is suggested in the act of Ahasuerus, who holds it out to Esther as a mark of favor. The subject touches the top of it, perhaps simply as an act of homage or possibly to indicate a desire to be heard. The scepter of Ahasuerus is spoken of as "golden" (Esther 5:2), but it is probable that scepters were ordinarily made of straight branches (maTeh) of certain kinds of vines (Ezekiel 19:11, 14).

It is sometimes difficult to determine whether the word shebheT is used in figurative passages in the sense of scepter or merely in the ordinary sense of staff (e.g. Psalm 125:3, the King James Version "rod," the Revised Version (British and American) and the American Standard Revised Version "sceptre" (of the wicked); Psalm 2:9, "rod of iron"; Proverbs 22:8, "rod of his wrath"). Another word, mechoqeq, literally, "prescribing" (person or thing), formerly translated uniformly "lawgiver," is now generally taken, on the basis of parallelism, to mean "sceptre" in four poetic passages (Genesis 49:10, "ruler's staff" to avoid repetition; Numbers 21:18 Psalm 60:7; Psalm 108:8).

Nathan Isaacs

4464. rhabdos -- a staff, rod
... rod, scepter, staff. From the base of rhapizo; a stick or wand (as a cudgel, a cane
or a baton of royalty) -- rod, sceptre, staff. see GREEK rhapizo. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4464.htm - 6k8275. sharbit -- a scepter
... Word Origin from the same as shebet Definition a scepter NASB Word Usage scepter
(4). sceptre. For shebet; a rod of empire -- sceptre. see HEBREW shebet. ...
/hebrew/8275.htm - 6k

4294. matteh -- a staff, rod, shaft, branch, a tribe
... from natah; a branch (as extending); figuratively, a tribe; also a rod, whether
for chastising (figuratively, correction), ruling (a sceptre), throwing (a lance ...
/hebrew/4294.htm - 6k

7626. shebet -- rod, staff, club, scepter, tribe
... ie (literally) a stick (for punishing, writing, fighting, ruling, walking, etc.)
Or (figuratively) a clan -- X correction, dart, rod, sceptre, staff, tribe. ...
/hebrew/7626.htm - 6k

Balaam's Prophecy. (Numb. xxiv. 17-19. )
... Carried by the Spirit into the far distant future, Balaam sees here how a star goeth
out of Jacob and a sceptre riseth out of Israel, and how this sceptre ...
/.../christology of the old testament/balaams prophecy numb xxiv 17-19.htm

Now it Escaped the Notice of Celsus, and of the Jew whom He Has ...
... of the King." [3177] But attend carefully to what follows, where He is called God:
"For Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is ...
/.../origen/origen against celsus/chapter lvi now it escaped.htm

Christ's Kingly Office
... He has his crown; Revelation 6:6; his sword, Gird thy sword upon thy thigh;' Psalm
45:5; his sceptre, A sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom ...
//christianbookshelf.org/watson/a body of divinity/5 christs kingly office.htm

Proofs of Jesus Christ
... et dicet: Non possum legere. [145] While the sceptre was still in the hands of the
first foreign usurper, there is the report of the coming of Jesus Christ. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/pascal/pensees/section xii proofs of jesus.htm

The Force of Sundry Passages of Scripture Illustrated in Relation ...
... may think the better and more deliberately, listen to the psalm in which Two are
described as God: "Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever; the sceptre of Thy ...
/.../tertullian/against praxeas/chapter xiii the force of sundry.htm

The Full Measure
... Then did he hold out his golden sceptre, and he rose up from his royal throne, and
he embraced her, and gave her the kiss of love, and he promised her to give ...
/.../bevan/three friends of god/chapter xxv the full measure.htm

Esther's Venture
... into the inner court, who is not called, there is one law of his to put him to death,
except such to whom the king shall hold out the golden sceptre, that he ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture g/esthers venture.htm

That Christ is God.
... waves in the sea, and they shall dry up all the depths of the rivers; and all the
haughtiness of the Assyrians shall be confounded, and the sceptre of Egypt ...
/.../cyprian/three books of testimonies against the jews/6 that christ is god.htm

Kingdom of Christ.
... 1 To Christ, the Son, the Father spake: Lo, ask of me, and I will make The heathen
to thy sceptre bend; The utmost parts of all the earth Are thine inheritance ...
/.../adams/hymns for christian devotion/322 kingdom of christ.htm

But You Will Say, the Good Will of a Friend Towards Me, Although I ...
... Hence again the Prophet says concerning Him, "Thy Throne, O God, is for ever
and ever; a sceptre of right, the sceptre of Thy Kingdom. ...
/.../augustine/concerning faith of things not seen /5 but you will say.htm

Sceptre (20 Occurrences)
... As a symbol of authority, the use of the sceptre originated in the idea that the
ruler was as a shepherd of his people (Genesis 49:10; Numbers 24:17; Psalm 45:6 ...
/s/sceptre.htm - 17k

Scepter (28 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary 1. (n.) Alt. of Sceptre. 2. (vt) Alt. of Sceptre.
Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia. SCEPTRE; SCEPTER. sep ...
/s/scepter.htm - 18k

Holdeth (21 Occurrences)
... the inner court, who is not called -- one law 'of' his 'is' to put 'them' to death,
apart from him to whom the king holdeth out the golden sceptre, then he ...
/h/holdeth.htm - 12k

Uprightness (46 Occurrences)
... (YLT). Psalms 45:6 Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever; a sceptre of
uprightness is the sceptre of thy kingdom: (DBY YLT NAS). ...
/u/uprightness.htm - 19k

Despises (16 Occurrences)
... sharpened. So as to have brightness it is polished, Desire hath rejoiced the
sceptre of my son, It is despising every tree. (See NIV). ...
/d/despises.htm - 11k

Absolute (5 Occurrences)
... (See NIV). Hebrews 1:8 But of His Son, He says, "Thy throne, O God, is for ever
and for ever, and the sceptre of Thy Kingdom is a sceptre of absolute justice. ...
/a/absolute.htm - 8k

Scepters (2 Occurrences)
... Scepters (2 Occurrences). Numbers 21:18 The well, which the princes digged, which
the nobles of the people delved, with the sceptre, and with their staves. ...
/s/scepters.htm - 7k

Despising (25 Occurrences)
... sharpened. So as to have brightness it is polished, Desire hath rejoiced the
sceptre of my son, It is despising every tree. (YLT NAS). ...
/d/despising.htm - 14k

Draweth (52 Occurrences)
... at the king's seeing Esther the queen standing in the court, she hath received grace
in his eyes, and the king holdeth out to Esther the golden sceptre that 'is ...
/d/draweth.htm - 21k

Defence (48 Occurrences)
... mercy. (KJV). Psalms 60:7 Gilead is mine, and Manasseh is mine; Ephraim also
is the defence of my head; Judah is my sceptre. (ASV JPS). ...
/d/defence.htm - 20k

What is the scepter of God? | GotQuestions.org

Sceptre: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

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