שבר

Hebrew

Etymology 1

From Proto-Semitic *ṯabar- (“to break”). Cognate with Akkadian 𒊺𒁉𒀸 (šebērum) and Arabic ثَبَرَ (ṯabara, “to destroy”).

Noun

שֶׁבֶר • (shéver) m (plural indefinite שְׁבָרִים, singular construct שֶׁבֶר־, plural construct שִׁבְרֵי־)

1. break (a location where something has been broken)
   • Tanach, Leviticus 21:19, with translation of the Jewish Publication Society:

     אוֹ אִישׁ אֲשֶׁר־יִהְיֶה בוֹ שֶׁבֶר רָגֶל אוֹ שֶׁבֶר יָד׃

     O ish ashér yihyéh vo shéver rágel o shéver yad

     Or a man that is broken-footed, or broken-handed

   • Tanach, Lamentations 3:48, with translation of the Jewish Publication Society:

     פַּלְגֵי־מַיִם תֵּרַד עֵינִי עַל־שֶׁבֶר בַּת־עַמִּי׃

     pálgei máyim terád 'einí 'al shéver bat 'ammí

     Mine eye runneth down with rivers of water, for the breach of the daughter of my people.

   • a. 425 C.E., Jerusalem Talmud, Shevu'ot 6:

     מָה אֵילּוּ מְיוּחָדִין שֶׁיֶּשׁ בָּהֶן שֶׁבֶר וּשְׁבוּיָה וָמֵתָה, יָֽצְאוּ קַרְקָעוֹת שֶׁאֵין בָּהּ שֶׁבֶר וּשְׁבוּיָה וָמֵתָה.

     Mah élu myuḥadín she-yesh ba-hen shéver u-shvuyáh va-metá, yáts'u qarqa'ót she-ein bah shéver u-shvuyá va-metá.

     Since these are unique in that they are subject to breakage, kidnapping, and death, it exempts real estate which is not subject to breakage, kidnapping, or death.

2. shard (a piece of something broken)
   • a. 500 C.E., Babylonian Talmud, Shabbat 124b:

     מְגוּפָה שֶׁנִּכְתְּתָה — הִיא וּשְׁבָרֶיהָ מוּתָּר לְטַלְטְלָהּ בְּשַׁבָּת. וְלֹא יִסְפּוֹת מִמֶּנָּה שֶׁבֶר לְכַסּוֹת בָּהּ אֶת הַכְּלִי וְלִסְמוֹךְ בָּהּ כַּרְעֵי הַמִּטָּה.

     M'gufá she-nikht'ta — hi u-shvaréha mutár l-talt'l-ah b-shabbat. V-lo yispót mimménna shéver l-khassót bah et ha-kli v-lismókh báh kar'ei ha-mittá.

     A seal that was broken, it and its shards are permitted to move on the sabbath. But one may not break a shard from it to cover a vessel or hold up the legs of a bed.

3. (Judaism) a medium-short blast on a shofar (almost always plural)
   • a. 500 C.E., Babylonian Talmud, Rosh Hashanah 34a:

     אַתְקֵין רַבִּי אֲבָהוּ בְּקֵסָרִי: תְּקִיעָה, שְׁלֹשָׁה שְׁבָרִים, תְּרוּעָה, תְּקִיעָה.

     Atqín Rabbí Abáhu b-Qesarí: tqi'áh, shloshá sh'varím, tru'áh, tqi'áh.

     Rabbi Abahi established in Caesaria: one long blast, three medium-short blasts, one wavering blast, one long blast.

4. (archaic) food
   • Tanach, Genesis 43:2, with translation of Aryeh Kaplan:

     וַיְהִי כַּאֲשֶׁר כִּלּוּ לֶאֱכֹל אֶת־הַשֶּׁבֶר אֲשֶׁר הֵבִיאוּ מִמִּצְרָיִם

     vay'hí kaashér kilú leechól et-hashéver ashér hevíu mimitsráyim

     When they had used up all the supplies that they had brought from Egypt

Derived terms

• מֶכָנִיקַת הַשֶּׁבֶר (mekhanikát hashéver)

Verb

שָׁבַר • (shavár) third-singular masculine past (pa'al construction, passive participle שָׁבוּר, passive counterpart נִשְׁבַּר)

1. (transitive) to break (separate into pieces or create cracks in)
   • קוֹל יְהוָה שֹׁבֵר אֲרָזִים וַיְשַׁבֵּר יְהוָה אֶת־אַרְזֵי הַלְּבָנוֹן׃

     Qol Adonái shovér arazím va-yshabér Adonái et arzéi ha-Lvanon.

     The voice of the LORD breaketh the cedars; yea, the LORD breaketh in pieces the cedars of Lebanon.

2. (transitive) to break (cause to malfunction or stop working)
3. (transitive, archaic) to obtain food
   • Tanach, Genesis 43:2, with translation of Aryeh Kaplan:

     שֻׁבוּ שִׁבְרוּ־לָנוּ מְעַט־אֹכֶל

     shuúvu shivru-lánu m'at-óchel

     Go back and get us a little food

Conjugation

Derived terms

• שׁוׄבֶרֶת קֶרַח (shovéret kérakh)
• הַקַּשׁ שֶׁשָּׁבַר אֶת גַּב הַגָּמָל (hakásh sheshavár ét gáv hagamál)

Verb

שִׁבֵּר • (shibér) third-singular masculine past (pi'el construction, passive counterpart שֻׁבַּר)

1. defective spelling of שיבר

Verb

שֻׁבַּר • (shubár) third-singular masculine past (pu'al construction, active counterpart שִׁבֵּר)

1. (intransitive) to be shattered (broken violently)

Conjugation

Alternative forms

• שובר

Etymology 2

Verb

שִׂבֵּר • (sibér) third-singular masculine past (pi'el construction)

1. (intransitive) to wait
   • Tanach, Ruth 1:13, with translation of the King James Version:

     הֲלָהֵן תְּשַׂבֵּרְנָה עַד אֲשֶׁר יִגְדָּלוּ

     halahén t'sabérna ád ashér yigdálu

     Would ye tarry for them till they were grown?

Conjugation

Alternative forms

• שיבר

References

• “שבר” in the Hebrew Terms Database of the Academy of Hebrew Language

Further reading

• שבר on the Hebrew Wikipedia.Wikipedia ^he

Anagrams

• בשר