Word Study for H7674 (שֶׁבֶת)

shebeth /sheh'-beth/ Ask about this word

Meaningrest, interruption, cessation

KJV usagecease, sit still, loss of time.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of shebeth — 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 shebeth, represented by H7674, is derived from a root meaning to rest and conveys concepts of interruption and cessation. It appears only 3 times in 3 unique verses, but its application varies significantly, being translated as "cease," "sit still," and "loss of time." This demonstrates a word whose meaning is heavily shaped by its context, ranging from personal wisdom to national policy and legal matters.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

The uses of H7674 in scripture highlight its different facets. In Proverbs, it is presented as a mark of wisdom, stating it is an honour for a man to cease from strife Proverbs 20:3. In a prophetic context, Isaiah declares that the strength of God's people is not in foreign alliances but "to sit still," indicating that cessation from worldly striving is a posture of faith Isaiah 30:7. In the Law, the word takes on a legal and financial meaning, requiring a person who causes injury to pay for the victim's loss of his time, or the period of forced inactivity Exodus 21:19.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help clarify the contexts in which shebeth is used:

H7379 rîyb (strife): Defined as "a contest (personal or legal)," this word represents the very conflict that is honorable to cease from in Proverbs 20:3.
H7293 rahab (strength): This word, meaning "bluster(-er); proud, strength," is uniquely defined in Isaiah 30:7, where true strength is equated with the act of sitting still H7674, a cessation of human effort.
H1980 hâlak (walk): Meaning "to walk," this action is the opposite of the state described in Exodus 21:19. The "loss of time" H7674 is the period when an injured person cannot walk abroad, and his ability to do so again marks the end of that cessation.

Theological Significance

The conceptual weight of H7674 is seen in its application to different areas of life:

Honor in Restraint: The call to cease from strife is a principle of wisdom. It stands in direct contrast to the actions of a fool H191, who will be meddling H1566 instead of seeking peace Proverbs 20:3.
Faith through Inaction: In Isaiah, the command to sit still is a powerful theological statement. Instead of seeking help H5826 from Egypt, which is described as in vain H7385, true strength is found in a quiet trust in God Isaiah 30:7.
Justice and Restitution: The use of shebeth in Exodus establishes a legal principle. The "loss of time" is a quantifiable damage that requires payment. This highlights that an interruption to a person's life and work has a tangible cost that must be restored Exodus 21:19.

Summary

In summary, H7674 is a multifaceted term whose meaning shifts from honorable restraint in personal conduct to a posture of faithful dependence on God and a legal basis for compensation. Though rare, shebeth powerfully illustrates that cessation and stillness can be acts of wisdom, expressions of strength, or tangible losses requiring justice. It captures the idea that sometimes the most significant action is to cease action altogether.

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 and a verb across 4 occurrences, inflected in 3 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.

שָׁבֶת
שִׁבְתּ
שִׁבְתּ

Related Words

Other entries the study above points to — each one is drawn from a reference it makes. Follow the trail to see how the words connect.

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 3 verses across 3 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Exodus, Proverbs, and Isaiah (1 verse each); never once in the other 36.

Exodus

Proverbs

Isaiah

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.