What does שֶׁבֶר (šeber) mean in the Bible?
שֶׁבֶר (šeber): Physical breaking that extends metaphorically to social/spiritual ruin; also means dream interpretation through "unlocking" meaning.
Hebrew · H7667
שֶׁבֶר
A fracture , figuratively, ruin ; specifically, a solution (of a dream)
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שֶׁבֶר H7667
Pronunciation šeber
What does שֶׁבֶר (šeber) mean in the Bible?
שֶׁבֶר (šeber): Physical breaking that extends metaphorically to social/spiritual ruin; also means dream interpretation through "unlocking" meaning.
Full entry for שֶׁבֶר (H7667) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H7667?
The BSB source-word alignment has 45 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include destruction (7), and destruction (3), Disaster (2), fracture (2), the brokenness (2).
Where does שֶׁבֶר (šeber) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Leviticus 21:19. Its strongest book concentrations include Jeremiah (15), Isaiah (9), Lamentations (5), Leviticus (5).
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 destruction 7× Proverbs 16:18, Proverbs 17:19, Jeremiah 4:6, Jeremiah 6:1
and destruction 3× Isaiah 51:19, Isaiah 59:7, Lamentations 3:47
Disaster 2× Jeremiah 4:20
fracture 2× Leviticus 24:20
the brokenness 2× Isaiah 30:26, Jeremiah 8:21
the destruction 2× Lamentations 2:11, Lamentations 3:48
the wound 2× Jeremiah 6:14, Jeremiah 8:11
your wound 2× Jeremiah 30:15, Lamentations 2:13
. . . 1× Leviticus 21:19
a broken 1× Leviticus 21:19
and its interpretation 1× Judges 7:15
be shattered 1× Isaiah 1:28
before his thrashing 1× Job 41:25
crashing 1× Zephaniah 1:10
crushes 1× Proverbs 15:4
for your injury 1× Nahum 3:19
has been shattered 1× Jeremiah 14:17
his downfall 1× Proverbs 18:12
in pieces 1× Isaiah 30:14
in the destruction 1× Lamentations 4:10
injured 1× Leviticus 22:22
its fractures 1× Psalms 60:2
my brokenness 1× Jeremiah 10:19
or destruction 1× Isaiah 60:18
over the destruction 1× Jeremiah 48:5
the ruin 1× Amos 6:6
their destruction 1× Isaiah 15:5
whose collapse 1× Isaiah 30:13
with a broken 1× Isaiah 65:14
your destruction 1× Ezekiel 32:9
Your injury 1× Jeremiah 30:12
Show sample aligned rows
Leviticus 21:19 שֶׁ֣בֶר to a broken Noun - masculine singular construct Leviticus 21:19 שֶׁ֥בֶר to . . . Noun - masculine singular construct Leviticus 22:22 שָׁב֜וּר to injured Noun - masculine singular Leviticus 24:20 שֶׁ֚בֶר to fracture Noun - masculine singular Leviticus 24:20 שֶׁ֔בֶר to fracture Noun - masculine singular Judges 7:15 שִׁבְר֖וֹ to and its interpretation Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular Job 41:25 מִ֝שְּׁבָרִ֗ים to before his thrashing Preposition-m | Noun - masculine plural Psalms 60:2 שְׁבָרֶ֣יהָ to its fractures Noun - masculine plural construct | third person feminine singular Proverbs 15:4 שֶׁ֣בֶר to crushes Noun - masculine singular Proverbs 16:18 שֶׁ֥בֶר to destruction Noun - masculine singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Leviticus 21:19
Aligned rows 45
Books represented 12
Leviticus 5 Judges 1 Job 1 Psalms 1 Proverbs 4 Isaiah 9 Jeremiah 15 Lamentations 5 Ezekiel 1 Amos 1 Nahum 1 Zephaniah 1
Source forms
וְשֶׁ֥בֶר 4x wə·še·ḇer Jeremiah 4:6, Jeremiah 6:1, Jeremiah 51:54, Zephaniah 1:10
שֶׁ֖בֶר 4x še·ḇer Isaiah 15:5, Jeremiah 48:5, Lamentations 2:11, Lamentations 3:48
שֶׁ֣בֶר 3x še·ḇer Leviticus 21:19, Proverbs 15:4, Isaiah 30:26
שֶׁ֥בֶר 3x še·ḇer Leviticus 21:19, Proverbs 16:18, Jeremiah 8:21
שֶׁ֤בֶר 3x še·ḇer Jeremiah 4:20, Jeremiah 6:14, Jeremiah 8:11
וָשֶׁ֖בֶר 2x wā·še·ḇer Isaiah 59:7, Isaiah 60:18
בְּשֶׁ֖בֶר 1x bə·še·ḇer Lamentations 4:10
וְהַשֶּׁ֛בֶר 1x wə·haš·še·ḇer Isaiah 51:19
Parsing patterns
Noun - masculine singular 12x Leviticus 22:22, Leviticus 24:20, Proverbs 15:4, Proverbs 16:18
Noun - masculine singular construct 9x Leviticus 21:19, Isaiah 30:26, Jeremiah 6:14, Jeremiah 8:11
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular 8x Isaiah 59:7, Isaiah 60:18, Jeremiah 4:6, Jeremiah 6:1
Conjunctive waw, Article | Noun - masculine singular 2x Isaiah 51:19, Lamentations 3:47
Noun - masculine singular construct | second person feminine singular 2x Jeremiah 30:15, Lamentations 2:13
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct 1x Isaiah 1:28
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular construct 1x Isaiah 65:14
Noun - masculine plural construct | third person feminine singular 1x Psalms 60:2
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Physical breaking that extends metaphorically to social/spiritual ruin; also means dream interpretation through "unlocking" meaning.
Source Gloss
a fracture , figuratively, ruin ; specifically, a solution (of a dream)
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Physical breaking that extends metaphorically to social/spiritual ruin; also means dream interpretation through "unlocking" meaning.
a fracture, figuratively, ruin; specifically, a solution (of a dream) BDB: breaking Usage: affliction, breach, breaking, broken(-footed, -handed), bruise, crashing, destruction, hurt, interpretation, vexation.
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
ruin or downfall that follows pride, figurative collapse
breaking or fracture of relationship, literal or figurative separation
ruin preceding humiliation, consequence of pride and arrogance
Showing 3 selected witnesses from 44 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
שֶׁבֶר 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