Word Study for H7670 (שִׁבְרוֹן)

shibrôwn /shib-rone'/ Ask about this word

Meaningrupture, i.e. a pang; figuratively, ruin

KJV usagebreaking, destruction.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of shibrôwn — the range of meaning it carries, how Scripture actually uses it, and where it points. Written for readers who don’t know the original language.

Core Meaning & Semantic Range

The Hebrew word shibrôwn, represented by H7670, is derived from the root H7665 and signifies a rupture or ruin. It appears only 2 times across 2 unique verses in the Bible. Its base definition includes concepts such as a pang, as well as the figurative ruin that comes from breaking or destruction.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In its biblical usage, H7670 depicts two distinct forms of breaking. In Jeremiah, it is used in a plea for divine judgment, asking God to "destroy them with double destruction" Jeremiah 17:18. This context frames it as the ultimate ruin brought upon persecutors. Conversely, Ezekiel uses the term to illustrate a profound and physical grief, commanding the prophet to "Sigh therefore, thou son of man, with the breaking of thy loins" Ezekiel 21:6. Here, it represents an internal, body-wracking pang of anguish and bitterness.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related Hebrew words help to illuminate the concept of breaking and destruction:

H7665 shâbar: As the primitive root for H7670, it means to burst or break in pieces. It is used to describe everything from a broken heart to the destruction of the wicked (Psalms 34:18, Psalms 37:17).
H2865 châthath: Meaning to be dismayed or broken down by confusion and fear. It is used in parallel with the plea for destruction in Jeremiah, where the prophet asks that his enemies be dismayed Jeremiah 17:18.
H584 ʼânach: This word for to sigh or groan is directly linked to the physical anguish of H7670. In Ezekiel, the prophet is told to sigh with the breaking of his loins, showing the outward sound of an inward rupture Ezekiel 21:6.
H4814 mᵉrîyrûwth: Meaning bitterness or grief. It is used to describe the state of the prophet as he sighs with the breaking of his loins, emphasizing the deep sorrow accompanying the physical pang Ezekiel 21:6.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of H7670 is found in its depiction of absolute and tangible ruin.

Divine Retribution: The word is used to call for a final and complete judgment. Jeremiah's prayer for a "double destruction" on his persecutors frames it as the ultimate consequence of opposing God's servant, linked directly with the "day of evil" H7451 Jeremiah 17:18.
Prophetic Suffering: It illustrates the immense personal cost of bearing a divine message of doom. Ezekiel is commanded to embody the coming sorrow with a physical "breaking" and bitterness H4814, demonstrating that the pain of judgment is felt deeply by God's messengers Ezekiel 21:6.
A State of Ruin: Derived from the verb to break H7665, shibrôwn represents the resulting condition of being broken. This applies both to the external state of enemies being destroyed and the internal state of a person collapsing under the weight of grief.

Summary

In summary, shibrôwn H7670 is a rare but potent term for destruction and breaking. While used only twice, it powerfully conveys both the external ruin of divine judgment and the internal, physical pang of profound sorrow. It moves beyond an abstract concept of destruction to describe a tangible and complete rupture, whether of an enemy's power or a prophet's own body and spirit.

How the KJV Renders It

Translation

Strong’s lists the renderings but not their weight. These are counted from the King James text of the tagged verses — the bar under each is how often the translators actually reached for it. Select one to filter the occurrences below.

Grammatical Forms

Morphology

In the Hebrew Old Testament, this word appears as a noun across 2 occurrences, inflected in 2 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form. Select any form to read what each part of its name means, and to filter the occurrence list to it.

שִׁבָּרוֹן
שִׁבְרוֹן

Theographic Context

Context

The people, places, and span of history the verses containing this word touch on — drawn from the theographic tagging of Scripture. Select any name to isolate its verses in the occurrence list.

Biblical Distribution

Distribution

Appears in 2 verses across 2 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Jeremiah and Ezekiel (1 verse each); never once in the other 37.

Jeremiah

Ezekiel

Every Occurrence

Concordance

Every verse where the word is tagged in the King James text. Filter by book, by the English word the translators chose, by grammatical form, or search within the verses.

Sources. Definition and numbering: James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890). Morphology: STEPBible / Tyndale House (CC BY). Verse tagging: the King James text keyed to Strong’s numbers. Every count on this page is computed from the tagged corpus, not estimated.