referred to himself as the “fine shepherd,” one who really has compassion for the “sheep” and demonstrated this by surrendering his soul in their behalf. (John 10:11; see Matthew 9:36.) But as foretold, the striking of the “fine shepherd” caused the flock to scatter.—Zech. 13:7; Matt. 26:31.

In the Bible, the term “shepherds” at times denotes the rulers and leaders of the Israelites, both faithful and unfaithful. (Isa. 63:11; Jer. 23:1-4; 50:6; Ezek. 34:2-10; compare Numbers 27:16-18; Psalm 78:70-72), as well as of other nations. (Jer. 25:34-36; 49:19; Nah. 3:18; compare Isaiah 44:28.) At Jeremiah 6:3, the “shepherds” seem to represent the commanders of invading armies. The presence of shepherds with their flocks figures in a picture of restoration (Jer. 33:12), whereas Babylon’s desolation was foretold to be so complete that ‘not even a shepherd would make his flock lie down there.’—Isa. 13:20.

At Revelation 12:5, the ‘shepherding’ of the nations with an iron rod means their destruction.—Compare Psalm 2:9; see SHEEP; SHEEPFOLD.

SHEPHERDS’ BAG

See BAG; FOOD POUCH.

SHEPHO

(Sheʹpho) [bare (hill)].

A son of Horite sheik Shobal who lived in Edom.—Gen. 36:20, 21, 23; 1 Chron. 1:40.

SHEPHUPHAM

(She·phuʹpham), Shephuphan (She·phuʹphan) [horned snake].

A Benjamite who founded the tribal family of Shuphamites. (Num. 26:38, 39; 1 Chron. 8:5) Elsewhere called Muppim (Gen. 46:21) and Shuppim.—1 Chron. 7:12.

SHEREBIAH

(She·re·biʹah) [Jehovah has sent parching heat].

1. A prominent Levite who returned to Jerusalem with Zerubbabel in 537 B.C.E.—Neh. 12:1, 8.

2. A Levite descended from Mahli; “a man of discretion” who was summoned to join Ezra on his journey to Jerusalem in 468 B.C.E. (Ezra 8:17, 18) He is probably the same person as the ‘chief of the priests’ mentioned in Ezra 8:24, one of those entrusted with transporting to Jerusalem the valuable things contributed for temple use.—Ezra 8:25-30.

3. A Levite who assisted Ezra with reading and explaining the Law to the people assembled in Jerusalem after the wall was rebuilt in 455 B.C.E. (Neh. 8:2, 7, 8) Later the same month, they again convened and Sherebiah joined in proposing a “trustworthy arrangement,” which the nation ratified, promising to remain faithful to Jehovah. (Neh. 9:1, 4, 5, 38) This Sherebiah may have been the same Levite as No. 2 above, personally attesting to the covenant, or he may have been a representative of some family by that name, perhaps descended from No. 1 above.—Neh. 10:1, 9, 12; 12:24.

SHERESH

(Sheʹresh) [root].

A descendant of Manasseh and son of Machir by his wife Maacah.—1 Chron. 7:14, 16.

SHESHACH

(Sheʹshach).

Probably a symbolic name for Babylon. (Jer. 25:26; 51:41) One suggestion is that “Sheshach” means “copper-gated,” and this would fit Babylon. Still another view is that “Sheshach” stood for SiskuKI of an old Babylonian royal register. Sisku or Siska may have been a district of ancient Babylon. Jewish tradition, however, has it that Sheshach is a cipher for the Hebrew name Babel (or, Babylon), by the device known as “athbash.” According to this cryptographical system, the true name is disguised by replacing the last letter of the Hebrew alphabet (taw) with the first (ʼaʹleph), and the second-last letter (shin) with the second (behth), and so on. Consequently, in “Babel” each behth (b) would be changed to shin (sh), and the laʹmedh (l) to kaph (kh), thus becoming She·shakhʹ. The name “Sheshach” may also imply humiliation, for which Babylon was due.

SHESHAI

(Sheʹshai) [whitish].

Son of Anak and brother of Ahiman and Talmai. They inhabited Hebron at the time the twelve Israelite spies visited the Promised Land in 1512 B.C.E. (Num. 13:22, 28, 33) When Joshua’s forces were exterminating the Anakim from the land forty-five years later, it was Caleb’s special privilege to drive Sheshai and his brothers out of Hebron.—Josh. 11:21, 22; 14:10-15; 15:13, 14; Judg. 1:10.

SHESHAN

(Sheʹshan).

A descendant of Judah through Jerahmeel. Sheshan had no sons, so gave his daughter (probably Ahlai) in marriage to his slave Jarha in order to continue his line of descent.—1 Chron. 2:31, 34, 35.

SHESHBAZZAR

(Shesh·bazʹzar) [perhaps, ‘O sun-god, protect the Lord!’].

An appointee of King Cyrus over the first exiles returning from Babylon. As he led the Jews back, Sheshbazzar brought with him the gold and silver utensils that Nebuchadnezzar had looted from the temple. On arrival in Jerusalem, he laid the foundations of the second temple.—Ezra 1:7-11; 5:14-16.

Opinion is somewhat divided as to whether Sheshbazzar was the same person as Governor Zerubbabel or was some other individual. Shenazzar the son of King Jehoiachin mentioned at 1 Chronicles 3:18 is suggested by some in view of the resemblance between the two names, as well as Sheshbazzar’s title “prince of Judah” appearing in some versions of Ezra 1:8. (AS, RS) This theory is very weak, however, for the resemblance in names is not great, and Zerubbabel, a grandson of Jehoiachin, had just as much claim to the title “prince [chieftain, NW] of Judah” as an offspring of the first generation.

Some modern scholars, in attempting to identify Sheshbazzar and Zerubbabel as separate individuals, say that Cyrus first appointed Sheshbazzar as governor, but that later he was succeeded by Zerubbabel during the reign of Darius, and therefore the building of the temple is credited to Zerubbabel.

A greater likelihood, it appears, is that Sheshbazzar is the same as Zerubbabel, and the majority of scholars and reference works so connect the names. Note these points of comparison: In general, what is attributed to Sheshbazzar in the two passages where he is mentioned by name is elsewhere in effect credited to Zerubbabel. Both are called by the title “governor.” (Ezra 1:11; 2:1, 2; 5:2, 14, 16; Hag. 1:1, 14; 2:2, 21; Zech. 4:9) Zerubbabel is acknowledged as leader of the returning exiles; the name “Sheshbazzar” is not even found in this list.—Ezra 2:2; 3:1, 2.

In view of its meaning, the name Sheshbazzar seems to have been an official or Babylonian name given to Zerubbabel, as Daniel and others were given an official court name. (Dan. 1:7) “Sheshbazzar” is more typically Chaldean than “Zerubbabel.” In Ezra 5:14-16 an official letter is quoted, and in Ezra chapter 1 the official edict of Cyrus has just been quoted, perhaps giving rise to the use of such a possible official name in these passages.

SHETHAR

(Sheʹthar).

One of the seven princes of Persia and Media consulted by King Ahasuerus when Queen Vashti refused to obey him.—Esther 1:13-15.

SHETHAR-BOZENAI

(Sheʹthar-bozʹe·nai) [perhaps, delivering the kingdom].

An official, perhaps a secretary, associated with Tattenai the Persian governor “beyond the River” during the reign of Darius I (Hystaspis). (Ezra 5:3, 6; 6:6, 13) Shethar-bozenai came with Tattenai and others to Jerusalem, to register their objections to the Jews’ rebuilding the temple, which work Artaxerxes had banned. However, the Jews kept working in spite of the complaints while an appeal to Darius was made on the strength of Cyrus’ original decree to rebuild the temple. Tattenai and Shethar-bozenai and his colleagues then wrote a