Part 70
SHEBAT, she-biit' (UlTlJ , sh'bhal): The 11th month of the Jewish year (Zee 1 7), corresponding to February. See Calendar.
SHEBER,she'ber (IITB , shebher; B, Sdpep, Sd6er, A, 2ip«p, Seber) : A son of Caleb by his concubine Maacah (1 Ch 2 48).
(2) The high position occupied by women among the Sabaeans is reflected in the story of the Queen of Sheba and Solomon. In almost all respects women appear to have been considered the equal of men, and to have discharged the same civil, religious and even military functions. Polygamy does not seem to have been practised. The Sabaean inscriptions do not go back far enough to throw any light upon the queen who was contemporary with Solomon, and the Arab, identification of her with Bilkis is merely due to the latter being the only Sabaean queen known to them. Bilkis must have Uved several centuries
SHEBNA, sheb'na (XD3ip, shebhna'; Soiivas, Sdmnas; but nD31|5, shebhnah, in 2 K 18 18.26; meaning uncertain [2 K 18 18.26.37 and 19 2 = Isa 36 3.11.22 and 37 2; Isa 22 15]): In Isa 22 15 Shebna is referred to as he "who
is over the house," or household, apparently that of
' 'steward of
the king. The phrase is tr^"
1. Position the house" inRV of Gen 43 16.19; 44 1, in Isa 22 and occurs also in 39 4, "overseer"; 44 4. It is used of an officer of the Northern Kingdom in 1 K 16 9; 18 3; 2 K 10
later than the Heb monarch.
(3) The alphabet used in the Sabaean inscriptions
5. This officer is distinguished from him "that was over the city" in 2 K 10 5, and it is said in 2 K 15 5 that after his father Azariah was stricken with leprosy, "Jotham, the king's son, was over the household, judging all the people of the land." Again Isa 22 15 speaks of "this ^okhen," a phrase that must apply to Shebna if the prophecy refers to him. This word is the participle of a vb. meaning "to be of use or service," so "to benefit" in Job 15 3; 22 2; 34 9. The fem. participle is employed of Abishag in 1 K 1 2.4, where AVm translates "cherisher"; iJZ)S renders it "servitor" or "steward" in Isa 22 15. It occurs also as a Can. gloss in the Am Tab (Winckler no. 237.9). The .}dkhen was evidently a high officer: Shebna had splendid chariots (ver 18), but what the office exactly was
is considered by Professor Margoliouth to be the original Sem alphabet, from which the others are derived. In other respects Sabaean art seems to be dependent on that of Assyria, Persia and Greece. The coins are Gr and Rom in style, while the system
of weights employed is Persian. See further Sabaeans.
LiTERATnRE.—Rodiger and Osiander in ZDMG, vols XX and XXI; Halevy in Journal Asiatique, Serie 6, vol IX; CIS, pt. IV. ed by J. and H. Derenbourg; IJamdani, ed by D. H. Muller, 1891; Mordtmann, Himyarische Inachriften, 1893; Hommel. Siidarabische Chresthomathie, 1893; Gla.ser, Abyssinien in Arabien, 189.5; D. H. Muller, Sudarabische AlterthUmer, 1899; Derenbourg, Les monuments sabeens, 1899. On the Coins, Schlumberger, Le tresor de Sana, 1880; Mordtmann in
Wiener numismatische Zeitschrift, 1880.
Thomas Hunter Weir SHEBA, she'ba (7?© , shebha'; ZdpcE, Sdbee, or
is not certain. The other reference to Shebna in the title of the prophecy would lead one to conclude that it denoted him "who was over the household,"
Sdjiao, Sdmaa): The name of one of the towns aOotted to Simeon (Josh 19 2). AV mentions it
Shebna Shechem THE INTERNATIONAL STANDARD BIBLE ENCYCLOPAEDIA 2754
of another, but there seems to be some connection between (1) and (2), and again between (2) and (3). Now the question that has to be solved
i.e. govei-nor of the palace, probably, or majordomo. The word sokhen is thus a general title; others deny this, maintaining that it would then occur more frequently.
4. Date is that of the relation of Isa 22 15 ff
of the with 2 K 18f=Isa 36 f, where are Prophecy given the events of 701 BC. We have the following facts : (a) Shebna is scribe
In 2 K 18 f = Isa 36 f we find too a Shebna mentioned among the oflficers of Hezekiah. There he
is called the gopher, "scribe" or "sec-
2. Shebna retary," i.e. a minister of state of some
in 701, and Eliakim is governor of the palace; (b) Shebna is governor of the palace in Isa 22 15, and
in 2 K 18 f kind, whereas Eliakim is he
' 'who is over the household." Is then the Shebna of Isa 22 the same as this officer? It is of course possible that two men of the same name should hold high office about the same time. We find a Joah (ben Asaph) "recorder" under Hezekiah (2 K 18 IS) and a Joah (ben Joahaz) having the very same position under Josiah a century later
is to be deposed; (c) if Isa 22 18-22 be by Isaiah, Eliakim was to succeed Shebna in that post. Omitting for the moment everything but (a) and
(fe), the only solution that is to any extent satisfactory is that Isa 22 15-18 is to be dated previous to 701 BC. This is the view preferred by G. B. Gray, op. cit. And this is the most satisfactory theory if we take (2) above into considera-
(2 Ch 34 8). But such a coincidence is rare. Had there been two high officers of state bearing
tion. The prophecy then contained in (1) had not been as yet fulfilled in 701, but (2) had come to pass; Shebna was no longer governor of the pal-
this name, it is most probable that they would somehow have been distinguished one from the
other. Shebna's name is thought to be Aram., thus pointing to a foreign descent, but G. B. Gray, "Isa," ICC, 373 ff, denies this. We can perhaps
ace, but held the position of scribe. Exile might
still be in store for him.
Another explanation is put forward by K. Fullerton in AJT. IX, 621-42 (1905 and criticized by E. Konig in X, 675-86 (1906). Fullerton rejects vs 24 f as not due to Isaiah, and maintains that Isa 22 15-18 was spoken by the prophet early in the reign of Rlanasseh,
safely infer that he was a parvenu from the fact that he was hewing himself a sepulcher in Jerus, apparently among those of the Heb nobility, whereas a native would have an ancestral burialplace in the land.
i.e. later than 2 K 18 f. "not so much as a prophecy, a simple prediction, as an attempt to drive Shebna from office It must be admitted that Isaiah probably did not succeed. The reactionary party seems to have remained in control during the reign of Manasseh Fortunately, the moral significance of Isaiah does not depend on the fulfilment of this or that specific prediction. We are dealing not with a walking oracle, but with a great character and a noble hfe" (p. 639). He then infers from the massacres of Manasseh (2 K 21 16)
However, in 2 K, Shebna is the scribe and not the governor of the palace. How is this to be explained? The answer is in Isaiah's prophecy. The prophecy of Isa 22 divides itself into 3 sec-
tions. The words "against [not as RV "unto"] Shebna who is over the house," or
' that a conspiracy had been formed against him by the prophetic party which proposed to place Ehakim on the throne " (p. 640) . Isaiah he thinks would not " resort to such violent measures," and so the character of Isaiah makes it questionable whether he was the author of vs 20-23. This part would then be due to the prophetic party "who went a step farther than their great leader would approve." This view assumes too much, (a) that the terras in vs 20-23 refer to kingly power; (b) that Eliakim was of Davidic descent, unless we have a man of non-Davidic origin aiming at the throne, which is again a thing unheard of in Judah; and (c) that there was such a plot in the reign of Manasseh, of which we have no proof.
3. Isa 22: palace, are properly the title of the 15 S prophecy, and should come therefore at the very beginning of ver 15.
(1) Vs 15-18 form one whole. In ver 16 the words "hewing him out a sepulchre," etc, should be placed immediately before the rest of the verse as ver 16a with the rest of the section is in the second person. We thus read (vs 15-17) : 'Against Shebna who was over the house. Thus saith the Lord, Jeh of hosts, Go unto this steward [RVm] that is hewing him out a sepulchre on high, graving a habitation for himself in the rock, (and say] What doest thou here and whom hast thou here that thou hast hewed thee out here a sepulchre? Behold, Jeh of hosts, . . . .' etc. G. H. Box (Isa) would further transpose some parts of vs 17 f. Shebna is to be tossed like a ball into "a land wide
David Francis Roberts SHEBUEL, sh5-bu'el, sheb'a-el (bX^lT? , sh'bhu'el;
2ovPaT|\, Soubael)
(1) A son of Gershom and grandson of Moses (1 Ch 23 16). He was "ruler over the treasures" (26 24). In 24 20 he is caUed "Shubael," which is probably the original form of the name (see Gray, HPN, 310).
of sides," i.e. a broad extensive land. He is addressed as a disgrace to the house of his royal master. The prophet's language is that of personal invective, and one asks what had made him so indignant. Some (e.g. Dillmann, Delitzsch) suggest that Shebna was the leader of a pro-Egyp party, while others
(2) A son of Heman (1 Ch 25 4), caUed in ver 20 "Shubael" (LXX as in ver 4).
SHECANLAH, SHECHANIAH, shek-a-nl'a, shSkan'ya (n;5?lp , sh'khanyah [in 1 Ch 24 11; 2 Ch 31 15, sh'hhanyahii]; B, 'I<rxavi.d, Ischanid, 2€K€vi4, Sekenid)
(e.g. Cheyne) believe that the party was pro-Assyr
(cf Isa 8 5-8a). The actual date of the prophecy can only be inferred.
(2) Isa 22 19-23 contains a prophecy which states that Eliakim is to be given someone's post, apparently that of Shebna, if this section be by Isaiah; ver 23, however, is held by many to be a
(1) A descendant of Zerubbabel (1 Ch 3 21.22). This is the same Shecaniah mentioned in Ezr 8 3.
(2) "The sons of Shecaniah," so the MT of Ezr 8 5 reads, were among those who returned with Ezra, but a name appears to have been lost from the text, and we should probably read "of the sons of Zattu, Shecaniah the son of Jahaziel" (cf 1 Esd 8 32, "of the sons of Zathoes, Sechenias the son of Jezelus").
gloss. These verses are not so vehement in tone as the previous ones. Some maintain that the section is not by Isaiah (Duhm, Marti). It can, however, be Isaianic, only later in date than vs 15 ff
being possibly meant to modify the former utterance. The palace governor is to lose his office and
(3) Chief of the tenth course of priests (1 Ch 24 11).
to be succeeded by Eliakim, who is seen to hold that post in 2 K 18 f (see Eliakim) .
(4) A priest in the reign of Hezekiah (2 Ch 31 15).
(3) Vs 24 f are additions to the two utterances by a later hand; they predict the ruin of some such
(5) A contemporary of Ezra who supported him in his opposition to foreign marriages (Ezr 10 2).
official as Ehakim owing to his own family.
(6) The father of Shemaiah, "the keeper of the east gate" (Neh 3 29).
There is nothing a priori against believing that
these three sections are entirely independent one
2755 THE INTERNATIONAL STANDARD BIBLE ENCYCLOPAEDIA Shebna Shechem
(7) The father-in-law of Tobiah the Ammonite (Neh 6 18).
of Ephraim; it was made a city of refuge, and assigned to the Kohathite Levites (20 7; 2121). Near the city the Law was promulgated (Dt 27 11; Josh 8 33). When his end was approaching Joshua gathered the tribes of Israel here and addressed to them his final words of counsel and e-\- hortation (eh 24). Under the oak in the neighboring sanctuary he set up the stone of witness (ver 26) The war of conquest being done, Joseph's bones were buried in the parcel of ground which Jacob had bought, and which fell to the lot of Joseph's descendants (ver 33). Abimelech, whose mother was a native of the city, persuaded the men of Shechem to make him king (Jgs 9 1-6), evidently seeking a certain consecration from association with
(8) The cponym of a family which returned with Zerubbabel (Neh 12 3). It is the same name which, by an interchange of (1) bh and (D) kh, appears as Shebaniah (see Shebaniah, [2]) in Neh 10 4.12.14. Horace J. Wolf SHECHEM, she'kem (DDTp , skhhem, "shoulder"; 2«x«V) Suchem, t] SCKijia, he Slkima, tA 2CKi(j.a, Ul Sikima, etc; AV gives "Sichem" in
1. HistoriGen 12 6; and "Sychem" in Acts 7 16j: cal This place is first mentioned in connection with Abraham's journey from Haran. At the oak of Moreh in the vicinity he
NSblcs and Mt. Ebal.
"the oak of the pillar that was in Shechem." Jotham's parable was spoken from the cliff of Gerizim overhanging the town (vs 7ff). After a reign of three years Abimelech was rejected by the people. He captured the city, razed it to the foundations, and sowed it with salt. It was then the seat of Can. idolatry, the temple of Baal-berith being here (Jgs 9 4.46). In the time of the kings we find that the city was once more a gathering-place of the nation.
reared his first altar to the Lord in Pal (Gen 12 6 f).
It was doubtless by this oak that Jacob, on his
return from Paddan-aram, buried "the strange [ARV "foreign"] gods" (35 4). Hither he had come
after his meeting with Esau (33 18). Onom here
identifies Shechem with Shalem; but see Shale.vi. To the E. of the city Jacob pitched his tent in a
"parcel of ground" which he had bought from Hamor, Shechem's father (ver 19). Here also he raised an altar and called it El-Elohe-Israel, "God, the God of Israel" (ver 20). Then foUows the story of Dinah's defilement by Shechem, son of the city's
It was evidently the center, esp. for the northern tribes; and hither Rehoboam came in the hope of getting his succession to the throne confirmed (1 K 12 1; 2 Ch 10 1). At the disruption Jeroboam
chief; and of the treacherous and terrible vengeance
fortified the city and made it his residence (ver 25; Ant, VIII, viii, 4). The capital of the Northern Kingdom was moved, however, first to Tirzah and then to Samaria, and Shechem declined in pohtical importance. Indeed it is not named again in the
exacted by Simeon and Levi (ch 34). To the rich
pasture land near Shechem Joseph came to seek his
brethren (37 12 ff). It is mentioned as lying to the W. of Michmethath (el-Makhneh) on the boundary
of Manasseh (Josh 17 7). It was in the territory
Shechem Sheepcote THE INTERNATIONAL STANDARD BIBLE ENCYCLOPAEDIA 2756
ful." They were therefore removed by authority, and their place taken by the prickly pears men-
history of the monarchy. Apparently there were Israehtes in it after the captivity, some of whom on their way to the house of the Lord at Jerus met a tragic fate at the hands of Ishmael ben Nethaniah (Jer 41 5 ff) . It became the central city of the Samaritans, whose shrine was built on Mt. Gerizim (Sir 50 26; Ant, XI, viii, 6; XII, i, 1; XIII, iii, 4). Shechem was captured by John Hyrcanus in 132 BC {Ant, XIII, ix, 1; BJ, I, ii, 6). It appears in the NT only in the speech of Stephen (Acts 7 16, AV "Sychem")- Some (e.g. Smith, DB, s.v.) would identify it with Sychar of Jn 4 5; but see Sychar. Under the Romans it became Flavia Neapolis. In later times it was the seat of a bishopric; the names of five occupants of the see are known.
tioned above. W. EwiNG SHECHEMITES, she'kem-Its ("^'Opffi'n, ha-
shikJunl; Sux^P'*'! Suchemei) : The descendants
of Shechem the son of Gilead, a clan of Eastern Manasseh (Nu 26 31; Josh 17 2).
SHED, SHEDDING: The three Heb words, naghar, slm or silm and shaphakh, tr"* "shed" in many OT passages, always mean a "pouring out," and in nearly every case point to the effusion of blood (Gen 9 6; Nu 35 33; Dt 21 7;.2 S 20 10;
I Ch 22 8; Prov 1 16, etc). The Gr words ^kx^o;,
ekcheo, and iKxvvoi, ekchuno, have precisely the same specific meaning (Mt 23 35; 26 28; Mk 14
There is no doubt as to the situation of ancient Shechem. It lay in the pass which cuts through Mts. Ephraim, Ebal and Gerizim,
24; Lk 11 50; He 9 22; Rev 16 6). Sometimes they are tropically used in reference to the outpouring of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2 33 AV; Tit 3 6), and to the outpouring of the love of God in the behever's heart (Rom 5 5). Henry E. Dosker SHEDEUR, shed'e-ur, she-de'ur (I^X'^-.TlJ
2. Location guarding it on the N. and S. respectand Physiively. Along this line runs the great
cal Features road which from time immemorial has
formed the easiest and the quickest means of communication between the E. of the Jordan and the sea. It must have been a place of strength from antiquity. The name seems to occur in Travels of a Mohar (Max Miiller, Asien u. Europa,
sh'dhe'w; "daybreak"; B, 2c8iovp, iSedtojir, 'ESioip, Ediour): The father of Ehzur, the chief of Reuben (Nu 1 5; 2 10; 7 30). Fr. Delitzsch correctly conceives the name as an Assyr compound, had uri, "daybreak." Cf, however, Gray, HPN,
394), "Mountain of Sahama" probably referring to Ebal or Gerizim. The ancient city may have lain somewhat farther E. than the modem Nablus, in which the Rom name Neapolis survives. The situation is one of great beauty. The city lies close
169, 197, who emends the text to read Shaddai 'Ur, "Shaddai is flame."
to the foot of Gerizim. The terraced slopes of the mountain rise steeply on the S. Across the valley, musical with the sound of running water, the great bulk of Ebal rises on the N., its sides, shaggy with prickly pear, sliding down into corn fields and orchards. The copious springs which supply abundance of water rise at the base of Gerizim. The
SHEEP, shep: The usual Heb word is jS'S
, fo'n, which is often tr'' "flock," e.g. "Abel .... brought
of the firstlings of his flock" (Gen 4 4); 1. Names "butter of the herd, and milk of the flock" (Dt 32 14) . AV and ERV have
it ^ "milk of sheep." Cf Arab. ^jLo , da'n. The Gr
fruitful and weU-wooded valley winds westward among the hills. It is traversed by the carriage road leading to Jaffa and the sea. Eastward the vaUey opens upon the plain of Makhneh. To the E. of the city, in a recess at the base of Gerizim, is the sanctuary known as Rijal el-^Amud, lit. "men of the column" or "piUar," where some would locate the ancient "oak of Moreh" or "of the pillar." Others wouldfind it in a little village tartherE. with a fine springy called Balata, a name which may be connected with ballut, "oak." Still farther to the E. and near the base of Ebal is the traditional tomb
word is TrpbpaTov, probaton. For other names, see notes under Cattle; Ewe; Lamb; Ram. Thn origin of domestic sheep is unloiown. There are II wild species, the majority of "which are found In Asia, and it is conceivable tliat they may
9 7nnlnp-v l^^Ye spread from the higlilands of Central ^' .^ooiugy Asia to the other portions of ttieir habitat. In North America is found tlic "bighorn." which is very closely related to a Kamschatkan species. One species, the urial or sha, is found in India. The Barbary sheep, Ovis tragelaphus, also loiown as the aoudad or arui, inhabits the Atlas Mountains of Northwest Africa. It is tliought by Tristram to be zemer, EV "chamois" of Dt 14 6. but there is no good evidence that this animal ranges eastward into Bible lands. Geographically nearest is the Armenian wild sheep, Ovis gmelini. of Asia Minor and Persia. The Cyprian wild sheep may be only a variety of the last, and the mouflon of Corsica and Sardinia is an alUed species. It is not easy to draw the Une between wild sheep and wild goats. Among the more obvious distinctions are the cliln beard and strong odor of male goats. The pelage of all wild sheep consists of hair, not wool, and this indeed is true of some domestic sheep as the fat-rumped shorttailed sheep of Abyssinia and Central Asia. The yotmg lambs of this breed have short ciu-ly wool which is the astrachan of commerce. Sheep are geologically recent, their bones and teeth not being found in earlier deposits than the pleiocene or pleistocene. They were, however, among the first of domesticated animals.
of Joseph, a Uttle white-domed building beside a luxuriant orchard. On the slope of the mountain beyond is the village of 'Askar; see Sychar. To the S. of the vale is the traditional Well of Jacob; see Jacob's Well. To the S.W. of the city is a small mosque on the spot where Jacob is said to have mourned over the blood-stained coat of Joseph. In the neighboring minaret is a stone whereon the Ten Commandments are engraved in Samaritan characters. The main center of interest
in the town is the synagogue of the Samaritans, with their ancient MS of the Pent.
The modern town contains about 20,000 inhab-
itants, the great body of them being Moslems. There are some 700 or 800 Christians,
The sheep of Syria and Pal are characterized by the possession of an enormous fat tail which weighs
3. Modern chiefly belonging to the Gr Orthodox Shechem church. The Samaritans do not total more than 200. The place is still the market for a wide district, both E. and W. of Jordan. A considerable trade is done in cotton and wool. Soap is manufactvired in large quantities,
many pounds and is known in Arab. 3. Sheep or ,oi> a Palestine as xaJI , 'alyat, or commonly xaJ ,
liyat. This is the tAs. , 'alyuh, "fat tail" (AV "rump") (Ex 29 22; Lev 3 9; 7 3; 8 25; 9 19), which was burned in sacrifice. This is at the present day esteemed a great delicacy. Sheep are kept in large numbers by the Bedawin, but a large portion of the supply of mutton for the cities is from the sheep of Armenia and Kurdistan, of which great droves are
oil for this purpose being plentifidly supplied by the olive groves. Tanning and the manufacture of leather goods are also carried on. In old times the slopes of Ebal were covered with vineyards; but these formed a source of temptation to the "faith-
2757 THE INTERNATIONAL STANDARD BIBLE ENCYCLOPAEDIA Shechem Sheepcote
brought down to the coast in easy stages. Among the Moslems every well-to-do family sacrifices a sheep at the feast of al-'adha', the 10th day of the month dhU-l'hijjat, 40 days after the end of ramaddn, the month of fasting. In Lebanon every peasant family during the summer fattens a young ram, which is
Sheep Gate Shemaiah THE INTERNATIONAL STANDARD BIBLE ENCYCLOPAEDIA 2758
SHEEP GATE (lS5Sn lyiri , sha'ar ha-gd'n [Neh
used; but as a certain amount of gold, by weight,
it is mentioned in 2 Ch 3 9 and is probably intended to be supphed in 2 K 5 5. The gold shekel was 1/60 of the heavy Bab mina and weighed about 252 grains. In value it was about equal to £2 Is.
3 1.32; 12 39]): One of the gates of Jerus, probably near the northeast corner. See Jerusalem. For the "sheep gate" of Jn 5 2, see Bethesda; Sheep Market.
Od., or $10. See Money; Weights and Measures. In RV of Mt 17 27 "shekel" replaces "piece of money" of AV, the tr of o-rarij^, stater. See Stater. H. Porter SHEKEL OF THE KING'S WEIGHT, or ROYAL SHEKEL (^bpn inX , 'ehhen ha-melekh, "stone [i.e. weight] of the king"): The shekel by which Absalom's hair was weighed (2 S 14 26), probably the light shekel of 130 grains. See Weights and Measures.
SHEEP MARKET (Jn 6 2, RV "sheep gate"): The Gr (Ji irpo^ariK-fj, he -probatikt) means simply something that pertains to sheep. See Bethesda; Sheep Gate.
SHEEP-MASTER (lp5 , nokedh, "herdsman," 2 K 3 4). See Sheep-shearing.
SHEEP-SHEARING, sbep'sher-ing : The sheepshearing is done in the springtime, either by the owners (Gen 31 19; 38 13; Dt 15 19; IS 25
SHEKEL OF THE SANCTUARY, or SACRED SHEKEL {t-pn bjJTlJ, shekel ha-kodhesh [Nu 7 passim]) : The same as the silver shekel mentioned under Shekel (q.v.), except in Ex 38 24, where it
2.4) or by regular "shearers" (TT3, gazaz) (1 S 25
7.11; Isa 53 7). There were special houses for
this work in OT times (2 K 10 12.14). The shearing was carefully done so as to keep the fleece whole (Jgs 6 37). The sheep of a flock are not branded but spotted. Lime or some dyestuff is painted in one or more spots on the wool of the back as a distinguishing mark. In 2 K 3 4, Mesha, the
is used in measuring gold. The term is used for offerings made for sacred purposes.
SHEKINAH, shs-ki'na (n^DlZJ , sh'khinah, "that which dwells," from the vb. '3lC , shakhen, or ']D1B
chief or sheikh of Moab, was a sheep-master, lit. "a sheep spotter." James A. Patch
shdkhan, "to dwell," "reside"): This word is not found in the Bible, but there are allusions to it in Isa 60 2; Mt 17 5; Lk 2 9; Rom 9 4. It is first found in the Tgs. See Glory.
SHEEPSKITT, shep'skin. See Bottle; Dress; Rams' Skins, etc.
SHELAH, she'la (nbW , shelah; 2d\a, Sdla)
SHEEP TENDING, ten'ding: The Scriptural allusions to pastoral life and the similes drawn from that Ufe are the most familiar and revered in the Bible. Among the first verses that a child learns is "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want" (Ps 23 lAV, ERV). What follower of the Master does not love to dwell on the words of the "Good Shepherd" chapter in the Gospel of John (Jn 10)7 Jesus must have drawn a sympathetic response when He referred to the relationship of sheep to shepherd, a relationship familiar to aU His hear-
(1) The youngest son of Judah and the daughter of Shua the Canaanite (Gen 38 5.11.14.26; 46 12; Nu 26 20 [16]; 1 Ch 2 3; 4 21). He gave his name to the family of the Shelanites (Nu 26 20
[16]). Probably "the Shelanite" should be substituted for "the Shilonite" of Neh 11 5; 1 Ch 9 5.
(2) (nblB , shelah) : The son or (LXX) grandson
of Arpachshad and father of Eber (Gen 10 24; 11 13 [12]. 14.15; 1 Ch 1 18.24; Lk 3 35).
(3) Neh 3 15= "Shiloah" of Isa 8 6. See Siloam.
ers and doubtless shared by some of them with their
flocks. As a rule the modern traveler in the Holy Land meets with disappointment if he comes expecting to see things as they were depicted in the Bible. An exception to this is the pastoral life, which has not changed one whit since Abraham and
SHELANITES, she'lan-Its, shg-la'nits. Shelah.
See
SHELEMIAH, shel-e-mi'a, she-lem'ya shelemyah; B, SeXenid, Selemid, A, ScXciiCas, Seletnlas)
his descendants fed their flocks on the rich plateaus E. of the Jordan or on the mountains of Pal and Syria. One may count among his most prized experiences the days and nights spent under the
(1) One of the sons of Bani who married foreign wives in the time of Ezra (Ezr 10 39), called "Selemias" in 1 Esd 9 34.
spell of Syrian shepherd life. James A. Patch
(2) Father of Hananiah who restored part of the wall of Jerus (Neh 3 30) (B, TeXc^d, Telemid, 45
SHEERAH, she'g-ra (HnXlB , ske'irah; A, Saopd, Saard, B omits): A daughter of Ephraim, who, according to the MT of 1 Ch 7 24 (AV "Sherah"), built the two Beth-horons and Uzzen-sheerah. The verse has been suspected because elsewhere in the OT the founders of cities are men. Uzzen-sheerah as a place is unidentified; Conder suggests as the
TfXefjfas, Telemias).
(3) A priest who was appointed one of the treasurers to distribute the Levitical tithes by Nehemiah
(Neh 13 13).
(4) The father of Jehucal (or Jucal) in the reign of Zedekiah (Jer 37 3; 38 1; in the second passage the name is Shelemydhu).
site Bet Sira, a village 2 miles S.W. of the Lower Beth-horon {Mem, 3 16).
(5) The father of Irijah, the captain of the ward, who arrested Jeremiah as a deserter to the Chaldaeans (Jer 37 13).
SHEET, shet. See Dress; cf Acts 10 11, "as it were a great sheet" {d66i'Ti, othdne).
(6) 1 Ch 26 14. See Meshblemiah.
(7) Another of the sons of Bani who married foreign wives in the time of Ezra (Ezr 10 41). It is of interest to note that the order of names in this passage—Sharai, Azarel, and Shelemiah—is almost identical with the names in Jer 36 26, viz. Seraiah, Azriel, Shelemiah.
SHEHARIAH, she-ha-ri'a (H'J-iniD , sh'haryah) : A Benjamite (1 Ch 8 26).
SHEKEL, shek"l, shek'el, she'kel, she'kul (b(31»
shekel) : A weight and a coin. The Heb shekel was the 50th part of a mina, and as a weight about 224 grains, and as money (silver) was worth about 2s.
(8) Ancestor of Jehudi (Jer 36 14).
(9) (LXX omits.) Son of Abdeol, one of the men sent by Jehoiakim to seize Baruch and Jeremiah after Baruch had read the "roU" in the king's presence (Jer 36 26). Horace J. Wolf
9d., or 66 cents. No gold shekel has been found, and hence it is inferred that such a coin was not
2759 THE INTERNATIONAL STANDARD BIBLE ENCYCLOPAEDIA Sheep Gate Shemaiah
SHELEPH, she'lef (Jl^lC, shaleph, in psmse; LXX 2dX€(t>, Sdleph): Son of Joktan (Gen 10 26; 1 Ch 1 20). Sheleph is the name of a Yemenite tribe or district, named on Sabaean inscriptions and also by Arabian geographers, located in Southern Arabia.
"name" [mmii) are synonyms {W . A. Inscriptions, V, pi. 23, 11. 29-32«/;c). Shem, who is called "the father of all the children
of Eber," was born when Noah had attained the
age of .500 years (Gen 5 32). Though
2. History, married at the time of the Flood, Shem and the was then childless. Aided by Japheth, Nations he covered the nakedness of their father, Descended which Ham, the youngest brother, had from Him revealed to them; but unlike the last, Shem and Japheth, in their filial piety, approached their father walking backward, in order not to look upon him. Two years after the Flood, Shem being then 100 years old, his son Arpachshad was born (Gen 11 10), and was followe<-I by further sons and daughters during the remaining .500 years which preceded Shem's death. Noah's prophetic blessing, on awakening from his wine, may be regarded as having been fulfilled in his descendants, who occupied Syria (Aram), Pal (Canaan), Chaldaea
SHELESH, she'Iesh (TliblC, shelesh; B, Sffx^, f>emt, A, 2eXX-f|s, Selltn, Luc, 24\e|j., Selem): An A.sherite, son of Helem (1 Ch 7 3.5).
SHELOMI, shC-lo'ml, shel'S-ml Ctl'iTB , sMoml) An Asherite (Nu 34 27).
SHELOMITH, shS-lo'mith, shel'6-mith (n"'ti5lp
, sh'lomlth; in Ezr 8 10, n^'aibffl , sh'ldmith)
(1) The mother of the man who was stoned for blasphemy (Lev 24 11) (BAF, SaXw/ueW, SalOmeith, Luc, SaX;uW, Salmilk).
(2) Daughter of Zerubbabel (1 Ch 3 19) (B,
(Arpachshad), Assyria (Asshur), part of Persia (Elam), and Arabia (Joktan). In the first three of
'ZaXuiixedel, Salomethd, A, 'ZaXuixeOl, Salomethi, Luc, So\u/%W, SalomUh).
these, as well as in Elam, Canaanites had settled (if not in the other districts mentioned), but Shemites
(3) One of the "sons of Izhar" (1 Ch 23 18) (B, 'ZdXu/j.iid, Salomoth, A, ZaXov/idd, Saloumolh, Luc, 'S.aXuij.W, SalomUh), called "Shelomoth" in 24 22.
ruled, at some time or other, over the Canaanites, and Canaan thus became "his servant" (Gen 9 2.5. 26) . The tablets found in Cappadocia seem to show that Shemites (Assyrians) had settled in that district
(4) The name of a family whose representatives returned with Ezra (Ezr 8 10) (B, ZaXa/MM, Saleimouth, Luc, ZaXiixwd, Salimoth). The MT here should read, "and the sons of Bani; Shelomith, son of Josiphiah"; and in 1 Esd 8 36, "of the sons of Banias, Salimoth, son of Josaphias."
also, but this was apparently an unimportant colony. Though designated sons of Shem, some of his descendants (e.g. the Elamites) did not speak a Semitic language, while other nationahties, not his descendants (e.g. the Canaanites), did. See Ham; Japheth; Table op Nations. T. G. Pinches
Horace J. Wolf SHELOMOTH, she-lo'moth, shel'6-moth, -moth
SHEMA, she'ma {'S'qt , sn'ma'; Sapiad, Samoa)
A city of Judah in the Negeb (Josh 15 26). If, as some think, identical with Sheba (q.v.) of Josh 19
(nin''5TIJ , sh'lomolh)
(1) An Izharite (1 Ch 24 22, BA, l,a\w/i<ie, Salomoth, Luc, SaXw/iW, .SaZoTOi^/j = "Shelomith" of 23 18).
2, then the latter must have been inserted here from Josh 15 26. It is noticeable that the root letters
(2) A Levite descended from EKezer ben Moses
(3773125) were those from which Simeon is derived. Shema is probably identical with Jeshua (Neh 11
(1 Ch 26 2.5, K're n^abip , sh'lomlth; 26 28).
26). The place was clearly far S., and it may be Kh.Sa'wah, a ruin upon a prominent hilltop between Kh. 'Attir and Kh. el-Milh. There is a wall around the ruins, of large blocks of conglomerate flint {PEF, III, 409, Sh XXV).
(3) A Gershonite (1 Ch 23 9, K-Te n^'Ki':^
; B, 'AXoiOeiiJ., Alotheim, A, 'ZaXwiJ.eW, Salomeith).
SHELUMIEL, shS-lu'mi-el (bsi^ablp , sh'lumi'el; both the punctuation and interpretation are in doubt. MT punctuates the first element as a passive participle; the use of the participle in compounds is common in Assyr but rare in Heb [cf Gray, HPN, 200]. The meaning of the present form, if it be correct, is "at peace with God" [Hommel, AHT, 200, "my friend is God"]. LXX
E. W. G. Masterman SHEMA (yaiC, shema'):
(1) A Reubenite (1 Ch 5 8, BA, Sd/m, Sdma, Luc, Xeij.eel, Semeei) . See Shimei.
(2) One of the heads of "fathers' hou.ses" in Aijalon, who put to flight the inhabitants of Gath
(1 Ch 8 13, BA, ^di/.a, Sdma, Luc, Safiad, Samad);
reads 2aXa|i£T]\, Salamiel): Prince of the tribe of Simeon (Nu 1 6; 2 12; 7 36.41; 10 19). The genealogy of Judith (8 1) is carried back to this Shelumiel or Shelamiel, called there "Salamiel."
in ver 21 he is called "Shimei." The statement is very obscure and the whole incident is probably due to some marginal note.
(3) One of those who stood at Ezra's right during the reading of the Law (Neh 8 4, Sa^ates, ^Samaias). He is called "Sammus" in 1 Esd 9 43. Horace J. Wolf SHEMAAH, she-ma'a, shem'a-a (TOHTpn,
Horace J. Wolf SHEM, shem (DlC , shem; 2^|i, ,S'em) : The eldest
son of Noah, from whom the jews, as well a.3 the Semitic ("Shemitic") nations in general
1. Position have descended. When giving the
in Noah's names of Noah's three sons, Shem is
ha-sh'ma'dh; B, 'A|ia, Amd, A,'Za.\i.aa.,Sa?nad,h\ic.,
'A<r|iii, Asmd): A Benjamite, who was the father, according to the MT, of Ahiezer and Joash; but according to the LXX ulis, hui6s = 'fi (hen) instead
Family: always mentioned first (Gen 9 18; His Name 10 1, etc); and though "the elder"
in "Shem the brother of .Japheth the
elder" (10 21 m) is explained as referring to Shem,
of '35 (b'ne) of Joash alone (1 Ch 12 3), The
this is not the rendering of Onkelos. His five sons
original text may have read ypipn") 13 , ben y'ho-
peopled the greater part of West Asia's finest tracts, from Elam on the E. to the Mediterranean on the W. Though generally regarded as meaning "dusky"
shama' (cf yTSlSin , hdshama\ of 3 18); then a dittography of the following T\ (h) caused the error
(cf the Assyr-Bab sootm—also Ham—possibly =
(Curtis, ICC).
"black," Japheth, "fair"), it is considered possible
SHEMAIAH, she-ma'ya, she-ml'a (n'^,?!?©
that Shem may be the usual Heb word for "name
sh'ma'yah Jin 2 Ch 11 2; 17 8; 31 1.5; 35 9; Jer 26 20; 29 24; 36 12, sh'ma'yahu], "Jahveh hears"):
(shem), given him because he was the firstborn—
parallel to the Assyr-Bab usage, in which "son.
Shemaiah Sheol THE INTERNATIONAL STANDARD BIBLE ENCYCLOPAEDIA 2760
(18) A prophet (Neh 6 10-14, B, 'S.eixeel, Semeei, A, 'S.eixel, Semel), employed by Sanballat and Tobiah to frighten Nehemiah and hinder the rebuilding of the wall.
The name is most frequently borne by priests, Levites and prophets.
(1) B, 2a/X|Ha(as, Samraaicts, A, 2a/taias, Samaias
(2 Ch 12 5.7). A prophet who, together with Ahijah, protested against Rehoboam's contemplated wax against the ten revolted tribes (1 K 12 22-24 = 2 Ch 11 2-4). He declared that the rebellion had Divine sanction. The second Gr account knows nothing of Ahijah in this connection and introduces Shemaiah at the gathering at Shechem where both Jeroboam and Rehoboam were present;
(19) One of the 24 courses of priests, 16th under Zerubbabel (Neh 12 6,-XA, 2eMf'as, Semeias), 15th under Joiakim (Neh 12 18, 55 A, 'S,eixela, Semela), and 21st under Nehemiah (Neh 10 8, 'Safuiid, Samaid), mentioned in connection with the dedication of the wall.
(20) A priest, descendant of Asaph (Neh 12 35) (21) A singer (or clan) participating in the-dedication of the wall (Neh 12 36). (22) Father of the prophet Urijah (Jer 26 20, BA, 'SafiaLas, Samaias, S, Macr&s, Maseas).
it narrates that on this occasion Shemaiah (not Ahijah) rent his garment and gave ten parts to Jeroboam to signify the ten tribes over which he was to become king. (This versioa, however, is not taken very seriously, because of its numerous inconsistencies.) Shemaiah also prophesied at the invasion of Judah by Shishak (2 Ch 12 5-7). His message was to the effect that as the princes of Israel had humbled themselves, God's wrath against their idolatrous practices would not be poured out upon Jerus by the hand of Shishak (2 Ch 13 7). He is mentioned as the author of a history of Rehoboam (2 Ch 12 15).
(23) A false prophet who was upbraided by Jeremiah (29 24-32) for attempting to hinder his work. He is styled "the Nehelamite" and was among those carried into captivity with Jehoiachin. In opposition to Jeremiah, he predicted a speedy ending to the captivity. Jeremiah foretold the complete destruction of Shemaiah's family. (24) Father of Delaiah, who was a prince in the reign of Zedekiah (Jer 36 12). (25) "The great," kinsman of Tobias (Tob 5 13). Horace J. Wolf SHEMARIAH, shem-a-ri'a, she-mar'ya (H'J-j'QB , sh'maryah and 'in'JI^Tp , sh'marydhU, "whom Jahveh guards"):
(2) Son of Shecaniah (1 Ch 3 22, 2a/xam, Samaid), a descendant of Zerubbabel. This is also the name of one of the men who helped to repahthe wall (Neh 3 29, Ze^efa, Semela [&] [cf Curtis, ICC, in vs 17-24 of 1 Ch 3]).
(3) A Simeonite (1 Ch 4 37, B, Su^eciv, Sumeon, A, ^afialas, Samaias), identical, perhaps, with the Shimei of 1 Ch 4 26.27.
(1) A Benjamite warrior who joined David at Ziklag (1 Ch 12 5, B, 2afifia.paid, Sammaraid, XA, Sa/xapid, Samarid, Luc, 'Zatmpla!, Samarias).
(4) A Reubenite (1 Ch 5 4, B, Sefteei, Semeei, A, Xefieh, Semein), called Shema in ver 8.
(2) A son of Rehoboam (2 Ch 11 19).
(3) One of the sons of Harim who had married foreign wives (Ezr 10 32, B, ^aixapeid, Samareid, Luc, ^afuLpias, Samarias, i?A, Sefiapid, Semarid).
(5) A Merarite Levite (1 Ch 9 14; Neh 11 15, Xafiaid, Samaid), one of those who dwelt in Jerus.
(6) A Levite of the family of Jeduthun, father of Obadiah or Abda (I Ch 9 16, B, Xafieid, Sameid, A, Saiuks, Samias, called "Shammua" in Neh 11 17).
(4) One of the sons of Bani who had married foreign wives (Ezr 10 41, A, ^apapeias, Samarelas, B, ^a/iapfLd, Samareid, Luc, ^apaplas, Samarias).
Horace J. Wolf SHEMEBER, shem-e'ber, shem'5-ber (laspiB
(7) Head of the Levitical Kohathite clan of Elizaphan in the time of David (1 Ch 15 8, B, 2a/iaias, Sanialas, A, 'Sleixa.i.i., Semaid, H, Za^u^as, Samias; ver 11, B, Sa/ifas, Samias, A, Se/icia;, Semeias, S, 'Sa/j.ai, Samal). He may be the same person as (8).
shem' ebher) : The king of Zeboiim (Gen 14 2). See Shinab.
SHEMED, she'med. See Shemer, (4).
(8) The scribe (1 Ch 24 6), the son of Nethanel, who registered the names of the priestly courses.
SHEMER, she'mer ("l^ffi , shemer; 2«>T|p, Semer, Luc, 2^|i(i.T|p, Semmer):
(9) A Korahite Levite, eldest son of Obed-edom
(1) The owner of the hill which Omri bought and which became the site of Samaria (1 K 16
(1 Ch 26 4.6, B, Xaiialas, Samalas, A, Sa^cias, Samelas; ver 7, B, Sa^aai, Samal, A, 'Sefiela, Semela).
24, 'J'n^TU, sho7n'rdn). Shemer may be an ancient clan name. The fact, however, that the mountain was called Shomeron when Omri bought
(10) A Levite (2 Ch 17 8, B, SaMoras, Samouas, A, 'Zaij.ovlai, Samoulas). One of the commission appointed by Jehoshaphat to teach the book of the Law in Judah. The names of the commissioners as a whole belong to a period later than the 9th cent.
it makes one doubt that the city of Samaria was named after Shemer; the passage is questionable. The real etymology of Samaria roots it in "watch mountain" (see Stade, Zeitschrift, 165 f).
(Gray, HPiV, 231).
(11) One of the men "over the free-will offerings of God" (2 Ch 31 15, Se/xeef, Semeei). (12) A Levite of the family of Jeduthun in the reign of Hezekiah (2 Ch 29 14), one of those who assisted in the purification of the Temple.
(2) A Merarite (1 Ch 6 46 [31], S^mmw, -Smme?-).
(3) An Asherite (1 Ch 7 34, A and Luc,
'ZJiprjp, Somer), called "Shomer" in ver 32,
(4) A Benjamite (1 Ch 8 12, B, t-fifirip, Stmer; A, 'Zip.pTfp, Semmer, Luc, 'Sap.a.i.-^X, Samaitl); RV "Shemed," AV "Shamed."
(13) A chief of the Levites (2 Ch 35 9), called "Samaias" in LXX and 1 Esd 1 9. (14) A "chief man" under Ezra (Ezr 8 16), called "Maasmas" and "Samaias" in 1 Esd 8 43 44.
The Heb MSS differ; some read "Shemer," others "Shemedh." Horace J. Wolf
SHEMIDA, SHEMIDAH, shS-mi'da, SHEMIDAITES, shS-mI'da-its (S'T'^Tp, sh'midha'): A Gileadite clan belonging to Manasseh (Nu 26 32; Josh 17 2, B, Xvpapelp., Swmarelm, A, Se/iipa^, SemiraA, Luc, 2a/ii5de, Samidde; 1 Ch 7 19, AV "Shemidah," after whom the Shemidaites [Nu 26 32] were called).
(15) A member of the family of Adonikam (Ezr 8 13, B, Zafxala, Samaia, A, 'Safj.aeid, Samaeid; "Samaias" in 1 Esd 8 39).
(16) A priest of the family of Harim who married a foreign wife (Ezr 10 21), called "Sameus" in 1 E,sd 9 21.
(17) A layman of the family of Harim who married a foreign wife (Ezr 10 31), called "Sabbeus" in 1 Esd 9 32.
SHEMINITH,shem'i-nith. See Music; Psalms.
2761 THE INTERNATIONAL STANDARD BIBLE ENCYCLOPAEDIA Shemaiah Sheol
SHEMIRAMOTH, shg-mir'a-mpth, shS-mi'ramoth, shem-i-ra'moth (ni'an^ttllj , sh'miranwlh; in 2 Ch 17 8, Knhibh tTna^TaTS ; 2€|iti.pttpL(49, Semeiram6th): The name of a Levitical family. In 1 Ch 15 18.20; 16 5 Shemiramoth is hsted among the names of David's choirs; in 2 Ch 17 8 the same name is given among the Levites delegated by Jehoshaphat to teach the Law in the cities of Judah. Accordmg to Schrader (KAT [2], 366) the name is to be identified with the Assyr Sammuramat; the latter occurs as a woman's name on the monuments, more esp. on the statues of Nebo from Nimrod. Another suggestion is that Shemiramoth was ongmally a place-name meaning "image of Shemu-am" ( = name of Ram or "the Exalted One").
writings, and putting "grave" in the margin ("hell"
is retained in Isa 14). Cf their "Preface." The American Revisers more properly use "Sheol" throughout. The etymology of the word is uncertain. A favorite derivation is from shd'al, "to ask"
(cf Prov 1 12; 27 20; 30 15.16; Isa 5 14; Hab 2 6); others prefer the V sha'al, "to be hollow." The Babylonians are said to have a similar word Sualu, though this is questioned by some.
Into Sheol, when life is ended, the dead are gathered in their tribes and families. Hence the expression frequently occurring in the 2. Abode of Pent, "to be gathered to one's people," the Dead "to go to one's fathers," etc (Gen 15 15; 25 8.17; 49 33; Nu 20 24.28; 31 2; Dt 32 50; 34 5). It is figured as an rtrtderworld (Isa 44 23; Ezk 26 20, etc), and is described by other terms, as "the pit" (Job 33 24; Ps 28 1; 30 3; Prov 1 12; Isa 38 18, etc), Abaddon (q.v.) or Destruction (Job 26 6; 28 22; Prov 15 11), the place of "silence" (Ps 94 17; 115 17), "the land of darkness and the shadow of d-eath" (Job 10 21 f). It is, as the antithesis of the living condition, the synonym for everything that
HoHACB J. Wolf SHEMITES, shem'its. See Semites. SHEMUEL, shS-mu'el, shem'a-el (bi^ltl©, sh'mu'el, "name of God" [?] [1 Ch 6 33 (18)']; RV Samuel, the prophet [see Samuel]; of Gray, HPN. 200, n. 3):
(1) The Simeonite appointed to assist in the division of the land (Nu 34 20). The MT should be emended to bx^isbffi, sMuml'el, to correspond with the fonn found in 1 6; 2 12; 7 36.41; 10 19. LXX has uniformly SaAii;iu^X, Salamitl.
is gloomy, inert, insubstantial (the abode of Rephaim, "shades,'' Job 26 5; Prov 2 18; 21 16; Isa 14 9; 26 14). It is a "land of forgetfulness," where God's "wonders" are unknown (Ps 88 10-12). There is no remembrance or praise of God (Ps 6 5; 88 12; 115 17, etc). In its darkness, stillness, powerlessness, lack of knowledge and inactivity, it
(2) Grandson of Issachar (1 Ch 7 2) (B, 'I<roAM)ufl\ IsamoniM, A and Luc, 'ZaiwvqK, SamovM).
SHEN, shen ("ffln, ha-shen, "the tooth" or "peak"; tt)s iraXaias, tis palaids): A place named only in 1 S 7 12 to indicate the position of the stone set up by Samuel in connection with the victory over the Philis, "between Mizpah and Shen." LXX evidently read yashan, "old." Probably we should here read y'shanah, as in 2 Ch 13 19 (OHL, S.V.). Then it may be represented by 'Ain Slnia, to the N. of Beilin.
is a true abode of death (see Death); hence is regarded by the living with shrinking, horror and dismay (Ps 39 13; Isa 38 17-19), though to the weary and troubled it may present the aspect of a welcome rest or sleep (Job 3 17-22; 14 12 f). The Gr idea of Hades was not dissimilar.
(1) Not a state of unconsciousness.—Yet it would be a mistake to infer, because of these strong and sometimes poetically heightened contrasts to the world of the living, that Sheol was conceived of as absolutely a place without consciousness, or some dim remembrance of the world above. This is not the case. Necromancy rested on the idea that there was some communication between the world above and the world below (Dt 18 11); a Samuel could be summoned from the dead (1 S 28 11-15); Sheol from beneath was stirred at the descent of the king of Babylon (Isa 14 9 ff). The state is rather that of slumbrous semi-consciousness and enfeebled existence from which in a partial way the spirit might temporarily be aroused. Such conceptions, it need hardly be said, did not rest on revelation, but were rather the natural ideas formed of the future state, in contrast with Ufe in the body, in the absence of revelation.
SHENA-ZAR, shg-na'zar: AV = RV Shenazzab (q.v.).
SHENAZZAR, shg-naz'ar (1?S?51|j , shen'ai(ar)
A son of Jeconiah (Jehoiachin) and uncle of Zerubbabel (1 Ch 3 18, BA, Xdvea-ap, Sdnesar, Luc, Sdrao-ap, Sdnasar, Vulg Sennaser, Senneser). It is highly probable that Sheshbazzar (Ezr 1 8.11), "the prince of Judah," and Shenazzar are identical (so Meyer, Rothstein, etcj. The name is difficult; some suggest a corruption of "iSKbllBIIT shushbalag^ar, and as equivalent to Sin-usur, "Sin [the moon-god] protect."
(2) Not removed from God's jurisdiction.—It would be yet more erroneous to speak with Dr. Charles (Eschatology, 35 ff) of Sheol as a region "quite independent of Yahwe, and outside the sphere of His rule." "Sheol is naked before God," says Job, "and Abaddon hath no covering" (26 6). "If I make my bed in Sheol," says the Psalmist, "behold thou art there" (Ps 139 8). The wrath of Jeh burns unto the lowest Sheol (Dt 32 22). As a rule there is little sense of moral distinctions in the OT representations of Sheol, yet possibly these are not altogether wanting (on the above and others points in the theology of Sheol, see Eschatology OF THE OT)
SHENIR, she'ner ("liDTp , s'nlr, T'SIC , sh'nir)
Only found in Cant 4 8 (MT) . See Senik.
SHEOL, she'ol (biSlC, sh''dl):
1. The Name 2. The Abode of the Dead
(1) Not a State of Unconsciousness
(2) Not Removed from God's Jurisdiction
(3) Relation to Immortality
3. Post-caaonical Period
This word is often tr* in AV "grave" (e.g. Gen 37 35; 1 S 2 6; Job 7 9; 14 13; Ps 6 5; 49 14; Isa 14 11, etc) or "hell" (e.g. Dt 32
1. The 22; Ps 9 17; 18 5; Isa 14 9; Am Name 9 2, etc); in 3 places by "pit" (Nu 16 30.33; Job 17 16). It means really the unseen world, the state or abode of the dead, and
(3) Relation to immortality.—To apprehend fully the OT conception of Sheol one niust view it in its relation to the idea of death as something unnatural and abnormal for man; a result of sin. The believer's hope for the future, so far as this had place, was not prolonged existence in Sheol, but deliverance from it and restoration to new life in
is the equivalent of the Gr Hdides, by which word
it is tr'' in LXX. The Eng. Revisers have acted somewhat inconsistently in leaving "grave" or "pit"
in the historical books and putting "Sheol" in the margin, while substituting "Sheol" in the poetical
Shepham Shepherd THE INTERNATIONAL STANDARD BIBLE ENCYCLOPAEDIA 2762
lands" of Scotland, "which likewise are not entirely
God's presence (Job 14 13-15; 19 25-27; Ps 16 10.11; 17 15; 49 15; 73 24-26; see Immortality; ESCHATOLOGY OF THE OT; ReSUKRECTION) . Dr. Charles probably goes too far in thinking of Sheol in Pss 49 and 73 as "the future abode of the wicked only; heaven as that of the righteous" (op.
plain, but have their groups and ranges of hills" (HGHL, 203). In the wide sense the Shephelah included the territory originally given to the tribe
of Dan, and also a considerable part of Western and Southwestern Judaea. At an early day the
tribes of Dan and Simeon were practically absorbed by Judah, and hence we find in Josh 15 many cities
cit., 74) ; but different destinies are clearly indicated. There is no doubt, at all events, that in the postcanonical Jewish lit. (Apoc and apocalyptic) a very
in the Shephelah which belonged to that tribe (LB, I, 211).
considerable development is manifest 3. Postin the idea of Sheol. Distinction canonical between good and bad in Israel is emPeriod phasized; Sheol becomes for certain classes an intermediate state between death and resurrection; for the wicked and for Gentiles it is nearly a synonym for Gehenna (hell). For the various views, with relevant lit. on the whole subject, see Eschatology of the NT; also Death; Hades; Hell, etc. Jambs Orr
(1) The sites of many ancient cities named in the Shephelah have been identified. They all he within the strip of hill country that
2. Districts runs along the western base of the and mountains of Judah, terminating in Features the N. at the Valley of Aijalon. Once indeed the name appears to apply to the low hills N. of this (Josh 11 16, 'the mount of Israel and its Shephelah'). Every other reference applies only to the S.
SHEPHAM, she'fam (DSU5 , sh'pham; 2€ir<|)d|iap, Sepphdmar) : A place, probably a hiU town, on the ideal eastern boundary of Israel, named in Nu 34
Principal G. A. Smith has pointed out the diflference between the district to the N. and that to the S. o( Aijalon (HGHL. 203 11). "North of Ajalon the low hills which run out on Sharon are connected with the high mountains behind them. You ascend to the latter from Sharon either by long sloping ridges, such as that wliich today carries the telegraph wire and the high road from Jaffa to Ndhlus; or else you chmb up terraces, such as the succession of ranges closely built upon one another by which the country rises from Lydda to Bethel. That
10, but omitted in Ezk 47 15-18. It lay between Hazar-enan and Harbel (MT "Hariblah"), which must have been in the neighborhood of Hermon. The word means a "naked" place, and doubtless indicates one of the barer midway ridges of AntiLebanon. It was probably the native place of Zabdi the Shiphmite, who was David's chief vine-gardener
is, the low hills west of Samaria are (to use the Heb phrase) 'dshedhoth, or slopes of the central range, and not a separate group. But S. of Ajalon the low hills do not so hang upon the Central Range, but are separated from the mountains of Judah by a series of valleys, both wide and narrow, which run all the way from Ajalon to near Beersheba; and it is only when the low hills are thus flung off the Central Range into an independent group, separating Judaea from Plillistia, that the name Shephelah seems to be apphed to them."
(1 Ch 27 27).
SHEPHATLA.H, shef-a-ti'a, sh5-fat'ya (n';tDD1p
sh'phatydh, "Jeh has judged"):
(1) A son of David, by Abital (2 S 3 4; 1 Ch 3 3).
(2) On the E. of the Shephelah, then, taking the name in this more limited sense, rises the steep waU of the mountain, into which access is gained only by narrow and difficult defiles. The hills of the Shephelah are from 500 to 800 ft. high, with nothing over 1,500. The formation is soft limestone. In the valleys and upland plains there is much excellent land which supports a fairly good population
(2) A Benjamite, father of Mcshullam, of Jerus
(1 Ch 9 S).
(3) A Benjamite, who joined David at Ziklag
(1 Ch 12 5).
(4) A prince of the Simeonites in the time of David (1 Ch 27 16).
(5) A son of King Jehoshaphat (2 Ch 21 2).
(6) A family, 372 of whom returned with Zerubbabel (Ezr 2 4; Neh 7 9); 80 more males of this family, with their head, returned with Ezra (Ezr 8 8).
still. Wheat, barley and olives are the chief prod-
ucts. But ancient wine presses cut in the rocks testify to the culture of the vine in old times. The district is almost entirely dependent on the rain for
(7) A servant of Solomon, 392 of whose descendants returned with Zerubbabel (Ezr 2 57 f ; Neh 7 59 f); "Saphat" in 1 Esd 5 9 and "Saphatias"
its water-supply. This is collected in great cis-
terns, partly natural. The rocks are in many places honeycombed with caves.
in 1 Esd 8 34.
The western boundary is not so definite as that on the E. Some have held that it included the Phili plain. This contention draws support from the mention of the Phili cities immediately after those of Judah, which are said to be in the Shephelah (Josh 15 45 S; these verses can hardly be ruled out as of a later date). On the other hand the Philis are said to have invaded the cities of the Shephelah (2 Ch 28 18), which implies that it was outside their country. In later times the Tahn (Jerus Sh'hhi'Hh 9 2) distinguishes the Mountain, the Shephelah, and the Plain. See, however, discussion in Buhl [GAP, 104, n.; and G. A. Smith, Expos, 1896, 404 ff).
(8) A Perezzite (Judahite), some of whose descendants dwelt at Jerus in the time of Nehemiah
(Neh 11 4).
(9) A son of Mattan, a contemporary of Jeremiah (Jcr 38 IJ. James Orr
SHEPHELAH, shef-e'la (n"5Sffin, ha-sh'phelah;
o-£(|>T]X.ci, sepheld, <ra<t>ii\a, sapheld): The word denotes "lowland," and is variously
1. Name rendered in AV. It is "vale" in Dt and Refer1 7; Josh 10 40; 1 K 10 27; 2 Ch ences 1 15; Jer 33 13; "valley" in Josh 9 1; 11 2.16; 12 8; 15 33; Jgs 1
9; Jer 32 44; "low plain" in 1 Ch 27 28; 2 Ch 9 27; "plain" in Jer 17 26; Ob ver 19; Zee 7 7; and "low country" in 2 Ch 28 18. RV renders uniformly "lowland." As the word always occurs with the definite art., indicating a distinct
The Shephelah is crossed by five wide valleys which furnish easy access from the plain. These are of importance chiefly because from each 3. The Five of them a way, crossing the "foss," Valleys enters one of the defiles by which alone armies could approach the uplands of Judaea. The hills of Judaea are much steeper on the cast than on the west, where they fall toward Philistia in long-rolling hills, forming the Shephelah.
district, it might have been well to retain it without
tr. The boundaries of the district are clearly marked and include much broken country; the
hills being low compared with the mount ains to the
E., but much higher than the plain that runs to the shore. If a tr was to be made, perhaps "lowlands" would have been the best, as apphed to the "Low-
(1) The most noteworthy of these is the Vale of Aijalon. It winds its way first in a northeasterly direction, past the Beth-horons, then, turning to the S.E., it reaches
2763 THE INTERNATIONAL STANDARD BIBLE ENCYCLOPAEDIA Shepham Shepherd
the plateau at el-Jib, the ancient Gibeon, fully 5 miles N.W. of Jerus. This is the easiest of all the avenues leading from the plain to the hcifchts, and it is the one along which the tides of battle most frequently rolled from the days of Joshua (Josh 10 12) to those of the Maccabees (1 Mace 3 ISfT, etc). It occupies also a promment place in the records of the Crusades,
Ezk 34 12), but, more often he delegates the work to
his children (Gen 29 9; 1 S 16 19; 17 15) or rela-
tives (Gen 31 6). In such cases the sheep have good care because the keepers have a personal in-
terest in the well-being of the animals, but when they are attended by a hireling (1 S 17 20) the
oi,'^^,- Vt^H, m-^urar. the Valley of Sorek, crosses the Hnephelah S. of Gezer. and pursues a tortuous course past Beth-shemesh and Kiriath-jearim to the plateau S.W. of Jerus. This is the hne followed by the JattaJerus Railway.
flocks may be neglected or abused (Isa 56 10.11; Ezk 34 8.10; Zee 11 15.17; Jn 10 12). The
chief care of the shepherd is to see that the sheep find plenty to eat and drink. The flocks are not fed in pens or folds, but, summer and winter, must depend upon foraging for their sustenance (Ps 23 2). In the winter of 1910-11 an unprecedented storm ravaged Northern Syria. It was accompanied by a snowfall of more than 3 ft., which covered the ground for weeks. During that time, hundreds of thousands of sheep and goats perished, not so much from the cold as from the fact that they could get no food. Goats hunt out the best feeding-
(3) WMy es-Sunt runs eastward from the N. of Tell ea-!}afi.eh (Gath) up the Vale of Elah to its confluence with W&dy es-liur which comes in from the S. near Khirbet Shuweikeh (Socoh) ; and from that point, as Wddy elJtady, pursues its way S. of Timnah to the uplands W. ol Bethlehem.
(4) W&dy el-'Afranj crosses the plain from Ashdod (Esdud), pa.sses Beit Jibrln (Eloutheropolis), and winds up through the mountains toward Hebron.
(5) Wady el-Hesy, from the sea about 7 miles N. of Gaza, runs eastward with many windings, passes to the N. of Lachish, and finds its way to the plateau some 6 miles S.W. of Hebron.
Shephbrd and Sheep.
grounds, but sheep are more helpless and have to be led to their food (cf Nu 27 16.17); nor do they possess the instinct of many other animals for finding their way home (cf Ezk 34 6-8). Flocks should be watered at least once a day. Where there are springs or streams this is an easy matter. Frequently the nearest water is hours away. One needs to travel in the dry places in Syria or Pal, and then enter the watered valleys like those in Edom where the flocks are constantly being led for water, to appreciate the Psalmist's words, "He leadeth me beside still waters." Sometimes water can be obtained by digging shallow wells (Gen 26 18-22. 25.32). The shepherd frequently carries with him a pail from which the sheep can drink when the water is not accessible to them. On the mountain tops the melting snows supply the needed water. In other districts it is drawn from deep wells (Gen 29 2; Jn 4 6). The usual time for watering is at noon, at which time the flocks are led to the watering-places (Gen 29 2.3). After drinking, the animals lie down or huddle together in the shade of a rock while the shepherd sleeps. At the first sound of his call, which is usually a peculiar guttural sound, hard to imitate, the flock follow ofl to new
From the Shephelah thus opened the gateways by which Judaea and Jerus might be assailed : and
the course of these avenues determined the course
of much of the history. It is evident that the Shephelah lay open to attack from both sides, and
for centuries it was the debatable land between
Israel and the Philis. The ark for a time sojourned
in this region (1 S 5 6 f). In this di.strict is laid
the scene of Samson's exploits (Jgs 14-16). The
scene of David's memorable victory over the giant was in the Wddy e?-Sunt, between Socoh and Azekah (1 S 17 1). David found refuge here in
the cave of AduUam (1 S 22 1). For picturesque and vivid accounts of the Shephelah and of the
part it played in history see Smith, HGHL, 201 ff;
A. Henderson, Palestine, Us Historical Geography,
lgg4., W. EwiNG
SHEPHER, she'fer (ISlB , shepher, "beauty"): A mount near which the Israehtes encamped (Nu
33 23 f). See Wanderings of Israel.
SHEPHERD, shep'erd (H^T , ro'eh, "^yi , ro'i;
iroiii^v, poimtn, "a feeder"): The sheep owner fre-
quently tends the flocks himself (Gen 4 4; 30 40; of
Shephi, Shepho Sheshach THE INTERNATIONAL STANDARD BIBLE ENCYCLOPAEDIA 2764
feeding-grounds. Even should two shepherds call their flocks at the same time and the sheep be intermingled, they never mistake their own master's voice (Jn 10 3-5).
arrive at the original form; the gentihc "Shuphamites" appears in Nu 26 39 (43).
SHERAH, she'ra. See Sheekah.
The shepherd's equipment is a simple one. His chief garment is a cloak woven from wool or made from sheepskins. This is sleeveless, and so made that it hangs hke a cloak on his shoulders. When he sleeps he curls up under it, head and aU. During the summer a lighter, short-sleeved ^aba or coat is worn. He carries a staff or club (see Staff), and a characteristic attitude is to make a rest for his arms by placing his staff on his shoulders against the back of his neck. When an esp. productive spot is found, the shepherd may pass the time, while the animals are grazing, by plaj'ing on his pipe (Jgs
SHERD, shurd. See Potsherd.
SHEREBIAH, sher-5-bi'a, shs-reb'ya (n';nn®,
sherebhyah, "God has sent burning heat"[?]; the form is doubtful) : A post-exiUo priest and family. Sherebiah, who joined Ezra at the river Ahava (Ezr 8 18; LXX omits), and had charge, along with eleven others, of the silver and gold and vessels for the Temple (ver 24, BA, Xapaid, Saraid, Luc,
Sa/3a(S(as, Sarabias). He aided in the exposition of the Law (Neh 8 7), was among those who made public confession (9 4) and sealed the covenant (10 12 [13]). His name also appears in 12 8.24. In every passage listed above except 10 12 (13), BA read 'Zapa^la, Sarabla, Luc, 'Zapafilas, Sarabias. In 1 Esd 8 47 the name appears as "A.sebebia," RV "Asebebias"; in ver 54, "Esebrias," RV "Eserebias," and 1 Esd 9 48, "Sarabias." Many of the companion-names on the lists are plainly ethnic (Chejme). Horace J. Wolf
5 16). He sometimes carries a sling {^a'p., kela')
of goat's hair (1 S 17 40). His chief belongings
are kept in a skin pouch or bag C?5 , k'li) (1 S 17 40). This bag is usually a whole tawed skin turned WTong side out, with the legs tied up and the neck forming the opening. He is usually aided in the keeping and the defending of the sheep by a dog (Job 30 1). In Syria the Kurdish dogs make the best protectors of the sheep, as, unlike the cowardly city dogs, they are fearless and will drive away the wild beasts. The shepherd is often called upon to aid the dogs in defending the sheep (Gen 31 39; 1 S 17 34.35; Isa 31 4; Jer 5 6; Am 3 12). Figurative: The frequent use of the word "shepherd" to indicate a spiritual overseer is familiar to Bible readers (Ps 23 1; 80 1; Eccl 12 11; Isa 40 4; 63 14; Jer 31 10; Ezk 34 23; 37 24; Jn 21 15-17; Eph 4 11; 1 Pet 5 1-4). We still use the term "pastor," ht. "a shepherd." Leaders in temporal affairs were also called shepherds (Gen 47 17 m; Isa 44 28; 63 11). "Sheep without a shepherd" tvpified individuals or nations who had forgotten Jeh (Nu 27 17; 1 K 22 17; 2 Ch 18 16; Ezk 34 5.8; Zee 10 2; Mt 9 36; Mk 6 34). Jesus is spoken of as the good shepherd (Jn 10 14); chief shepherd (1 Pet 5 4); great shepherd (He 13 20); the one shepherd (Jn 10 16). "He will feed his flock like a shepherd, he will gather the lambs in his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and will gently lead those that have their young" (Isa 40 11) is a picture drawn from pastoral life of Jeh's care over His children. A strong sympathy for helpless animals, though sometimes misdirected, is a marked characteristic of the people of Bible lands. The birth of offspring in a flock often occurs far off on the mountain side. The shepherd sohcitously guards the mother during her helpless moments and picks up the lamb and carries it to the fold. For the few days, until it is able to walk, he may carry it in his arms or in the loose folds of his coat above his girdle. See also Sheep. James A. Patch
SHERESH, she'resh (Tl5-jT» , sharesh; B, SoSpos,
Souros, A, 26pos, Sdros, Luc, 4>dpes, Phdres, *6pos, Phoros): A Maehirite name in a genealogy of Manasseh (1 Ch 7 16).
SHEREZER, she-re'zer (Zee 7 2 AV). See Sharezek.
SHERGHAT, shUr'gat, sher'gat, or ASSHUR, or ASSUR: The name of the first capital city of Assyria is known by the Arabs as Kala'at Sherghat, or the Fortress of Sherghat. Its ancient name was Asshur or Assur (Gen 10 11m). From it was derived the name of the country, Assyria, and of the people, Assyrians. The date of the founding of the city is not known. Apparently about 2000 BC a colony of Babjdonians migrated northward along the Tigris River and settled upon the right shore about haffway between the Upper and Lower Zab, or halfway between the modern cities of Mosul and Bagdad. Assur, the local deity of the place, became the national god of Assyria. It is uncertain whether the deity gave the name to the city, or the city to the deity, but probably an early shrine of Assur stood there, and the people, building their city about it, became known as the Assyrians. At first the city was a Bab dependency, governed by priests from Babylonia. In time, as the city acquired a political significance, the power of the priesthood decUned; allegiance to Babylonia ceased, and the Assyr empire came into existence. About 1200 BC the political power had so increased that a new capital, Nimrud (Calah) was built to the N. near the junction of the Upper Zab with the Tigris. In 722 BC the capital was transferred by Sargon to his new
SHEPHI, she'fi, SHEPHO, she'fo (^STlJ , sh'pM; B, 2u)(3, Sob, A, 2o)4)dp, Sophdr, Luc, 2air<)>eC, Sapphei [1 Ch 1 40]; or Shepho, iSTB, sh'pho; A, 2«<t>, Soph, Luc, 2u<t>dv, Sophdn [Gen 36 23]): A Horite chief.
city, Dur-Sharrukin, and in 705 BC Sennacherib enlarged Nineveh, and it remained the capital city
till the fall of the empire in 606 BC. Assur, however, as the seat of the national deity, never ceased to be the chief religious center.
The mounds of Assur are among the largest in Mesopotamia. They rise abruptly from the Tigris, which they follow for about half a mile, and extend a quarter of a mile inland. In the surrounding plain are other mounds, marking the sites of temples, and indicating that a part of the city was without the waUs. At the northern end the mounds are surmounted by a high conical peak, which represents the tower or ziggurat of the temple of Assur.
SHEPHUPHAM, SHEPHUPHAN, shs-fii'fam
or -fan (DElDTp , sh'phupham; BA, 2<o<()dv, Sophdn, Luc, 2o<t)4v, Sophdn (Nu 26 39 (43)]; or Shephuphan, TE^STl) , sh'phuphan; B, SucjjaptjxlK, Sopharphdk, A, 2o)<()dv, Sophdn, Luc, 2eir<j)(ifi, Sepphdm
[1 Ch 8 5], "a kind of serpent," Gray, HPN, 95): Eponym of a Benjamite family. The name occurs in Gen 46 21 as "Muppim" and in 1 Ch 7 12.15; 26 16 as "Shuppim." It is almost impossible to
Of the early excavators Layard and Rassam ex-
2765 THE INTERNATIONAL STANDARD BIBLE ENCYCLOPAEDIA Shephi, Shepho Sheshach
amined the ruins, but the fanaticism of the surrounding Arabs prevented extensive excavations. In 1904 Dr. W. Andrae, for the Deutsche Orientgesellschaft, began the systematic excavations which have been continued by Dr. P. Maresch for ten years. Discoveries of the greatest importance have been made. The city was found to have been surrounded on the land side by a double wall. The space between the walls, several rods in width, was occupied by houses, possibly the homes of the soldiers. The base of the outer wall was of stone; above it were mud bricks strengthened at intervals with courses of burned bricks. Along the outer upper edge was a parapet, protected by battlements. From the floor of the parapet small holes were bored vertically downward, so that the soldiers, without exposing themselves, might discharge their arrows at the enemy close to the base of the wall. Many of the holes are stiU visible. The wall was pierced with several gateways; the names "Gate of Assur," "Gate of the Tigris," "Gate of the Sun God" have survived. At the sides of the gateways were small chambers for the guards, and from them passageways led to the parapet above. The gates were reached by bridges which spanned the moat. Along the river side the city was protected by a high steep embankment, which was built partly of limestone, but chiefly of square bricks laid in bitumen.