Lexical Definition

‎שֶׁבַע‎ shebaʻ (sheh'-bah) seven ^H:N
or (masculine) (שִׁבְעָה shibʻâh (shibaw')); from ‎שָׁבַע‎; a primitive cardinal number

([phrase] by) seven(-fold),-s, (-teen, -teenth), -th, times). Compare ‎שִׁבְעָנָה‎.

• seven (as the sacred full one)
• also (adverbially) seven times
• by implication, a week
• by extension, an indefinite number

1) seven (cardinal number)
1a) as ordinal number
1b) in combination-17, 700 etc

Extended Information

• Aramaic equivalent: shiv.ah (‎ש‎ִׁ‎ב‎ְ‎ע‎ָ‎ה‎ "seven" שִׁבְעָה)

Brown-Driver-Briggs

I. ‎שֶׁבַע‎, ‎שִׁבְעָה‎₃₉₄ noun masculine and feminine seven (Late Hebrew id., MI¹⁶ ‎שבעת‎ Assyrian sibi, sibittu (Dl^{Gr. § 65, 6}; s = ‎שׁ‎), Arabic , , Sabean ‎סבע‎ Hom^{Chr 47, 124}, Ethiopic Phoenician (Punic) ‎שבע‎ Nabataean ‎שבע‎ ‎שבעה‎, Palmyrene ‎שבעא‎ ‎שבעה‎; Aramaic ‎שְׁבַע‎, ‎שִׁבְעָא‎, , ; on etymology compare Lag^{BN 37 f.}); —

masculine (c. noun feminine) absolute ‎שֶׁבַע‎ Gen 41:2 + 115 t.; construct ‎שְׁבַע‎ Gen 5:26 + 47 t., especially P (15 t.) and Chronicles (20 t.), ‎וּשֲׁבַע‎ 1Kgs 14:21 feminine (c. noun masculine) absolute ‎שִׁבְעָה‎ Gen 4:24 + 100 t.; construct‎שִׁבְעַת‎ Gen 7:10 + 120 t.; suffix ‎שְׁבַעְתָּם‎ 2Sam 21:9 Qr (so Vrss and modern; see Dr; > Kt ‎שִׁבְעָתַיִם‎; — seven:

1. without other number:
a. ‎שֶׁבַע‎, before feminine plural noun Gen 21:28 (J), Judg 16:13; Isa 4:1 + 80 t., especially ‎שָׁנִים‎ ‎׳‎‎שׁ‎ Gen 29:18 (E) + 32 t. (but read ‎שׁלוֺשׁ‎ for ‎שֶׁבַע‎ 2Sam 24:13a, compare v^{b, c,} also ᵐ5 and || 1Chr 21:12 so Th We Dr Bu HPS Now), ‎פִּעָמִים‎ ‎׳‎‎שׁ‎ Gen 33:3 (J), Lev 4:6 (P) + 17 t.; ‎בָּאַמָּה רָחְבָּהּ‎ ‎׳‎‎שׁ‎ 1Kgs 6:6 after noun Ezek 40:20; Ezek 40:26 noun omitted Job 5:19; Prov 6:16, + (= ‎׳‎‎פְּעָמִים שׁ‎) Lev 26:18; Lev 26:21; Lev 26:24; Lev 26:28 (H), Ps 119:64; Prov 24:16
b. ‎שִׁבְעָה‎ before masculine plural noun Num 23:1 (3 t. in verse) (E) + 40 t. + Job 42:19 (read ‎׳‎‎שׁ‎ for ‎שִׁבְעָ֫נָה‎ Ges^{«GKC:97c»§ 97c} and most); + (distributive) ‎׳‎‎וְשׁ‎ ‎׳‎‎שׁ‎ Zech 4:2 after noun Gen 7:4 (J), Exod 25:37 (P) + 12 t. (P Chronicles Daniel Proverbs); noun omitted 1Sam 2:5 + 9 t., including ‎׳‎‎שׁ‎ as ordinal, see below; but read ‎שְׂבָכָה‎ for ‎שִׁבְעָה‎ 1Kgs 7:17 (twice in verse) ᵐ5 Th Kmp Klo Benz Kit Bur; also ‎׳‎‎שׁ‎ ‎׳‎‎שׁ‎ distributive = 7 each Gen 7:2; Gen 7:3 (J); as predicate Gen 46:25 (P),
c. ‎שִׁבְעַת‎, before plural noun Num 23:4 (E), Num 8:2 (P), Ezek 45:23 (twice in verse); Job 2:13 (twice in verse) + 97 t., incl ‎יָמִים‎ ‎׳‎‎שׁ‎ Gen 8:10 (J), + 88 t. + Ezek 45:21 (read ‎שִׁבְעַת‎ for ‎שְׁבֻעוֺת‎ Vrss and modern),
d. = ordinal, ‎שְׁנַת (הַ)שֶּׁבַע‎Deut 15:2; 2Kgs 12:2* + 3 t., ‎בְּשִׁבְעָה לַחֹדֶשׁ‎ Ezek 30:20, compare Ezek 45:20 ‎לְשִׁבְעַת הַיָּמִים‎ Gen 7:10 (J), 1Chr 9:25

2. ‎שְׁבַע עֶשְׂרֵה שָׁנָה‎ 17 years Gen 37:2 + 3 t. + 1Kgs 14:21, also as ordinal ‎׳‎‎עֶשׂ‎ ‎׳‎‎בִּשְׁנַת שׁ‎ 1Kgs 22:52*, ‎שָׁנָה‎ ‎׳‎‎עֶשׂ‎ ‎׳‎‎בִּשְׁנַת שׁ‎ 2Kgs 16:1.
b. ‎שִׁבְעָה עָשָׂר‎ (that is ‎הַגּוֺרָל‎ lot) 1Chr 24:15; 1Chr 25:24 (compare also, + other number, 1Chr 7:11; Ezra 2:30; Neh 7:42), + ‎יוֺם‎ 17th day Gen 7:11; Gen 8:4 unusual is ‎שְׁקָלִים וַעֲשָׂרָה הַכֶּסֶף‎ ‎׳‎‎שׁ‎ Jer 32:9 7 shekels and 10 the silver

3. ‎שְׁבַע מֵאוֺת‎ = 700 Judg 8:26 + 39 t. (but Neh 7:68* omitted by Masora Baer Gi q. v.).

4. ‎שִׁבְעָה אֶלֶף‎ = 7000 1Kgs 20:30 + 2 t.; ‎שִׁבְעַת אֲלָפִים‎ = id. 1Kgs 20:15+ 15 t.; 57,000 is 7 + 50 x 1000 Num 1:31; Num 2:8; Num 2:31.

5. ‎׳‎‎שׁ‎ + other number:
a. ‎׳‎‎שׁ‎ follows 18 t.: (1) singular noun after ‎׳‎‎שׁ‎ Judg 8:14 also (= ordinal number) Ezek 29:17 + 2 t., ‎שְׁנַת‎ ‎שָׁנָה‎ ‎׳‎‎שְׁלשִׁים וָשׁ‎ 2Kgs 13:10, compare 2Kgs 15:1 (2) plural noun before other number Ezra 8:35; Neh 7:1:[72]; Neh 7:71* (3) singular noun construct precedes ‎׳‎‎בִּשְׁנַת עֶשְׂרִים וָשׁ‎ 1Kgs 16:10; 1Kgs 16:15 (ordinal); (4) noun after each number Gen 23:1; Gen 23:25 (both P), etc.
b. ‎׳‎‎שׁ‎ precedes 10 t. (P and Esther): (1) noun singular after other number Gen 8:14; Exod 6:16; Exod 6:20 + 3 t. Esther; (2) noun repeated Gen 5:7; Gen 11:21; Gen 47:28, compare Gen 5:25; Gen 5:31.
c. 1000 + 17 Ezra 2:39 = Neh 7:42 — ‎׳‎‎שׁ‎ often with sacred significance: Gen 21:28ff. (J), Exod 37:23; Lev 4:6; Lev 4:17; Lev 8:11; Lev 14:27 + (P); as round number Gen 4:24 (song in J), Gen 29:18ff; Gen 31:23; Gen 41:2ff (all E), etc.; on bowing 7 t. Gen 33:3 (J; in great humility), compare Wkl^{TelAm. nos. 143, 230, 246} Ne^{Mar,11 f.}; all these probably originating with week of seven days; compare especially Kö^{Hast. DB NUMBER, 562 f.}, 565.

‎שִׁבְעָ֫נָה‎ Job 42:13 read ‎שִׁבְעָה‎ Ges^{«GKC:97c»§ 97c} and most.

Brown-Driver-Briggs References