Lexical Summary shibanah: Captivity, Exile Original Word: שִׂבְעָנָה Strong's Exhaustive Concordance seven Prol. For the masculine of sheba'; seven -- seven. see HEBREW sheba' NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom sheba Definition seven (a card. number) NASB Translation seven (1). Topical Lexicon Form and Occurrence שִׂבְעָנָה appears a single time in the Hebrew canon, at Job 42:13, where it is rendered “seven” in the phrase “seven sons.” The unusual form intensifies the idea of completeness. Context in Job 42:13 “And he had seven sons and three daughters.” (Job 42:13) The verse stands at the climax of Job’s restoration narrative. After loss, illness, and testing, Job’s fortunes are reversed by the Lord (Job 42:10). The specific number of sons underscores the fulness of God’s recompense—nothing partial or tentative, but perfect and abundant. Biblical Theology of Seven 1. Creation and Sabbath rest (Genesis 2:2–3) set a pattern of divine completeness. Across the canon, the number gathers associations of perfection, wholeness, and the finished work of God. Job’s “seven sons” therefore become a theologically charged emblem of total restoration. Seven Sons Motif Other texts link “seven sons” with extraordinary blessing or, conversely, with devastating loss: Within this wider motif, Job’s seven sons proclaim that God has repaid the righteous sufferer beyond ordinary measure. Historical and Cultural Insights In the Ancient Near East, a large male progeny secured family continuity, economic strength, and social standing. After losing all ten of his first children (Job 1:18–19), Job is given an equal number, restoring honor and security in a way readily understood by his contemporaries. The three daughters, named and celebrated for their beauty and inheritance rights (Job 42:14–15), further magnify the blessing, yet the seven sons remain the numeric core of the passage. Ministry Significance 1. Assurance of Divine Completion: Believers facing protracted trials may look to Job 42:13 as evidence that God’s purposes, though sometimes hidden, culminate in perfect completeness (Romans 8:28). Cross-References Genesis 2:2–3; Genesis 21:28–30 Revelation 1:12; Revelation 4:5 Forms and Transliterations שִׁבְעָ֥נָה שבענה shivAnah šiḇ‘ānāh šiḇ·‘ā·nāhLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Job 42:13 HEB: וַֽיְהִי־ ל֛וֹ שִׁבְעָ֥נָה בָנִ֖ים וְשָׁל֥וֹשׁ NAS: He had seven sons and three KJV: He had also seven sons and three INT: had seven sons and three 1 Occurrence |