Word Study for H7663 (שָׂבַר)

sâbar /saw-bar'/ Ask about this word

Meaningerroneously שָׁבַר; (Nehemiah 2:13,15), a primitive root; to scrutinize; by implication (of watching) to expect (with hope and patience)

KJV usagehope, tarry, view, wait.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of sâbar — 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 sâbar, represented by H7663, conveys the concept of expectant waiting. It is a primitive root defined as to scrutinize, or by implication, to expect with hope and patience, and is translated as hope, tarry, view, or wait. It appears 8 times in 8 unique verses, and is noted as being erroneously written as H7665 in two instances (Nehemiah 2:13,15).

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In biblical usage, H7663 describes a posture of dependence on God. The Psalms state that the eyes of all creation wait upon God for provision Psalms 145:15 and that they all wait for Him to give them their meat in due season Psalms 104:27. This hope is tied directly to faithfulness, as the psalmist declares, "I have hoped for thy salvation, and done thy commandments" Psalms 119:166. The word can also describe a literal act of inspection, as when Nehemiah viewed the broken-down walls of Jerusalem (Nehemiah 2:13, 2:15). It is also used to express futile expectation, such as when Naomi questions if her daughters would tarry for new sons Ruth 1:13 or when the enemies of the Jews hoped for power over them Esther 9:1.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help clarify the context and object of this patient expectation:

H3444 yᵉshûwʻâh (salvation): This is a primary object of hope. The word means deliverance, aid, or victory, and is what the psalmist hoped for while obeying God's law Psalms 119:166.
H571 ʼemeth (truth): Signifying certainty and trustworthiness, this is another object of hope that is exclusive to the living, as those in the grave "cannot hope for thy truth" Isaiah 38:18.
H5702 ʻâgan (stay): This word is used in parallel with sâbar in Ruth 1:13, where Naomi asks if her daughters would tarry and stay for sons, reinforcing the idea of waiting for something.
H7665 shâbar (break/broken): Erroneously used for H7663 in Nehemiah, this word describes the broken state of the walls that Nehemiah was viewing, linking the act of scrutinizing with the condition of the object being observed Nehemiah 2:13.

Theological Significance

The theological themes associated with H7663 center on the nature of hope and dependence on God.

Dependent Expectation: All of creation is depicted as waiting upon God for sustenance Psalms 145:15. This establishes a universal principle of reliance on the Creator for life and provision.
Active Hope in God's Character: Hope is not passive. It is directed toward God's salvation H3444 and truth H571. In Psalms 119:166, this hope is actively paired with doing God's commandments H4687, showing that true hope is expressed through obedience.
Hope as a Mark of the Living: The prophet Isaiah contrasts the living with the dead by stating that those in the grave cannot hope for God's truth, making hope a vital sign of a relationship with the living God Isaiah 38:18.
The Subversion of Misplaced Hope: In Esther, the enemies' hope to have power H7980 over the Jews is overturned Esther 9:1, demonstrating that hopes set against God's people and purposes are ultimately futile.

Summary

In summary, H7663 sâbar is a multifaceted word that encompasses both the literal act of viewing and the profound spiritual posture of hopeful waiting. It illustrates the biblical concept of a hope that is not a mere wish, but a confident and patient expectation fixed on God's character, His provision, and His salvation. From the eyes of creation waiting for food to the faithful soul hoping for deliverance, sâbar defines a core element of a life oriented toward God.

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 verb across 9 occurrences, inflected in 6 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.

יְשַׂבֵּרוּ
שֹׂבֵר
תְּשַׂבֵּרְנָה
שִׂבַּרְתִּי
שִׂבְּרוּ
יִסְבַּר

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 8 verses across 5 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Psalms (3 verses); never once in the other 34.

Ruth

Nehemiah

Esther

Psalms

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.