🔼The name Meshobab: Summary
- Meaning
- Restored, Returning
- Etymology
- From the verb שוב (shub), to return.
🔼The name Meshobab in the Bible
The name Meshobab occurs only once in the Bible. It's the name of one of the family heads of the Israelite tribe of Simeon (1 Chronicles 4:34). We don't know how he fits into the genealogy of Simeon, but he and his fellow clan leaders went to the "entrance of Gedor" (whatever that might be) and to the east side of their valley to seek pasture lands. They found wonderfully rich lands, and realized that they were standing on territory formerly owned by Hamites. During the reign of king Hezekiah of Judah, these men went to war against the Meunites and destroyed them and used their lands to herd their flocks (1 Chronicles 4:38-41).
🔼Etymology of the name Meshobab
The name Meshobab is a participle (of the kind that doubles the final consonant; hence the double ב (beth) at the end of our name), derived from the verb שוב (shub), meaning to turn back or to return:
שוב
The verb שוב (shub) tells of a reversal in motion; the point where an upward motion becomes a downward one, or vice versa, or a westward motion an eastward one, and so on. This very frequently occurring verb is mostly translated with to turn or return, and is often used to mean to convert or return to a more fruitful way of life, and hence to restore, to retrieve or even to abstain, to reply and to repeat. Noun שובה (shuba) means withdrawal; noun שיבה (shiba) means restoration, and noun תשובה (teshuba) means answer. Adjectives שובב (shobab), שובב (shobeb) and משובה (meshuba) mean backsliding, or transitioning from a positive to a negative way of life.
Verb ישב (yashab) means to sit (the act which occurs precisely in between a person's descent and ascent) or to remain or dwell (in between traveling to and from some place). Nouns שבת (shebet) and מושב (moshab) mean both seat or dwelling place. Noun תושב (toshab) means sojourner.
The verb שבת (shabbat) means to rest or cease activity, and the familiar noun שבת (shabbat) means a rest or stoppage. Noun שבת (shebbet) means cessation and is closely similar to the noun שבת (shebet), meaning seat, mentioned above. Noun משבת (mishbat) also means cessation. Denominative verb שבת (shabat) means to keep the Sabbath and the noun שבתון (shabbaton) denotes a sabbatical observance.
Verb שבה (shaba) means to take captive, or to put a halt to someone's preferred trajectory and coerce them to go somewhere else. Nouns שבי (shebi) and שביה (shibya) mean captivity or captives collectively, but with the emphasis on being moved somewhere rather than the static condition of being imprisoned. Likewise, the noun שביה (shebiya) means captive. Noun שבית (shebit) or שבות (shebut) means captivity but since the parent verb speaks of a sudden change of destiny rather than a particular destination, this noun may also be used to mean restoration. The noun שבו (shebo) describes some sort of gem, apparently a real "head-turner."
🔼Meshobab meaning
For a meaning of the name Meshobab, NOBSE Study Bible Name List reads Restored. Jones' Dictionary of Old Testament Proper Names proposes Returning. BDB Theological Dictionary does not interpret our name but does list it under the verb שוב (shub).