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seb
שב
'seb' appears to be a nuanced word with a range of meaning around the idea of “resting” or “staying put”. It is in this context that it became the root word of the term “Sabbath”. However, things are not as straightforward as they appear.
Under the guise of several differing strong numbers the traditional interpretation has been stretched somewhat into a series of very similar but slightly different meanings: “abide”1), “remain”2), “stop”3), and “broken”4).
By application of affixes, this set is extended to include: “ripen”5), “consider”6), “scheme”7), “oath”8). The logic here is quite feasible; the act of abiding allows time for consideration, consideration becomes scheming, often ripening into an oath. A parallel etymological path brings us the the meaning “head of grain”9) (after having ripened) and probably also “staff or scepter”10) (as in a ripened stick of wood).
Inexplicably though, in a few11) instances, quite the opposite meaning has become the common interpretation - with the ostensible meaning of “hurry”12). This particular interpretation is highly dubious.
The idea of “Sabbath” stems from a novel interpretation beginning only in the book of Exodus and in the context of the Mosaic law. This also ties in with the number seven, another variant meaning of the same word 'seb' (seby, sebiyit)