What does שְׁבִי (šĕbiy) mean in the Bible?
שְׁבִי (šĕbiy): Captivity as both the state of deportation and the collective body of exiles; foundational to Israel's exile theology.
Hebrew · H7628
שְׁבִי
Exiled ; captured ; as noun, exile (abstractly or concretely and collectively); by extension, booty
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שְׁבִיH7628
Pronunciationšĕbiy
What does שְׁבִי (šĕbiy) mean in the Bible?
שְׁבִי (šĕbiy): Captivity as both the state of deportation and the collective body of exiles; foundational to Israel's exile theology.
Full entry for שְׁבִי (H7628) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H7628?
The BSB source-word alignment has 50 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include into captivity (9), the captives (4), from the captivity (3), as captives (2), captive (2).
Where does שְׁבִי (šĕbiy) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Exodus 12:29. Its strongest book concentrations include Jeremiah (10), Isaiah (6), 2 Chronicles (4), Ezra (4).
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders Itinto captivity9×Deuteronomy 28:41, Isaiah 46:2, Jeremiah 20:6, Jeremiah 22:22
the captives4×Numbers 31:12, Isaiah 20:4, Isaiah 49:24, Isaiah 49:25
from the captivity3×Ezra 2:1, Ezra 3:8, Nehemiah 7:6
as captives2×Lamentations 1:5, Ezekiel 12:11
captive2×Deuteronomy 21:10, Daniel 11:8
destined for captivity2×Jeremiah 15:2, Jeremiah 43:11
into exile2×Jeremiah 30:16, Jeremiah 48:46
of their captivity2×Jeremiah 30:10, Jeremiah 46:27
prisoners2×Numbers 21:1, Habakkuk 1:9
the exile2×Nehemiah 1:2, Nehemiah 1:3
to captivity2×Psalms 78:61, Jeremiah 15:2
. . .1×Numbers 31:26
[and] sit [on your throne]1×Isaiah 52:2
and take hold of1×Judges 5:12
and to captivity1×Ezra 9:7
and your captives1×Numbers 31:19
are in captivity1×2 Chronicles 29:9
captives1×2 Chronicles 28:17
captivity1×Jeremiah 43:11
exile1×Nehemiah 8:17
from captivity1×Ezra 8:35
O captive1×Isaiah 52:2
of her captivity1×Deuteronomy 21:13
of the enemies1×2 Chronicles 6:38
of the prisoner1×Exodus 12:29
of their captors1×2 Chronicles 6:37
or be captured1×Daniel 11:33
You have led captives away1×Psalms 68:18
your captured1×Amos 4:10
Show sample aligned rows
Exodus 12:29הַשְּׁבִ֔יtoof the prisonerArticle | Noun - masculine singularNumbers 21:1שֶֽׁבִי׃toprisonersNoun - masculine singularNumbers 31:12הַשְּׁבִ֧יtothe captivesArticle | Noun - masculine singularNumbers 31:19וּשְׁבִיכֶֽם׃toand your captivesConjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine pluralNumbers 31:26הַשְּׁבִ֔יto. . .Article | Noun - masculine singularDeuteronomy 21:10שִׁבְיֽוֹ׃tocaptiveNoun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singularDeuteronomy 21:13שִׁבְיָ֜הּtoof her captivityNoun - masculine singular construct | third person feminine singularDeuteronomy 28:41בַּשֶּֽׁבִי׃tointo captivityPreposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singularJudges 5:12שֶׁבְיְךָ֖toand take hold ofNoun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular2 Chronicles 6:37שִׁבְיָם֙toof their captorsNoun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine plural
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned rowExodus 12:29
Aligned rows50
Books represented16
Exodus1Numbers4Deuteronomy3Judges12 Chronicles4Ezra4Nehemiah4Psalms2Isaiah6Jeremiah10Lamentations2Ezekiel3Daniel2Amos2Nahum1Habakkuk1
Source forms
בַּשְּׁבִ֥י3xbaš·šə·ḇîIsaiah 46:2, Ezekiel 30:17, Ezekiel 30:18
שֶֽׁבִי׃3xše·ḇîNumbers 21:1, 2 Chronicles 28:17, Habakkuk 1:9
בַּשְּׁבִ֖י2xbaš·šə·ḇî2 Chronicles 29:9, Daniel 11:8
בַּשְּׁבִ֣י2xbaš·šə·ḇîJeremiah 22:22, Jeremiah 30:16
הַשְּׁבִ֔י2xhaš·šə·ḇîExodus 12:29, Numbers 31:26
מִשְּׁבִ֣י2xmiš·šə·ḇîEzra 2:1, Nehemiah 7:6
שִׁבְיָ֑ם2xšiḇ·yāmJeremiah 30:10, Jeremiah 46:27
בִּשְׁבִ֥י1xbiš·ḇîDaniel 11:33
Parsing patterns
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular15xDeuteronomy 28:41, 2 Chronicles 29:9, Ezra 9:7, Isaiah 46:2
Article | Noun - masculine singular6xExodus 12:29, Numbers 31:12, Numbers 31:26, Nehemiah 1:2
Noun - masculine singular6xNumbers 21:1, 2 Chronicles 28:17, Psalms 68:18, Isaiah 52:2
Preposition-l, Article | Noun - masculine singular5xPsalms 78:61, Jeremiah 15:2, Jeremiah 43:11
Noun - masculine singular construct4xIsaiah 20:4, Isaiah 49:24, Isaiah 49:25, Amos 4:10
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine plural4x2 Chronicles 6:37, 2 Chronicles 6:38, Jeremiah 30:10, Jeremiah 46:27
Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular construct2xEzra 2:1, Nehemiah 7:6
Preposition-m, Article | Noun - masculine singular2xEzra 3:8, Ezra 8:35
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Captivity as both the state of deportation and the collective body of exiles; foundational to Israel's exile theology.
Source Gloss
exiled ; captured ; as noun, exile (abstractly or concretely and collectively); by extension, booty
Extended definitionSource: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Captivity as both the state of deportation and the collective body of exiles; foundational to Israel's exile theology.
exiled; captured; as noun, exile (abstractly or concretely and collectively); by extension, booty BDB: captivity Usage: captive(-ity), prisoners, × take away, that was taken.
Grammatical Forms
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
Selected Scripture Witnesses
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Biblical Witnesses
Concrete plural noun referring to people taken in war or conflict
Prisoners of war, especially in context of Assyrian deportation and conquest
Abstract noun denoting the state or condition of exile and deportation as divine judgment
Concrete reference to Babylonian exile, those taken away from their homeland
Future restoration from captivity, reversing the state of exile and displacement
Showing 5 selected witnesses from 48 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
שְׁבִי is built from this root:
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.