שָׁבָה shavah

Hebrew word for “to take captive” · Strong’s H7617 · used 47 times in 42 verses

Explore it in the Word Atlas

Meaning

1) to take captive; 1a) (Qal); 1a1) to take captive; 1a2) captive (participle); 1a3) to lead captive; 1b) (Niphal) to be taken captive

How it is translated

Glosses given for shavah in context, with how often each is used:

• took captive 14
• captors 9
• will take captive 4
• had taken captive 4
• had been taken captive 3
• have been taken captive 3
• have taken captive 3
• like captives 1
• captured 1
• will it take captive 1
• take captive 1
• taking captive 1

Where it is used

Also in 3 more books.

Chapters where it is used most

1 Kings 8 (4), 2 Chronicles 28 (4), 1 Samuel 30 (3), 2 Chronicles 6 (3), Jeremiah 41 (2), Genesis 14 (1), Genesis 31 (1), Genesis 34 (1), Exodus 22 (1), Numbers 21 (1)

Forms

• וישׁבו 9
• נשׁבו 5
• שׁבו 4
• שׁביהם 4
• נשׁבה 3
• שׁוביהם 3
• וישׁב 2
• ושׁבום 2
• שׁבית 2
• כשׁביות 1

Words used with it

Words that share verses with shavah more often than their overall frequency would suggest:

• שְׁבִי shevi “captivity” 7
• אִשָּׁה ishshah “woman” 8
• שׁוּב shuv “to return” 8
• חָטָא chata “to sin” 5
• בָּזַז bazaz “to plunder” 3
• רַחֲמִים rachamim “compassion” 3
• גַּם gam “also” 5
• אֹיֵב oyev “enemy” 4
• מִקְנֶה miqneh “livestock” 3
• שָׁם sham “there” 5
• קָטָן qatan “small” 3
• שִׁבְיָה shivyah “captive” 2

Key verses

The verses using shavah that are most connected by cross-references (King James Version):

• Genesis 14:14 — And when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, he armed his trained servants, born in his own house, three hundred and eighteen, and pursued them…
• 1 Kings 8:46 — If they sin against thee, (for there is no man that sinneth not,) and thou be angry with them, and deliver them to the enemy, so that they carry them away…
• 1 Kings 8:47 — Yet if they shall bethink themselves in the land whither they were carried captives, and repent, and make supplication unto thee in the land of them that…
• 1 Kings 8:48 — And so return unto thee with all their heart, and with all their soul, in the land of their enemies, which led them away captive, and pray unto thee toward…
• 2 Chronicles 30:9 — For if ye turn again unto the LORD, your brethren and your children shall find compassion before them that lead them captive, so that they shall come again…
• Psalms 68:18 — Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led captivity captive: thou hast received gifts for men; yea, for the rebellious also, that the LORD God might dwell…
• Isaiah 14:2 — And the people shall take them, and bring them to their place: and the house of Israel shall possess them in the land of the LORD for servants and handmaids:…
• Isaiah 61:1 — The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to…
• Jeremiah 13:17 — But if ye will not hear it, my soul shall weep in secret places for your pride; and mine eye shall weep sore, and run down with tears, because the LORD’s flock…
• Jeremiah 43:12 — And I will kindle a fire in the houses of the gods of Egypt; and he shall burn them, and carry them away captives: and he shall array himself with the land of…
• Jeremiah 50:33 — Thus saith the LORD of hosts; The children of Israel and the children of Judah were oppressed together: and all that took them captives held them fast; they…
• Ezekiel 6:9 — And they that escape of you shall remember me among the nations whither they shall be carried captives, because I am broken with their whorish heart, which…

See all 42 verses in the Word Atlas

Hebrew and Greek text, tagging, glosses and lexicon definitions: STEPBible.org, Tyndale House Cambridge (TAHOT, TAGNT, TBESH, TBESG; CC BY 4.0), adapted. Counts follow King James verse numbering; a word counts each time it is written.