Sheba

2 definitions found

From Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary [easton]:

  Sheba
     an oath, seven. (1.) Heb. shebha, the son of Raamah (Gen. 10:7),
     whose descendants settled with those of Dedan on the Persian
     Gulf.
     
       (2.) Heb. id. A son of Joktan (Gen. 10:28), probably the


     founder of the Sabeans.
     
       (3.) Heb. id. A son of Jokshan, who was a son of Abraham by
     Keturah (Gen. 25:3).
     
       (4.) Heb. id. A kingdom in Arabia Felix. Sheba, in fact, was
     Saba in Southern Arabia, the Sabaeans of classical geography,
     who carried on the trade in spices with the other peoples of the
     ancient world. They were Semites, speaking one of the two main
     dialects of Himyaritic or South Arabic. Sheba had become a
     monarchy before the days of Solomon. Its queen brought him gold,
     spices, and precious stones (1 Kings 10:1-13). She is called by
     our Lord the "queen of the south" (Matt. 12:42).
     
       (5.) Heb. shebha', "seven" or "an oak." A town of Simeon
     (Josh. 19:2).
     
       (6.) Heb. id. A "son of Bichri," of the family of Becher, the
     son of Benjamin, and thus of the stem from which Saul was
     descended (2 Sam. 20:1-22). When David was returning to
     Jerusalem after the defeat of Absalom, a strife arose between
     the ten tribes and the tribe of Judah, because the latter took
     the lead in bringing back the king. Sheba took advantage of this
     state of things, and raised the standard of revolt, proclaiming,
     "We have no part in David." With his followers he proceeded
     northward. David seeing it necessary to check this revolt,
     ordered Abishai to take the gibborim, "mighty men," and the
     body-guard and such troops as he could gather, and pursue Sheba.
     Joab joined the expedition, and having treacherously put Amasa
     to death, assumed the command of the army. Sheba took refuge in
     Abel-Bethmaachah, a fortified town some miles north of Lake
     Merom. While Joab was engaged in laying siege to this city,
     Sheba's head was, at the instigation of a "wise woman" who had
     held a parley with him from the city walls, thrown over the wall
     to the besiegers, and thus the revolt came to an end.
     

From Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary (late 1800's) [hitchcock]:

  Sheba, captivity; old man; repose; oath