What does שֶׁבַע (šebaʿ) mean in the Bible?
שֶׁבַע (šebaʿ): Seven carries sacred completeness and divine fullness; extends to indefinite multiplicity in covenantal contexts
Hebrew · H7651
שֶׁבַע
Seven (as the sacred full one); also (adverbially) seven times ; by implication, a week ; by extension, an indefinite number
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שֶׁבַע H7651
Pronunciation šebaʿ
What does שֶׁבַע (šebaʿ) mean in the Bible?
שֶׁבַע (šebaʿ): Seven carries sacred completeness and divine fullness; extends to indefinite multiplicity in covenantal contexts
Full entry for שֶׁבַע (H7651) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H7651?
The BSB source-word alignment has 392 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include seven (103), for seven (60), . . . (55), And seven (18), the seven (14).
Where does שֶׁבַע (šebaʿ) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Genesis 4:24. Its strongest book concentrations include Genesis (62), Leviticus (46), Numbers (46), 2 Chronicles (23).
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 seven 103× Genesis 7:4, Genesis 7:10, Genesis 8:10, Genesis 8:12
for seven 60× Genesis 31:23, Exodus 12:15, Exodus 12:19, Exodus 13:6
. . . 55× Genesis 5:7, Genesis 5:25, Genesis 5:31, Genesis 7:2
And seven 18× Exodus 7:25, Numbers 23:1, Numbers 23:29, Numbers 28:11
the seven 14× Genesis 21:30, Genesis 41:4, Genesis 41:7, Genesis 41:20
during the seven 5× Genesis 41:34, Genesis 41:36, Genesis 41:47, Ezekiel 45:23
of the seven 5× Numbers 28:21, Numbers 28:29, Numbers 29:4, Numbers 29:10
- 4× Genesis 7:3, 1 Kings 7:17, Ezekiel 45:23, Zechariah 4:2
are seven 4× Genesis 41:26, Genesis 41:27, Zechariah 3:9
in seven 4× Deuteronomy 28:7, Deuteronomy 28:25, 1 Kings 6:38, Job 5:19
of seven 4× 2 Kings 8:3, Isaiah 30:26, Jeremiah 15:9, Ezekiel 3:16
seventeen 4× 1 Kings 14:21, 2 Kings 13:1, 2 Chronicles 12:13, Jeremiah 32:9
In the seventh 3× 2 Kings 12:1, Esther 2:16, Jeremiah 52:28
into seven 3× Joshua 18:5, Joshua 18:9, Isaiah 11:15
On the seventh 3× 2 Kings 25:8, Ezekiel 30:20, Ezekiel 45:20
seven times 3× Leviticus 26:21, Psalms 119:164, Proverbs 24:16
sevenfold 3× Leviticus 26:18, Leviticus 26:24, Leviticus 26:28
137 2× Exodus 6:16, Exodus 6:20
7,000 {} 2× 1 Kings 20:15, Job 1:3
743 2× Ezra 2:25, Nehemiah 7:29
760 2× Ezra 2:9, Nehemiah 7:14
and the seven 2× Genesis 41:26, Joshua 6:13
During those seven 2× Genesis 41:48, Exodus 13:7
In the seventeenth 2× 1 Kings 22:51, 2 Kings 16:1
on the seventeenth 2× Genesis 7:11, Genesis 8:4
seven [in all] 2× 1 Chronicles 3:24, 1 Chronicles 5:13
seven other 2× Genesis 41:6, Genesis 41:23
the seventeenth 2× 1 Chronicles 24:15, 1 Chronicles 25:24
was seven 2× 2 Samuel 2:11, 2 Chronicles 24:1
when seven 2× Genesis 41:2, Genesis 41:18
with seven 2× Judges 16:7, Zechariah 4:2
[and] seven 1× Numbers 29:36
[was] seven 1× 2 Kings 11:21
[was] seventeen 1× Genesis 37:2
[were] seven 1× Ezekiel 41:3
[within the] seven 1× Judges 14:12
[you are to present] seven 1× Numbers 29:32
127 1× Esther 1:1
207 1× Genesis 11:21
57,400 1× Numbers 2:8
7,100 1× 1 Chronicles 12:25
7,337 1× Nehemiah 7:67
7,500 1× Numbers 3:22
7,700 1× 2 Chronicles 17:11
721 1× Nehemiah 7:37
725 1× Ezra 2:33
745 1× Jeremiah 52:30
775 1× Ezra 2:5
777 1× Genesis 5:31
782 1× Genesis 5:26
a seven-day 1× Esther 1:5
a seven-year 1× 2 Kings 8:1
among seven 1× Ecclesiastes 11:2
and 7,700 1× 2 Chronicles 17:11
and 730 1× Exodus 38:24
And for seven 1× Ezekiel 3:15
and have seven 1× Joshua 6:6
and it continues for seven 1× Leviticus 23:34
and seven [more] 1× 1 Kings 8:65
as well as seven 1× Jeremiah 52:25
but seven 1× Genesis 41:30
By the twenty-seventh 1× Genesis 8:14
for seven-day periods 1× 1 Chronicles 9:25
had lasted seven 1× 2 Chronicles 7:9
had seven 1× Exodus 2:16
Have seven 1× Joshua 6:4
He had seven 1× Job 1:2
her seven 1× Proverbs 9:1
it seven 1× Leviticus 4:17
it will take seven 1× Leviticus 8:33
its seven 1× Exodus 37:23
let seven 1× 2 Samuel 21:6
made seven 1× 1 Samuel 16:10
Moreover, the seven 1× Genesis 41:27
numbered 57,400 1× Numbers 1:31
of [every] seven 1× Deuteronomy 31:10
of every seven 1× Deuteronomy 15:1
of the 127 1× Esther 8:9
off seven 1× Ezekiel 44:26
seven [pairs] 1× Genesis 7:3
seven pairs of 1× Genesis 7:2
seventh 1× Jeremiah 34:14
seventy-sevenfold 1× Genesis 4:24
So in the seventh 1× Ezra 7:7
so that the seven 1× Leviticus 25:8
taking seven 1× Exodus 29:35
than seven men 1× Proverbs 26:16
the 127 1× Esther 9:30
the 700 1× Judges 20:15
The seventh 1× Deuteronomy 15:9
the whole seven 1× Judges 14:17
their 7,337 1× Ezra 2:65
there were 17,200 1× 1 Chronicles 7:11
there were 700 1× Judges 20:16
there will be seven 1× Daniel 9:25
They had 736 1× Ezra 2:66
three 1× 2 Samuel 24:13
vvv 1× Genesis 47:28
When the seven 1× Genesis 41:53
you seven 1× Genesis 29:18
Show sample aligned rows
Genesis 4:24 וְשִׁבְעָֽה׃ to seventy-sevenfold Conjunctive waw | Number - masculine singular Genesis 5:7 שֶׁ֣בַע to . . . Number - feminine singular Genesis 5:25 שֶׁ֧בַע to . . . Number - feminine singular Genesis 5:26 וּשְׁבַ֥ע to 782 Conjunctive waw | Number - feminine singular construct Genesis 5:31 שֶׁ֤בַע to 777 Number - feminine singular Genesis 5:31 וּשְׁבַ֥ע to . . . Conjunctive waw | Number - feminine singular construct Genesis 7:2 שִׁבְעָ֥ה to seven pairs of Number - masculine singular Genesis 7:2 שִׁבְעָ֖ה to . . . Number - masculine singular Genesis 7:3 שִׁבְעָ֖ה to seven [pairs] Number - masculine singular Genesis 7:3 שִׁבְעָ֥ה to - Number - masculine singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Genesis 4:24
Aligned rows 392
Books represented 27
Genesis 62 Exodus 19 Leviticus 46 Numbers 46 Deuteronomy 12 Joshua 15 Judges 13 Ruth 1 1 Samuel 7 2 Samuel 7 1 Kings 18 2 Kings 18 1 Chronicles 22 2 Chronicles 23 Ezra 13 Nehemiah 12 Esther 8 Job 7 Psalms 1 Proverbs 5 Ecclesiastes 1 Isaiah 3 Jeremiah 7 Ezekiel 19 Daniel 1 Micah 1 Zechariah 5
Source forms
שִׁבְעַ֥ת 46x šiḇ·‘aṯ Genesis 8:10, Genesis 8:12, Genesis 50:10, Exodus 13:6
שִׁבְעַ֣ת 43x šiḇ·‘aṯ Genesis 31:23, Exodus 7:25, Exodus 12:19, Exodus 13:7
שֶׁ֣בַע 34x še·ḇa‘ Genesis 5:7, Genesis 21:30, Genesis 29:18, Genesis 29:20
שֶׁ֥בַע 24x še·ḇa‘ Genesis 11:21, Genesis 41:24, Genesis 41:26, Genesis 41:29
שְׁבַ֥ע 16x šə·ḇa‘ Genesis 47:28, Numbers 4:36, Numbers 26:51, Judges 20:15
וּשְׁבַ֥ע 10x ū·šə·ḇa‘ Genesis 5:26, Genesis 5:31, Numbers 1:39, Numbers 2:26
שֶׁ֖בַע 10x še·ḇa‘ Genesis 41:27, Genesis 41:53, Leviticus 26:18, Leviticus 26:21
שִׁבְעָ֥ה 10x šiḇ·‘āh Genesis 7:2, Genesis 7:3, Numbers 23:1, Numbers 23:29
Parsing patterns
Number - masculine singular construct 107x Genesis 8:10, Genesis 8:12, Genesis 31:23, Genesis 50:10
Number - feminine singular 99x Genesis 5:7, Genesis 5:25, Genesis 5:31, Genesis 11:21
Number - masculine singular 58x Genesis 7:2, Genesis 7:3, Genesis 7:4, Genesis 46:25
Conjunctive waw | Number - masculine singular 30x Genesis 4:24, Numbers 2:31, Numbers 23:1, Numbers 23:29
Number - feminine singular construct 25x Genesis 37:2, Genesis 47:28, Numbers 4:36, Numbers 26:51
Conjunctive waw | Number - feminine singular construct 21x Genesis 5:26, Genesis 5:31, Exodus 38:24, Exodus 38:25
Conjunctive waw | Number - feminine singular 13x Genesis 23:1, Genesis 25:17, Genesis 41:26, Genesis 41:27
Conjunctive waw | Number - masculine singular construct 9x Numbers 31:36, 1 Kings 8:65, 1 Chronicles 18:4, 1 Chronicles 29:4
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Seven carries sacred completeness and divine fullness; extends to indefinite multiplicity in covenantal contexts
Source Gloss
seven (as the sacred full one); also (adverbially) seven times ; by implication, a week ; by extension, an indefinite number
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Seven carries sacred completeness and divine fullness; extends to indefinite multiplicity in covenantal contexts
seven (as the sacred full one); also (adverbially) seven times; by implication, a week; by extension, an indefinite number BDB: seven Usage: ( by) seven(-fold),-s, (-teen, -teenth), -th, times). Compare 7658.
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
Literal number of days elapsed during plague sequence
Ceremonial number establishing covenant agreement and oath binding
Prescribed waiting period for ritual purification and cleansing
Showing 3 selected witnesses from 394 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
שֶׁבַע 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.
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