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 as H7667 (שֶׁבֶר שֵׁבֶר - destruction)]

1. grain (as if broken into kernels)

corn, victuals

The same as sheber; grain (as if broken into kernels) -- corn, victuals.

see HEBREW sheber

Word Origin
from shabar
Definition
corn, grain
NASB Translation
grain (9).

III. שֶׁ֫בֶר noun [masculine] corn, grain, as food stuff (perhaps broken, i.e. thresed, Hoffin^{ZAW iii (1883), 122} SS Siegf^{Neh 10:32}; > Kö^{ii. 1. 19 n} breaking out, i.e. sprouting (as chief fruit of soil); hence Late Hebrew שִׁבָּרוֺן price of corn); — ׳שׁ absolute Genesis 42:1 +; construct Genesis 42:19; suffix שִׁבְרָם Genesis 42:26, שִׁבְרוֺ Genesis 44:2; — corn, grain Genesis 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 בָּר) Genesis 42:3 Lag^{BN 230}; ׳כָּלשֿׁ Nehemiah 10:32 all kinds of grain.

Definition and Scope

Much 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, and Amos 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

In Genesis 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

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 šiḇrōwInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts