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ShemiramothAid to Bible Understanding
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2. One of the Levites whom Jehoshaphat sent out to teach the Law to the people in 934 B.C.E.—2 Chron. 17:7-9.
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ShemuelAid to Bible Understanding
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SHEMUEL
(She·muʹel) [name of God, that is, bearing the name of God].
The same Hebrew name is also translated “Samuel.”
1. Head of a forefather’s house; son or descendant of Issachar’s son Tola.—1 Chron. 7:1, 2.
2. Simeon’s tribal representative to the delegation that divided the Promised Land into tribal allotments; son of Ammihud.—Num. 34:17, 18, 20.
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ShenazzarAid to Bible Understanding
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SHENAZZAR
(She·nazʹzar).
Fourth-named son of Jehoiachin (Jeconiah), born during his exile in Babylon.—1 Chron. 3:17, 18; see SHESHBAZZAR.
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SheolAid to Bible Understanding
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SHEOL
(Sheʹol).
Sheol does not refer to an individual burial place or grave (Hebrew: qeʹver, as in Judges 16:31; qevu·rahʹ, as in Genesis 35:20), nor an individual tomb (Hebrew: ga·dhishʹ, as in Job 21:32), but to the common grave of all mankind.
In this regard the Encyclopædia Britannica (1965 ed., Vol. 11, p. 276) comments: “Throughout most of the Old Testament period . . . the Israelites thought of Sheol as the great democracy of all the dead. Sheol was located somewhere ‘under’ the earth. When ‘the breath of life’ had gone out of a man and returned to Yahweh from whom it originally came, and when his buried body had decomposed, the residue of his individuality slept in Sheol. The state of the dead was one of neither pain nor pleasure. Neither reward for the righteous nor punishment for the wicked was associated with Sheol. The good and the bad alike, tyrants and saints, kings and orphans, Israelites and Gentiles—all slept together without awareness of one another.”
While the Greek teaching of the immortality of the human soul infiltrated Jewish religious thinking in later centuries, the Bible record shows that Sheol refers to a place of unconsciousness in mankind’s common grave. (Eccl. 9:4-6, 10) Those in Sheol neither praise nor mention God. (Ps. 6:4, 5; Isa. 38:17-19) Yet it cannot be said that it simply represents ‘a condition of being separated from God,’ since the Scriptures render such a teaching untenable by showing that Sheol is “in front of” him, and that God is in effect “there.” (Prov. 15:11; Ps. 139:7, 8; Amos 9:1, 2) For this reason Job, longing to be relieved of his suffering, prayed that he might go to Sheol and later be remembered by Jehovah and be called out from Sheol.—Job 14:12-15.
Throughout the inspired Scriptures Sheol is continually associated with death and not life. (1 Sam. 2:6; 2 Sam. 22:6; Pss. 18:4, 5; 49:7-10, 14, 15; 88:2-6; 89:48; Isa. 28:15-18; also compare Psalm 116:3, 7-10 with 2 Corinthians 4:13, 14, and Jonah 2:1, 2, 6 with Matthew 12:40.) Abel appears to have been the first one to go to Sheol, and since then countless millions of human dead have joined him in the dust of the ground. It is spoken of as a “land of darkness” (Job 10:21) and a place of “silence.”—Ps. 115:17.
On the day of Pentecost, 33 C.E., the apostle Peter quoted from Psalm 16:10 and applied it to Christ Jesus. Luke, in quoting Peter’s words, used the Greek word haiʹdes, thereby showing that Sheol and Hades refer to the same thing, mankind’s common grave.—Acts 2:25-27, 29-32.
The Hebrew word sheʼohlʹ occurs sixty-five times in the Bible and in the Authorized Version has been translated thirty-one times “hell,” thirty-one times “grave,” and three times “pit.” The Catholic Douay translation renders the word sixty-three times as “hell,” once as “pit,” and once as “death.” Commenting on such use of the word “hell” in Bible translation, Collier’s Encyclopedia (1962 ed., Vol. 12, p. 27) says: “Since Sheol in Old Testament times referred simply to the abode of the dead and suggested no moral distinctions, the word ‘hell,’ as understood today, is not a happy translation.” Fortunately, more recent translations generally transliterate the word into English simply as “Sheol.” (See RS, AT, NW, and others.) There is no present English word that conveys the precise sense of the Hebrew term sheʼohlʹ. The generally accepted root meaning of the word is “to inquire, request or demand”, and, according to the Hebrew authority Gesenius, it basically means “the hollow place” that asks for or demands all without distinction, as it receives all the dead of mankind within it. More recently, Hebrew scholar L. Koehler would connect sheʼohlʹ with a root meaning “to crash into ruins.” (Journal of Semitic Studies, January, 1956, pp. 19, 20) During Jesus Christ’s thousand-year reign it is emptied and destroyed.—Revelation 20:13, 14, where Sheol is called “Hades”; see GRAVE; HADES; HELL.
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ShephamAid to Bible Understanding
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SHEPHAM
(Sheʹpham) [possibly, bareness, that is, a place naked of trees].
A site on the eastern border of the Promised Land, apparently no great distance from Riblah. (Num. 34:10, 11) Its location is now unknown.
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ShephatiahAid to Bible Understanding
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SHEPHATIAH
(Sheph·a·tiʹah) [Jehovah has judged, vindicated].
1. One of the Benjamite warriors who defected from Saul to David at Ziklag; a Hariphite.—1 Chron. 12:1, 2, 5.
2. The fifth son born to David while he was ruling in Hebron (1077-1070 B.C.E.). Shephatiah’s mother was Abital.—2 Sam. 3:2, 4; 1 Chron. 3:1, 3.
3. Prince of the tribe of Simeon during David’s reign; son of Maacah.—1 Chron. 27:16, 22.
4. A son of Jehoshaphat given many gifts and fortified cities by his father, later slain by his oldest brother Jehoram.—2 Chron. 21:2-4.
5. One of the princes of Judah who, on securing King Zedekiah’s permission to kill Jeremiah, had him thrown into a cistern; son of Mattan.—Jer. 38:1-6, 10.
6. Founder of a family in Israel of which 372 males returned to Jerusalem with Zerubbabel in 537 B.C.E., and 80 more, headed by Zebadiah, with Ezra in 468.—Ezra 2:1, 2, 4; 8:1, 8; Neh. 7:9.
7. A family of the “sons of the servants of Solomon” who also returned from Babylon with Zerubbabel.—Ezra 2:1, 2, 55, 57; Neh. 7:59.
8. A Benjamite, one of whose descendants is listed as living in Jerusalem after the Babylonian exile.—1 Chron. 9:7, 8.
9. A descendant of Judah through Perez and ancestor of one who lived in Jerusalem during Nehemiah’s governorship.—Neh. 11:1, 2, 4.
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ShephelahAid to Bible Understanding
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SHEPHELAH
(She·pheʹlah) [lowland].
A designation that is usually applied to the region of low hills between Palestine’s central mountain range and the coastal plains of Philistia. (Deut. 1:7; Josh. 9:1; 10:40; 11:2; 12:8; Judg. 1:9; 2 Chron. 28:18; Obad. 19; Zech. 7:7) The Shephelah was one of the regions of the territory assigned to Judah. (Josh. 15:33-44) Though attaining an altitude of about 1,500 feet (c. 450 meters), it is a “lowland” (compare Jeremiah 17:26; 32:44; 33:13 where shephe·lahʹ appears in the Hebrew text) when compared with the much higher central mountain range. The Shephelah was bordered by the Negeb on the S (Judg. 1:9) and the mountains of Samaria (beyond the low plain of Aijalon) on the N.—Josh. 11:16.
The valleys that divide the rolling foothills of this region served as natural routes for E-W travel. The Shephelah is fertile, and a temperate climate prevails there. Anciently the region was noted for its many sycamore trees and olive groves. It also provided pasturage for flocks and herds.—1 Ki. 10:27; 1 Chron. 27:28; 2 Chron. 1:15; 9:27; 26:10.
The Shephelah associated with the “mountainous region of Israel” (Josh. 11:16) is perhaps the hilly region between the mountains of Samaria and the plain of Sharon. This area is narrower and less distinct than the Judean Shephelah. There is no basis for viewing the distinction between Judah and Israel in the eleventh chapter of Joshua as an anachronism. A footnote in a commentary by C. F. Keil and F. Delitzsch observes: “The distinction . . . may be explained without difficulty even from the circumstances of Joshua’s own time. Judah and the double tribe of Joseph (Ephraim and Manasseh) received their inheritance by lot before any of the others. But whilst the tribe of Judah proceeded into the territory allotted to them in the south, all the other tribes still remained in Gilgal; and even at a later period, when Ephraim and Manasseh were in their possessions, all Israel, with the exception of Judah, were still encamped at Shiloh. Moreover, the two parts of the nation were now separated by the territory which was afterwards assigned to the tribe of Benjamin, but had no owner at this time; and in addition to this, the altar, tabernacle, and ark of the covenant were in the midst of Joseph and the other tribes that were still assembled at Shiloh.”—Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament (Joshua, Judges, Ruth), pp. 124, 125.
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Shepher, MountAid to Bible Understanding
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SHEPHER, MOUNT
(Sheʹpher) [beauty, elegance].
A mountain on the Sinai PeninsuIa at which Israel had a campsite. (Num. 33:23, 24) A tentative suggestion is Jebel ʽAraif en-Naja, to the S of Kadesh.
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ShepherdAid to Bible Understanding
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SHEPHERD
A person who tends, feeds and guards sheep or flocks of both sheep and goats. (Gen. 30:35, 36; Matt. 25:32) The occupation of shepherds dates back to Adam’s son Abel. (Gen. 4:2) Although looked upon honorably elsewhere, in agricultural Egypt shepherds were viewed with disdain.—Gen. 46:34.
Often either the owner, his children (both sons and daughters) or another relative cared for the flock. (Gen. 29:9; 30:31; 1 Sam. 16:11) Among the wealthy, as in Nabal’s case, servants worked as shepherds, and there may have been a chief or principal shepherd over the others. (1 Sam. 21:7; 25:7, 14-17) When the owner or members of his family shepherded the animals, the flock usually fared well. But a hired man did not have the same personal interest in the flock, which therefore suffered at times.—John 10:12, 13.
The shepherd’s equipment might include a tent (Isa. 38:12), a garment in which he could wrap himself (Jer. 43:12), a rod and a sling for defense, a bag for keeping provisions of food (1 Sam. 17:40; Ps. 23:4), and a long curved staff or crook used in guiding the flock.—Lev. 27:32; Mic. 7:14.
Nomadic shepherds, like Abraham, dwelt in tents and moved about from one location to another to find pasturage for their flocks. (Gen. 13:2, 3, 18) However, at times the owner of the animals remained at a certain location, his home or camp base, whereas his servants and/or family members traveled with the flock.—Gen. 37:12-17; 1 Sam. 25:2, 3, 7, 15, 16.
VOICE KNOWN BY SHEEP
The flocks of several shepherds were sometimes penned in the same sheepfold for the night, with a doorkeeper to watch over them. When the shepherds arrived in the morning they called to their flock, and the sheep responded to their shepherd and to him only. Walking ahead of the flock, the shepherd led it to pasture. (John 10:1-5) From personal observations in Syria and Palestine in the nineteenth century, W. M. Thomson (The Land and the Book [Grand Rapids, Mich., 1966, 3d printing], pp. 202, 203) writes: “[The sheep] are so tame and so trained that they follow their keeper with the utmost docility. He leads them forth from the fold, or from their houses in the villages, just where he pleases. As there are many flocks in such a place as this, each one takes a different path, and it is his business to find pasture for them. It is necessary, therefore, that they should be taught to follow, and not to stray away into the unfenced fields of corn which lie so temptingly on either side. Any one that thus wanders is sure to get into trouble. The shepherd calls sharply from time to time, to remind them of his presence. They know his voice, and follow on; but, if a stranger call, they stop short, lift up their heads in alarm, and, if it is repeated, they turn and flee, because they know not the voice of a stranger. This is not the fanciful costume of a parable; it is simple fact. I have made the experiment repeatedly. The shepherd goes before, not merely to point out the way, but to see that it is practicable and safe.”
Similarly, J. L. Porter, in The Giant Cities of Bashan and Syria’s Holy Places (1866), page 45 (as quoted by J. M. Freeman in Handbook of Bible Manners and Customs [1889], p. 429), observes: “The shepherds led their flocks forth from the gates of the city. They were in full view, and we watched them and listened to them with no little interest. Thousands of sheep and goats were there, grouped in dense, confused masses. The shepherds stood together until all came out. Then they separated, each shepherd taking a different path, and uttering as he advanced a shrill, peculiar call. The sheep heard them. At first the masses swayed and moved as if shaken by some internal convulsion; then points struck out in the direction taken by the shepherds; these became longer and longer until the confused masses were resolved into long, living streams, flowing after their leaders.”
In the evening the shepherd brought the animals back to the sheepfold, where he stationed himself at the door and counted the sheep as they passed beneath his crook or his hands.—Lev. 27:32; Jer. 33:13.
A RIGOROUS LIFE
The shepherd’s life was not an easy one. He was exposed to both heat and cold, as well as sleepless nights. (Gen. 31:40; Luke 2:8) With personal danger to himself, he protected the flock from predators, such as lions, wolves and bears, as well as from thieves. (Gen. 31:39; 1 Sam. 17:34-36; Isa. 31:4; Amos 3:12; John 10:10-12) The shepherd had to keep the flock from scattering (1 Ki. 22:17), look for lost sheep (Luke 15:4), carry feeble or weary lambs in his bosom (Isa. 40:11) and care for the sick and injured, bandaging broken limbs and rubbing injuries with olive oil. (Ps. 23:5; Ezek. 34:3, 4; Zech. 11:16) He had to exercise care when shepherding ewes giving suck. (Gen. 33:13) Daily, generally around noon, the shepherd watered the flock. (Gen. 29:3, 7, 8) If the animals were watered at wells, gutters in the ground or drinking troughs had to be filled with water. (Ex. 2:16-19; compare Genesis 24:20.) At the wells there sometimes were unpleasant encounters with other shepherds.—Gen. 26:20, 21.
The shepherd was entitled to a share of the flock’s produce (1 Cor. 9:7) and often his wages were paid in animals (Gen. 30:28, 31-33; 31:41), although sometimes also in money. (Zech. 11:7, 12) He might have to make compensation for losses (Gen. 31:39), but under the Law covenant no compensation was required for an animal torn by a wild beast.—Ex. 22:13.
What has been said concerning the shepherd can generally be applied to the herdsman. However, the occupation of herdsman was not restricted to tending sheep and goats. There were also herders of cattle, asses, camels and swine.—Gen. 12:16; 13:7, 8; Matt. 8:32, 33.
FIGURATIVE AND ILLUSTRATIVE USE
Jehovah is a Shepherd who lovingly cares for his sheep, that is, his people. (Ps. 23:1-6; 80:1; Jer. 31:10; Ezek. 34:11-16; 1 Pet. 2:25) His Son Jesus Christ is the “great shepherd” (Heb. 13:20) and the “chief shepherd,” under whose direction the overseers in Christian congregations shepherd the flock of God, willingly, unselfishly and eagerly. (1 Pet. 5:2-4) Jesus
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