שבר

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Hebrew

Root
שׁ־ב־ר (sh-b-r)

Etymology 1

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

Noun

שֶׁבֶר (shéverm (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

Verb

שָׁבַר (shavár) (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

Verb

שִׁבֵּר (shibér) (pi'el construction, passive counterpart שֻׁבַּר)

  1. defective spelling of שיבר

Verb

שֻׁבַּר (shubár) (pu'al construction, active counterpart שִׁבֵּר)

  1. (intransitive) to be shattered (broken violently)
Conjugation
Alternative forms

Etymology 2

Verb

שִׂבֵּר (sibér) (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

References

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

Further reading

Anagrams