שָׁבָץ (sha.vats)
sha.vats
agony
H:N-MQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-M
Word Overview
The Hebrew noun shavats appears only once in the entire Old Testament, found in David’s lament for Saul and Jonathan in 2 Samuel 1:9. In this single context, it describes a physical sensation that has "seized" or gripped him. The standard glosses translate it as cramp, agony, or anguish, pointing to a sudden, painful contraction of the body.
Its precise meaning remains uncertain among scholars, which is rare for a word with such a clear emotional weight in its immediate context. It likely refers to a violent spasm or seizure, perhaps triggered by overwhelming grief. The image is not merely of sadness, but of a physical force that immobilizes the person, capturing the intensity of David’s shock at the news of the king’s death.
Because it is a hapax legomenon—a word occurring only once—it offers no broader semantic range to analyze. Translators must rely on the immediate narrative context to decide between "cramp" and "agony." The word serves as a stark, visceral marker of how profound loss can manifest in sudden physical pain, grounding David’s poetic lament in a raw, human experience.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
When grief strikes, it can feel less like an emotion and more like a physical blow. In 2 Samuel 1:9, David uses a rare Hebrew word to describe this sensation. It is not just sadness; it is a violent grip that seizes the body, leaving him immobilized by shock. This image reminds us that profound loss often bypasses our words and strikes directly at our physical being.
You do not need to have all the answers when pain takes hold. The Bible acknowledges that sorrow can manifest as deep physical tension or anguish. Recognizing this reality validates your experience. It shows that raw, human reaction is part of how we process heavy burdens.
Even in the darkest moments, you are not alone in your suffering. David’s lament stands as a witness to honest mourning before God. May you find peace in knowing that your pain is seen and that hope remains anchored in Christ.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- <the>/ dizziness1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- הַ/שָּׁבָ֑ץ1×
Key Verses
-
II Samuel 1:9
He said to me, ‘Please stand beside me, and kill me, for anguish has taken hold of me because my life lingers in me.’
This verse uses the word to describe a physical seizure or cramp caused by overwhelming grief, illustrating how shock can immobilize the body.