Shebarim

Fausset's Bible Dictionary

 Joshua 7:5. From sheber "a fracture," stone quarries near the slope E. of the town (Keil), or else a spot where were fissures in the soil, gradually deepening until they ended in a precipice to the ravine by which Israel had come from Gilgal, "the going down" margin, Hebrew Ηa-Μorad .

Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible

Shebarim . A place mentioned (  Joshua 7:5 ) in the description of the pursuit of the Israelites by the men of Ai. RVm [Note: Revised Version margin.] gives ‘the quarries,’ but the text is probably corrupt.

Smith's Bible Dictionary

Sheb'arim. (the breaches). A place named in  Joshua 7:5 only, as one of the points in the flight from Ai.

Morrish Bible Dictionary

Place to which the men of Ai chased the Israelites.  Joshua 7:5 .

Holman Bible Dictionary

 Joshua 7:5

Easton's Bible Dictionary

 Joshua 7:5

Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature

(Heb. with the art., hash-Shebarim', הִשְּׁבָרְי, the breaches, as often elsewhere rendered; Sept. συνέτριψαν; Vulg. Sebarim ) is given in the A.V. as the name of a place to which the Israelites retreated in the first attack of Ai ( Joshua 7:5). "The root of the word has the force of ‘ dividing' or ‘ breaking,' and it is therefore suggested that the name was attached to a spot where there were fissures or rents in the soil, gradually deepening till they ended in a sheer descent or precipice to the ravine by which the Israelites had come from Gilgal—'the going down' (הִמּוֹרָד; see  Joshua 7:5 and the margin of the A.V.). The ground around the site of Ai, on any hypothesis of its locality, was very much of this character. Keil (Josua, ad loc.) interprets Shebarim by ‘ stone quarries;' but this does not appear to be supported by other commentators or by lexicographers. The ancient interpreters (Sept., Targ., and Syr.) usually discard it as a proper name, and render it ‘ till they were broken up,' etc." But this is opposed both to the use of the art. here — which seems to indicate a well known and specific locality — and to the fact that but few of the Hebrews were slain there. A minute examination of the locality would doubtless reveal some clue to the name. (See Ai).

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

sheb´a - rim , shḗ - bā´rim ( השּׁברים , ha - shebhārı̄m  ; ουνέτριψαν , sunétripsan ): After the repulse of the first attack on their city the men of Ai chased the Israelites "even unto Shebarim" (  Joshua 7:5 ). the Revised Version margin reads "the quarries"; so Keil, Steuernagel, etc. Septuagint reads "until they were broken," i.e. until the rout was complete. The direction of the flight was of course from Ai toward Gilgal in the Jordan valley. No trace of such name has yet been found.