7642. shabluwl
Lexical Summary
shabluwl: Snail, slug

Original Word: שַׁבְלוּל
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: shabluwl
Pronunciation: shab-LOOL
Phonetic Spelling: (shab-lool')
KJV: snail
Word Origin: [from the same as H7640 (שׁוֹבֶל - skirt)]

1. a snail (as if floating in its own slime)

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
snail

From the same as shebel; a snail (as if floating in its own slime) -- snail.

see HEBREW shebel

Brown-Driver-Briggs
שַׁבְּלוּל noun masculine snail (Shaph`el form, causing moisture, from notion of moisture or fluid in בלל); — name due to slimy trail Psalm 58:9, שַׁבְּלוּל תֶּמֶס יַהֲלֹךְ.

Topical Lexicon
Natural Background and Ancient Observation

In the land of Israel the common slug or snail is often seen in the early morning leaving a glistening trail, only to wither swiftly under the rising heat (compare Psalm 90:6). Ancient observers noted how the creature appears to “melt” as it retracts, its moisture evaporating until little remains but a translucent shell or desiccated skin. This striking sight furnished a vivid illustration of fragility and inevitable decay, well suited to the wisdom and lament traditions of Scripture.

Biblical Occurrence

Psalm 58:8 is the only verse that contains שַׁבְלוּל. David prays concerning violent rulers:

“May they be like a slug that melts away as it moves along; like a stillborn child, may they never see the sun.” (Berean Standard Bible)

Imagery of Dissolution and Divine Judgment

1. Rapid Disintegration – The slug’s body literally liquefies under the sun, portraying the speed with which God can bring the wicked to nothing (Psalm 73:19; Obadiah 1:15).
2. Powerlessness – Unlike the mighty beasts used elsewhere, the slug is defenseless. Its only “defense” is slime, a flimsy protection that evaporates. So the self-made defenses of evildoers prove futile when the Lord intervenes (Jeremiah 17:5).
3. Permanent Removal – David pairs the melting slug with the image of a stillborn child, emphasizing total absence of future influence. Wicked schemes perish without legacy (Job 18:17; Proverbs 10:7).

Relation to Wisdom and Poetry

Psalm 58 belongs to the imprecatory psalms, yet its imagery parallells themes found in Proverbs and Ecclesiastes:
Proverbs 11:21 – “Be sure of this: the wicked will not go unpunished.”
Ecclesiastes 8:13 – “It will not be well with the wicked, neither will he prolong his days.”

Shablul reinforces the moral order taught throughout wisdom literature: unrighteous power inevitably collapses.

Echoes in Prophetic and New Testament Revelation

Though the word itself is not repeated, the concept resurfaces:
Isaiah 14:11 – “Your pomp is brought down to Sheol… maggots are spread out as a bed beneath you.”
Acts 12:23 – Herod is struck by an angel and eaten by worms, a historical instance of public disintegration that mirrors the psalm’s prayer.
Revelation 18:8 – Babylon’s demise “in a single day” reaffirms the pattern of sudden collapse.

Historical and Liturgical Use

Early Jewish liturgies employed Psalm 58 in times of oppression, trusting God to overturn unjust rulers. Church fathers such as Augustine saw in the melting slug an emblem of earthly power dissolving before Christ’s kingdom. In Reformation hymnody, the verse underscored God’s vindication of persecuted believers.

Pastoral and Devotional Applications

1. Encouragement in Persecution – Believers suffering under corrupt authority can pray confidently, knowing that the apparent strength of the wicked is as perishable as a slug in the sun (2 Thessalonians 1:6).
2. Warning against Sin – Like moisture in a slug, life without God dries up quickly (James 1:11).
3. Cultivating Imprecatory Prayer – Psalm 58 teaches how to petition for justice without taking revenge personally (Romans 12:19).

Homiletical Insights

• Title: “When Slugs Meet the Sun” – A sermon on the certainty of divine judgment.
• Illustration: A children’s lesson comparing the snail’s fragile shell to worldly security (Matthew 7:26).
• Application: Call the congregation to examine any slimy compromises that would soon dissolve under Christ’s light (Ephesians 5:13).

Notes for Further Study

• Compare the Septuagint’s rendering of Psalm 58:8 (“κεράτιον”) for insight into how Greek translators perceived the creature.
• Explore rabbinic comments in Midrash Tehillim 58 regarding the slug as a symbol of wasted potential.
• Investigate modern Near-Eastern species, such as Limax flavus, to enrich background knowledge for teaching.

Forms and Transliterations
בלול שַׁ֭בְּלוּל bə·lūl belul bəlūl
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Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman's Concordance
Psalm 58:8
HEB: כְּמ֣וֹ שַׁ֭בְּלוּל תֶּ֣מֶס יַהֲלֹ֑ךְ
NAS: [Let them be] as a snail which melts away
KJV: As a snail [which] melteth,
INT: as A snail melts goes

1 Occurrence

Strong's Hebrew 7642
1 Occurrence


bə·lūl — 1 Occ.

7641
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