שֶׁבְנָא
Shebna or Shebnah, an Israelite
Definition
Shebna (or Shebnah) is a proper name referring to a high-ranking official in the royal court of King Hezekiah of Judah. He is specifically identified as the 'palace administrator' or 'steward over the house' (Isaiah 22:15), a position of immense trust and authority. Later, he appears demoted to the role of 'secretary' or scribe (2 Kings 18:18, 37; Isaiah 36:3, 22), indicating a significant fall from grace. The biblical narrative presents him as a figure of pride and misplaced confidence, whose fate serves as a divine warning.
Biblical Usage
The name Shebna appears exclusively in the historical accounts of King Hezekiah's reign during the Assyrian crisis. He is mentioned in parallel passages in 2 Kings (18:18, 26, 37; 19:2) and Isaiah (22:15; 36:3, 11, 22; 37:2). His usage shows a clear narrative arc: he is first rebuked by the prophet Isaiah for his pride in hewing a grand tomb for himself (Isaiah 22:15-19), and later appears in a diminished role during the Assyrian siege of Jerusalem, where he is part of the delegation that meets the Assyrian field commander.
Etymology
The name Shebna (שֶׁבְנָא) or its variant Shebnah (שֶׁבְנָה) is derived from an unused Hebrew root meaning 'to grow.' It likely carries the sense of 'vigor' or 'growth,' possibly describing a desired characteristic like robustness or prosperity. It is a personal name, not a title, and its meaning is tied to its Semitic root rather than a descriptive function.
Semantic Range
Shebna is a significant theological figure as a case study in pride, judgment, and God's sovereignty over human authority. Isaiah's prophecy against him (Isaiah 22:15-25) underscores that human ambition and self-glorification are futile before God, who humbles the proud and raises the humble (symbolized by the promotion of Eliakim in the same passage). His story illustrates that even high officials in God's chosen nation are subject to divine rebuke and that true security is found in God, not in one's own status or preparations.
As the 'palace administrator' (al ha-bayit), Shebna held one of the most powerful positions in the Judean monarchy, managing the king's household, treasury, and possibly aspects of governance. His act of preparing an elaborate rock-cut tomb was a display of extreme wealth and status, typical of high officials in the ancient Near East who sought to immortalize their legacy. His demotion to 'secretary' was a public and profound humiliation in a honor-shame culture, stripping him of his primary source of authority and social standing.
Eliakim (ʼElyāqîm, H471) — The faithful servant who replaced Shebna as palace administrator. Joah (Yôʼāḥ, H3098) — The recorder (or herald), another official in the delegation with Shebna during the Assyrian crisis.
Word Details
How this works
Hebrew definitions are from Brown-Driver-Briggs (1906) and Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (1890), both public domain. BDB was groundbreaking for its era but reflects 19th-century assumptions about Semitic etymology. Modern scholarship (HALOT, DCH) has revised many entries. Use these definitions as a starting point for exploration, not as the final word on a term's meaning in context.
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