Lexical Summary
sheber: grain
Original Word:שֶׁבֶר
Part of Speech:Noun Masculine
Transliteration:sheber
Pronunciation:SHEH-ber
Phonetic Spelling:(sheh'-ber)
KJV: corn, victuals
NASB:grain
Word Origin:[the same asH7667 (שֶׁבֶר שֵׁבֶר - destruction)]
1. grain (as if broken into kernels)
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
corn, victuals
The same assheber; grain (as if broken into kernels) -- corn, victuals.
see HEBREWsheber
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom
shabarDefinitioncorn, grain
NASB Translationgrain (9).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
III. , as food stuff (perhaps
broken, i.e.
thresed, Hoffin
ZAW iii (1883), 122 SS Siegf
Neh 10:32; > Kö
ii. 1. 19 n , i.e. (as chief fruit of soil); hence Late Hebrew
price of corn); — absolute
Genesis 42:1 +; construct
Genesis 42:19; suffix
Genesis 42:26,
Genesis 44:2; —
corn, grainGenesis 42:1,2,19,26;
Genesis 43:2;
Genesis 44:2;
Genesis 47:14 (accusative of congnate meaning with verb),
Amos 8:5 (id.); so perhaps (for )
Genesis 42:3 Lag
BN 230;
Nehemiah 10:32all kinds of grain.
Topical Lexicon
Definition and ScopeMuch more than a simple reference to “grain,” שֶׁבֶר (sheber) functions in Scripture as a tangible sign of God’s providential care in famine, an economic commodity that tests hearts, and a spiritual barometer revealing covenant faithfulness or greed. It is used nine times and is always tied to the purchase or sale of food supplies.
Occurrences and Literary Setting
Genesis 42:1,Genesis 42:2,Genesis 42:19,Genesis 42:26,Genesis 43:2,Genesis 44:2,Genesis 47:14 record the buying of grain in Egypt during Joseph’s administration.Nehemiah 10:31 cites community resolve not to buy grain on the Sabbath, andAmos 8:5 exposes merchants itching for the Sabbath to end so they can sell it. These three groupings (Patriarchal narrative, Post-exilic reforms, and Prophetic indictment) trace Israel’s account from survival, to covenant renewal, to moral decline.
Joseph and the Preservation of Life
InGenesis 42–47, שֶׁבֶר highlights Joseph’s God-given wisdom to store grain ahead of the seven-year famine. “When Jacob learned that there was grain in Egypt, he said to his sons, ‘Why are you staring at one another?’” (Genesis 42:1). What follows is the brothers’ journey, the hidden identity of Joseph, and the ultimate reconciliation of the family. The word therefore anchors a narrative where physical provision becomes the stage upon which forgiveness, repentance, and divine sovereignty play out.
Economic Accountability and Sabbath Faithfulness
Nehemiah 10:31 presents שֶׁבֶר as an item the restored community promises not to purchase on the holy day: “When the neighboring peoples bring merchandise or any grain to sell on the Sabbath day, we will not buy from them on the Sabbath or on any holy day”. Grain commerce thus becomes a test of loyalty to God’s commandments and a guard against creeping materialism in a fragile post-exilic society.
Prophetic Exposure of Exploitation
Amos 8:5 quotes dishonest traders longing for the Sabbath’s end “so that we may sell grain,” manipulating ephah and shekel to cheat the poor. Here שֶׁבֶר unmasks covetous hearts. What once symbolized life in Joseph’s hands now reveals moral decay when handled without fear of the Lord. The same commodity that sustained Israel now indicts it.
Theological Themes
1. Providence: God supplies physical needs (Genesis famine narrative).
2. Testing: Scarcity reveals character—Jacob’s family, post-exilic Judah, and eighth-century Israel each face choices involving grain.
3. Covenant: Proper handling of commerce integrates worship and ethics; Sabbath laws regulate even necessary goods.
4. Justice: Manipulating grain weights draws divine wrath (Amos 8).
Christological and Typological Notes
Joseph, the distributor of שֶׁבֶר, prefigures Christ who offers the true Bread of Life. Just as grain was gathered into Pharaoh’s storehouses and dispensed under Joseph’s authority, so salvation is stored in Christ and offered “without money and without price” (Isaiah 55:1). The contrast between righteous provision (Joseph) and corrupt merchandising (Amos) magnifies the purity of the Gospel gift.
Ministry Application
• Steward resources with integrity; commerce is a sphere of discipleship.
• Honor worship rhythms that place trust in God over economic gain.
• Guard against exploiting the vulnerable in any transaction.
• Proclaim Christ as ultimate provision, using the Joseph account to illustrate gospel grace in famine-like circumstances today.
Key References
Genesis 42:1;Genesis 42:2;Genesis 43:2;Genesis 47:14;Nehemiah 10:31;Amos 8:5
Forms and Transliterations
בַּשֶּׁ֖בֶר בשבר הַשֶּׁ֔בֶר השבר שִׁבְר֑וֹ שִׁבְרָ֖ם שֶּׁ֔בֶר שֶׁ֖בֶר שֶׁ֜בֶר שבר שברו שברם baš·še·ḇer bashShever baššeḇer haš·še·ḇer hashShever haššeḇer še·ḇer šeḇer Shever shivRam shivRo šiḇ·rām šiḇ·rōw šiḇrām šiḇrōw
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