What does שֵׁבֶט mean in the Bible?
SHEVET, H7626, is a broad Hebrew noun that can refer to a rod, staff, scepter, or tribe. That range is not accidental, but it must be handled by context.
Hebrew · H7626
שֵׁבֶט
A scion , i.e. (literally) a stick (for punishing, writing, fighting, ruling, walking, etc.) or (figuratively) a clan
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שֵׁבֶט H7626
What does שֵׁבֶט mean in the Bible?
SHEVET, H7626, is a broad Hebrew noun that can refer to a rod, staff, scepter, or tribe. That range is not accidental, but it must be handled by context.
Reader summary
Full entry for שֵׁבֶט (H7626) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H7626?
The BSB source-word alignment has 190 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include the tribes (27), . . . (20), tribe (14), the tribe (12), of the tribes (10).
Where does שֵׁבֶט appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Genesis 49:10. Its strongest book concentrations include Joshua (33), Deuteronomy (18), Ezekiel (16), Judges (16).
What This Word Actually Means
SHEVET, H7626, is a broad Hebrew noun that can refer to a rod, staff, scepter, or tribe. That range is not accidental, but it must be handled by context. A staff can guide and protect. A rod can discipline or strike. A scepter can represent rule. A tribe can be a social and covenant group under a shared identity. The word therefore touches leadership, authority, correction, comfort, and identity, but it does not mean all of these at once in every passage.
Its most important teaching value is that authority in Scripture is not merely power. It must be read under God's rule, covenant purposes, and justice.
How the Bible Uses It
H7626 ranges across rod, staff, scepter, and tribe. Its canonical force depends on context: comfort and protection, discipline, royal authority, tribal identity, and judgment all appear under this one word family.
- Gen.49.10
The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the staff from between his feet, until Shiloh comes and the allegiance of the nations is his.
Jacob's blessing uses scepter language for Judah, placing royal authority inside covenant expectation.
- Ps.23.4
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
The rod and staff comfort because the shepherd's authority protects and guides rather than exploits.
- Num.24.17
I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near. A star will come forth from Jacob, and a scepter will arise from Israel. He will crush the skulls of Moab and strike down all the sons of Sheth.
Balaam's oracle connects scepter imagery to a coming ruler, reinforcing the royal trajectory.
- Isa.10.15
Does an axe raise itself above the one who swings it? Does a saw boast over him who saws with it? It would be like a rod waving the one who lifts it, or a staff lifting him who is not wood!
Isaiah uses rod imagery to humble arrogant instruments of judgment, showing that authority remains under God's sovereign hand.
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders It the tribes 27× Deuteronomy 29:21, Joshua 24:1, Judges 18:1, Judges 20:2
. . . 20× Numbers 32:33, Deuteronomy 3:13, Deuteronomy 29:8, Joshua 1:12
tribe 14× Deuteronomy 18:1, Deuteronomy 29:18, Joshua 4:8, Judges 21:3
the tribe 12× Numbers 18:2, Deuteronomy 10:8, Joshua 7:14, Joshua 18:7
of the tribes 10× Genesis 49:16, Joshua 4:5, Judges 21:8, 1 Samuel 15:17
tribes 9× Exodus 24:4, Exodus 28:21, Exodus 39:14, Joshua 13:7
The scepter 6× Genesis 49:10, Psalms 125:3, Isaiah 14:5, Ezekiel 21:13
with a rod 5× Exodus 21:20, Proverbs 23:13, Proverbs 23:14, Isaiah 28:27
from each tribe 4× Deuteronomy 1:23, Joshua 3:12, Joshua 4:2, Joshua 18:4
the rod 4× Proverbs 13:24, Isaiah 10:5, Isaiah 14:29, Ezekiel 20:37
and the tribe 3× Joshua 7:16, 1 Samuel 10:20, 1 Kings 12:21
of your tribes 3× Deuteronomy 1:15, Deuteronomy 5:23, Deuteronomy 31:28
scepter 3× Psalms 2:9, Ezekiel 19:11, Ezekiel 19:14
tribe by tribe 3× Numbers 24:2, Joshua 7:14, Joshua 7:16
with the rod 3× 2 Samuel 7:14, Psalms 89:32, Isaiah 11:4
and the rod 2× Proverbs 22:8, Isaiah 9:4
And the tribes 2× Judges 20:12, Ezekiel 37:19
for your tribes 2× Deuteronomy 1:15, Deuteronomy 16:18
To the tribe 2× Joshua 13:14, Joshua 13:33
to the tribes 2× Joshua 12:7, Ezekiel 48:29
with a club 2× 2 Samuel 23:21, 1 Chronicles 11:23
your tribes 2× Deuteronomy 12:5, Deuteronomy 18:5
- 1× 1 Samuel 9:21
[and] 1× Psalms 45:6
[but] the rod 1× Proverbs 22:15
[is] the scepter 1× Psalms 45:6
[of the] leaders 1× 2 Samuel 7:7
A rod 1× Proverbs 29:15
according to the tribes 1× Ezekiel 47:21
according to their tribes 1× Ezekiel 45:8
after the tribes 1× Ezekiel 48:31
among His tribes 1× Psalms 105:37
Among the tribes 1× Hosea 5:9
and a rod 1× Proverbs 26:3
and a scepter 1× Numbers 24:17
and of the tribe 1× Jeremiah 51:19
and the scepter 1× Zechariah 10:11
are the tribes 1× Genesis 49:28
as the tribe 1× Psalms 74:2
but a rod 1× Proverbs 10:13
by your tribes 1× 1 Samuel 10:19
for a tribe 1× Judges 18:19
for punishment 1× Job 37:13
for the tribe 1× Judges 18:30
from [each] tribe 1× Joshua 4:4
from each of your tribes 1× Deuteronomy 1:13
from the [other] tribes 1× Numbers 36:3
from the tribes 1× Joshua 3:12
His rod 1× Job 9:34
in the scepter 1× Ezekiel 21:10
in the tribes 1× Judges 21:15
It would be like a rod 1× Isaiah 10:15
of her tribes 1× Isaiah 19:13
of tribes 1× Deuteronomy 29:10
of your tribal territories 1× Deuteronomy 12:14
rod of punishment 1× Job 21:9
so that a tribe 1× Judges 21:17
spears 1× 2 Samuel 18:14
staff 1× Judges 5:14
the half-tribe 1× 1 Chronicles 12:37
the shepherd’s rod 1× Leviticus 27:32
Then he had the tribe 1× 1 Samuel 10:21
to his own tribe 1× Judges 21:24
to their tribes 1× Joshua 11:23
to your tribes 1× Joshua 23:4
tribal 1× Numbers 4:18
under the rod 1× Lamentations 3:1
when the tribes 1× Deuteronomy 33:5
with His scepter 1× Isaiah 30:31
with Your staff 1× Micah 7:14
you with a rod 1× Isaiah 10:24
Your rod 1× Psalms 23:4
Show sample aligned rows
Genesis 49:10 שֵׁ֙בֶט֙ to The scepter Noun - masculine singular Genesis 49:16 שִׁבְטֵ֥י to of the tribes Noun - masculine plural construct Genesis 49:28 שִׁבְטֵ֥י to are the tribes Noun - masculine plural construct Exodus 21:20 בַּשֵּׁ֔בֶט to with a rod Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular Exodus 24:4 שִׁבְטֵ֥י to tribes Noun - masculine plural construct Exodus 28:21 שָֽׁבֶט׃ to tribes Noun - masculine singular Exodus 39:14 שָֽׁבֶט׃ to tribes Noun - masculine singular Leviticus 27:32 הַשָּׁ֑בֶט to the shepherd’s rod Article | Noun - masculine singular Numbers 4:18 שֵׁ֖בֶט to tribal Noun - masculine singular construct Numbers 18:2 שֵׁ֤בֶט to the tribe Noun - masculine singular construct
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Genesis 49:10
Aligned rows 190
Books represented 24
Genesis 3 Exodus 4 Leviticus 1 Numbers 6 Deuteronomy 18 Joshua 33 Judges 16 1 Samuel 8 2 Samuel 10 1 Kings 11 2 Kings 2 1 Chronicles 12 2 Chronicles 4 Job 3 Psalms 13 Proverbs 8 Isaiah 12 Jeremiah 2 Lamentations 1 Ezekiel 16 Hosea 1 Amos 2 Micah 2 Zechariah 2
Source forms
שִׁבְטֵ֣י 22x šiḇ·ṭê Deuteronomy 29:21, Joshua 4:8, Judges 20:2, Judges 20:10
שֵׁ֣בֶט 21x šê·ḇeṭ Deuteronomy 3:13, Deuteronomy 10:8, Joshua 1:12, Joshua 13:29
שִׁבְטֵ֥י 19x šiḇ·ṭê Genesis 49:16, Genesis 49:28, Exodus 24:4, Numbers 36:3
שֵׁ֥בֶט 13x šê·ḇeṭ Deuteronomy 29:8, Joshua 7:16, Joshua 12:6, Judges 21:3
שֵׁ֖בֶט 8x šê·ḇeṭ Numbers 4:18, Judges 21:17, Job 21:9, Isaiah 9:4
שֵֽׁבֶט־ 5x šê·ḇeṭ- Joshua 22:13, Joshua 22:15, 1 Kings 11:36, 1 Kings 12:20
שֵׁ֤בֶט 4x šê·ḇeṭ Numbers 18:2, Joshua 4:12, 1 Samuel 10:21, Psalms 125:3
בְּשֵׁ֣בֶט 3x bə·šê·ḇeṭ 2 Samuel 7:14, Psalms 2:9, Isaiah 11:4
Parsing patterns
Noun - masculine plural construct 49x Genesis 49:16, Genesis 49:28, Exodus 24:4, Numbers 36:3
Noun - masculine singular construct 46x Numbers 4:18, Numbers 18:2, Numbers 32:33, Deuteronomy 3:13
Noun - masculine singular 16x Genesis 49:10, Exodus 28:21, Exodus 39:14, Numbers 24:17
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular 10x Exodus 21:20, 2 Samuel 23:21, 1 Chronicles 11:23, Proverbs 23:13
Article | Noun - masculine plural 7x Joshua 13:7, Joshua 21:16, 1 Kings 11:31, 1 Kings 11:35
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct 6x Judges 5:14, 2 Samuel 7:14, Psalms 2:9, Psalms 89:32
Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine plural 5x Deuteronomy 1:15, Deuteronomy 5:23, Deuteronomy 12:5, Deuteronomy 29:10
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine plural 5x Deuteronomy 1:13, Deuteronomy 1:15, Joshua 7:14, Joshua 23:4
Using This Word Well
Be careful not to...
- Let context decide whether the word means rod, staff, scepter, or tribe. Then teach authority under God, not authority as self-protection.
Avoid claiming...
- Do not claim that every H7626 occurrence is a messianic scepter passage.
- Do not claim that rod language gives leaders permission for harshness. Scripture also uses the rod and staff to comfort under faithful shepherding care.
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. a scion , i.e. (literally) a stick (for punishing, writing, fighting, ruling, walking, etc.) or (figuratively) a clan
Source Gloss
a scion , i.e. (literally) a stick (for punishing, writing, fighting, ruling, walking, etc.) or (figuratively) a clan
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
a scion, i.e. (literally) a stick (for punishing, writing, fighting, ruling, walking, etc.) or (figuratively) a clan BDB: rod Usage: × correction, dart, rod, sceptre, staff, tribe.
Grammatical Forms
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
Part of These Phrases
Compound and idiomatic phrases that include this word. Follow a link to study the phrase and how its parts work together.
For the Preacher and Teacher
H7626 is a strong test of contextual reading because one noun can refer to a rod, staff, scepter, or tribe. Genesis 49:10 places the scepter in Judah's blessing and directs attention toward enduring royal rule. Numbers 24 reinforces that ruler imagery, though its oracle must be read within its own historical and canonical setting. Psalm 23 uses rod and staff differently: their comfort comes from the faithful presence of the Lord as Shepherd, not from the objects themselves.
Isaiah 10 then depicts Assyria as a rod that arrogantly forgets it is only an instrument in God's hand. The tribal sense adds another distinct use involving covenant identity and ordered peoplehood. These meanings belong to a related field, but they are not interchangeable. Faithful teaching lets the passage choose the sense and places every form of authority beneath God's righteous rule.
Anchor passage
Ps.23.4
Doctrinal connections
- Genesis 49:8-12 - Judah's scepter belongs to the royal promise
- Numbers 24:15-19 - a scepter arises from Israel in Balaam's oracle
- Psalm 23:1-4 - the Shepherd's rod and staff comfort through His presence
- Psalm 45:6-7 - righteous kingship governs the use of scepter imagery
- Isaiah 10:5-15 - the rod remains accountable to the One who wields it
- Hebrews 1:8-9 - Psalm 45's righteous scepter is applied to the Son
The noun's range must be resolved locally. A scepter represents rule, a shepherd's rod or staff serves care and protection, and the tribal sense names a covenant social unit. Shared imagery may support canonical connections, but it does not make every occurrence royal, disciplinary, or messianic.
From Old to New Testament
Judah's scepter promise and Psalm 45's righteous royal rule converge in the New Testament's presentation of Jesus as the Son and King. Psalm 23's shepherding use contributes a related authority-under-care theme. These trajectories must not absorb the noun's tribal uses or turn every rod text into a direct messianic prediction.
Sources
MorphGNT Strong's Dictionary XML — CC0 1.0 Public Domain
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (morphhb/OSHB) — CC BY 4.0
Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon — CC BY 4.0
Berean Standard Bible (BSB) source-word alignment - CC0 Public Domain