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H7622 · Hebrew · Old Testament
שְׁבוּת
Shebut
Noun, feminine
Captivity; restoration; turning of fortune

Definition

The phrase "restore the fortunes" (shuv shebut) is one of Scripture's great restoration formulas. When Job's fortunes were restored (shebut, Job 42:10), when the exiles returned from Babylon (Psalm 126:1), when God promises to restore Judah (Joel 3:1) — all use this concept. Shebut captures the eschatological hope that God's ultimate word is not captivity but homecoming, not loss but restoration, not exile but return.

Usage & Theological Significance

Shebut (also spelled shevut) refers to captivity or the reversal of captivity — the "turning of the fortunes." It is a profound word of reversal: what was taken is returned, the exiled come home, the crushed are restored.

Key Bible Verses

Psalm 126:1 When the LORD restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dream.
Job 42:10 And the LORD restored the fortunes of Job, when he had prayed for his friends.
Joel 3:1 "For behold, in those days and at that time, when I restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem..."
Jeremiah 30:18 Thus says the LORD: "Behold, I will restore the fortunes of the tents of Jacob and have compassion on his dwellings."
Amos 9:14 "I will restore the fortunes of my people Israel, and they shall rebuild the ruined cities and inhabit them."

Related Words

External Resources

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