שֵׁ֫בֶט189 H7626
Rod, staff, scepter, or tribe; a stick used for striking, discipline, or rule, and by metonymy a tribal division of Israel.
Shebet is a word whose physical and social meanings are bound together by a single image: the staff that a patriarch carries marks his authority over his clan. In its most concrete sense it is a rod for striking (Exod 21:20), disciplining a child (Prov 22:15), or beating grain (Isa 28:27). Lift that rod higher and it becomes a scepter—'the scepter shall not depart from Judah' (Gen 49:10)—the royal staff that signifies the right to rule. But the most frequent sense in the Hebrew Bible is tribal: the twelve shevatim of Israel, each 'branch' of Jacob's family tree. Arabic preserves both tracks: عَصَا (ʿaṣā, staff/rod) for the physical object, and سِبْط (sibṭ) as a direct cognate for the tribal sense, confirming that even in cognate Semitic languages the semantic split is ancient.
2. rod, staff, stick — Rod, staff, or stick (physical implement): A concrete object used for striking, disciplining, herding, or as a weapon. Exodus 21:20 legislates the case of a master striking a slave 'with a rod,' and Proverbs 22:15 prescribes the 'rod of discipline' for a child's heart. Second Samuel 23:21 describes Benaiah seizing a staff from an Egyptian warrior—shebet as an improvised weapon. German 'Stab' (staff), French 'bâton' (stick), and Arabic عَصَا (ʿaṣā, rod/staff) all reflect the plain physical object, distinguishing it clearly from the tribal meaning. 33×
AR["بِ-العَصا", "بِ-الْعَصا", "بِ-الْعَصَا", "بِ-عَصَا", "بِالْعَصَا", "بِـ-العَصَا", "بِـ-الْعَصَا", "بِـ-عَصَا", "عَصا", "عَصًا", "عَصَا", "قَضِيبَ", "وَ-عَصا", "وَ-عَصاً", "وَ-عَصَا"]·ben["-লাঠি-দিয়ে", "এবং-বেত্র", "এবং-লাঠি", "দণ্ডে-", "দন্ড", "দন্ডে", "লাঠি", "লাঠি-দিয়ে", "লাঠি-দিয়ে-", "লাঠি-দ্বারা"]·DE["Stab", "Stamm", "mit-der-Stab", "mit-der-staff", "mit-ein-Stab", "mit-ein-Stab-", "und-Stab"]·EN["and-a-rod", "and-the-rod-of", "but-a-rod", "rod", "rod-of", "scepter-of", "the-rod-of", "with-a-rod", "with-a-rod-of", "with-rod-of", "with-the-rod", "with-the-staff"]·FR["avec-le-bâton", "avec-le-verge", "bâton", "dans-tribu", "et-bâton", "tribu"]·heb["ב-שבט", "ו-שבט", "שבט"]·HI["और-छड़ी", "और-लाठी", "डंडा", "डंडा-", "डंडे-से", "में-छड़ी", "लाठी", "लाठी-", "लाठी-से", "से-छड़ी", "से-डंडे-", "से-डण्डा", "से-लाठी"]·ID["dan-tongkat", "dengan-tongkat", "gada", "tetapi-tongkat", "tongkat"]·IT["con-il-bastone", "con-il-verga", "e-verga", "nel-verga", "tribu", "tribu'", "tribù", "verga"]·jav["Kaliyan-tongkat", "kalayan-teken", "kalayan-tongkat", "kaliyan-teken", "kaliyan-tongkat", "kanthi-gegatèn", "lan-gebèg", "lan-tongkat", "lan-tongkat-saking", "ngangge-teken", "nganggo-teken,", "teken", "tekennipun", "tongkat", "tongkat-saking"]·KO["-로", "그러나-매-는", "그리고-막대가", "그리고-막대는", "막대-로", "막대가", "막대기-로", "막대기가", "막대기야", "매-로", "에-막대기-로", "에-막대기로", "에-지팡이", "지팡이를"]·PT["Com-a-vara", "a-vara-de", "bastão-de", "com-a-vara", "com-o-bordão", "com-vara", "com-vara-de", "e-vara", "e-vara-de", "o-cetro-de", "vara", "vara-de"]·RU["а-жезл", "жезл", "жезла", "жезлом", "жезлу", "и-жезл", "посохом", "с-палкой"]·ES["Con-la-vara", "cetro-de", "cetro-del", "con-el-palo", "con-la-vara", "con-vara", "con-vara-de", "la-vara-de", "vara", "vara-de", "y-la-vara-de", "y-vara"]·SW["fimbo", "fimbo-ya", "kwa-fimbo", "lakini-fimbo", "mkongojo", "na-fimbo"]·TR["asasini", "değnekle", "ile-asası", "sopa", "sopasi", "sopası", "sopasıyla", "sopayla", "sopayla-o", "ve-değnek", "ve-sopa", "ve-sopası"]·urd["-چھڑی-سے", "اور-لاٹھی", "اور-چھڑی", "بِ-لاٹھی", "لاٹھی", "لاٹھی-سے", "چھڑی"]
Exod 21:20, Lev 27:32, Judg 5:14, 2 Sam 7:14, 2 Sam 23:21, 1 Chr 11:23, Job 9:34, Job 21:9, Job 37:13, Ps 2:9, Ps 23:4, Ps 89:32 (+21 more)
▼ 3 more sense(s) below
Senses
1. tribe, tribal division — Tribe or tribal division of Israel: The most frequent sense by far—one of the socio-political units descended from the sons of Jacob. Genesis 49:28 concludes the tribal blessings with 'all these are the twelve tribes (shivtei) of Israel,' and the word appears constantly in Numbers, Joshua, and Judges for the allotment and governance of tribal territories. Arabic سِبْط (sibṭ, pl. أَسْبَاط asbāṭ) is a direct Semitic cognate sharing both form and meaning. Spanish 'tribus,' French 'tribus,' and German 'Stämme' all map this to the standard word for a lineage-based social division. 144×
AR["أسباطِ", "أَسباطِ", "أَسْبَاطُ", "أَسْبَاطِ"]·ben["গোত্রগুলির", "গোত্রের", "গোষ্ঠী", "গোষ্ঠীগুলিকে", "গোষ্ঠীগুলির", "বংশ", "বংশগুলি", "বংশগুলির", "বংশসমূহের", "বংশের", "শ্খেমা"]·DE["Staemme-von", "Stämme", "der-Stämme"]·EN["tribes-of"]·FR["tribus-de"]·heb["שִׁבְטֵי", "שבט", "שבטי"]·HI["गोतोन-के", "गोत्र", "गोत्रों", "गोत्रों-के", "गोत्रों-को", "गोत्रों-ने", "गोत्रों-में"]·ID["suku", "suku-", "suku-suku"]·IT["tribu-di", "tribù-di"]·jav["suku", "suku-bangsa-", "taler", "taler-taler", "trah-trah"]·KO["지파들", "지파들(접)", "지파들-", "지파들에", "지파들에서", "지파들을", "지파들의", "지파들이", "지파들이다", "지파의"]·PT["tribos-de"]·RU["колен", "колена", "колено-из"]·ES["las-tribus-de", "los-tribus-de", "tribus-de"]·SW["kabila", "makabila", "makabila-ya", "makabila-ya-", "makabila-yote-ya"]·TR["kabileleri", "kabilelerinden", "kabilelerini", "kabilelerinin", "kabilesinin", "oymakları", "oymaklarına", "oymaklarından", "oymaklarını", "oymaklarının", "sıbtları"]·urd["قبائل", "قبیلوں", "قبیلوں-نے", "قبیلوں-کے", "قبیلے"]
3. scepter, ruler's staff — Scepter or ruler's staff: The rod elevated to a symbol of royal or governing authority. Genesis 49:10 prophesies that 'the scepter shall not depart from Judah,' and Numbers 24:17 envisions 'a scepter rising out of Israel.' Psalm 45:6 celebrates the king's 'scepter of uprightness.' The transition from a herder's staff to a sovereign's scepter is natural: the same stick that guides sheep becomes the emblem of one who governs people. Spanish 'cetro,' French 'sceptre,' and the context of royal oracles all mark this as a distinct metaphorical extension from the plain rod. 12×
AR["الصَّوْلَجَانُ", "الصَّوْلَجِ", "الْعَصَا", "صَولَجانُ", "صَوْلَجَانٌ", "صَوْلَجَانِ", "عَصَا", "قَضيبُ", "وَصَوْلَجَانُ"]·ben["এবং-রাজদণ্ড", "দণ্ড", "দন্ড", "রাজদণ্ড", "রাজদন্ড"]·DE["Stab", "Stab-", "Staemme-von", "Stamm", "das-Zepter", "der-Stab-", "ein-Stab-", "ein-scepter", "und-Stab"]·EN["a-scepter", "a-scepter-of", "and-scepter-of", "is-scepter-of", "of-scepter", "scepter", "scepter-of", "scepters-of", "the-scepter-of"]·FR["et-tribu", "scepter", "tribu", "un-scepter"]·heb["ו-שבט", "שבט", "שבטי"]·HI["और-राजदंड", "राजदंड", "राजदंडों", "राजदण्ड", "राजदण्ड-है", "लाठी"]·ID["dan-tongkat-kerajaan", "tongkat", "tongkat-kerajaan", "tongkat-tongkat"]·IT["e-tribù", "scepter", "tribu'", "tribù", "un-scepter"]·jav["cethi", "lan-téken", "setik", "teken", "tekening", "tekenipun", "tekken", "tongkat", "tongkat-kerajaan"]·KO["그리고-홀이", "지팡이가", "지팡이들을", "지팡이를", "홀", "홀-이", "홀-이도다", "홀을", "홀이"]·PT["cetro", "cetro-de", "cetros-de-", "e-cetro-de", "o-cetro", "é-cetro-de"]·RU["всякое", "жезл", "и-скипетр", "скипетр", "скипетра", "скипетров"]·ES["Vara-de", "cetro", "cetro-de", "cetros-de", "vara", "y-cetro-de"]·SW["fimbo", "fimbo-ya", "fimbo-ya-enzi", "fimbo-ya-utawala", "fimbo-za", "na-fimbo-ya", "ondoka"]·TR["asa", "asalarına", "asası", "asayı", "oturuyor"]·urd["اور-عصا", "عصا", "عصائے"]
4. sense 4 — Dart or lance (thrown weapon): A unique occurrence in 2 Samuel 18:14 where Joab takes three shevatim in his hand and thrusts them into the heart of Absalom hanging in the oak. The object here is neither a walking stick nor a symbol of authority but a pointed projectile—a dart or short lance. English 'darts,' Spanish 'dardos,' French 'darts,' and German 'darts' all agree on the thrown-weapon sense, and the context of battlefield violence confirms this specialized, rare extension of the rod into a lethal instrument. 1×
AR["سِهامٍ"]·ben["তীর"]·DE["darts"]·EN["darts"]·FR["darts"]·heb["שבטים"]·HI["छड़ों"]·ID["tongkat-tongkat"]·IT["darts"]·jav["tumbak-alit"]·KO["막대기들을"]·PT["dardos"]·RU["копья"]·ES["dardos"]·SW["mikuki"]·TR["mızrak"]·urd["تیر"]
Related Senses
H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)G1537 1. from, out of (source/origin) (886×)H8034 1. Name (designation / identifier) (856×)G3361 1. subjective negation (not) (834×)G1909 1. on, upon (spatial surface) (757×)H0369 1. existential negation: there is not (738×)H5869a 1. in the eyes/sight of (evaluative) (734×)H5650 1. Servant, attendant, subject (723×)H0408 1. prohibitive negation do-not (712×)G2443 1. so that, in order that (purpose/result) (665×)G0575 1. from (649×)G1223 1. through, by means of (582×)H3541 1. thus, so, in this manner (569×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
שֵׁ֫בֶט189 n.m. Nu 24:17 (f. Ez 21:15, 18 but corrupt): 1. rod, staff, club, sceptre. 2. tribe;—שׁ׳ abs. Gn 49:10 +, cstr. 1 S 10:20 +; שָׁ֑בֶט Dt 1:23 +; sf. שִׁבְטוֹ Ju 21:24 +, etc.; pl. שְׁבָטִים 1 K 11:31 +, cstr. שִׁבְטֵי Gn 49:16 +, sf. שְׁבָטֶיךָ Dt 12:14 +, etc.;— †1. a. rod, staff (evidently common article), for smiting (especially הִכָּה בַשּׁ׳) Ex 21:20 (E), Mi 4:14; Is 10:15 (in…