Shavsha

SHAVSHA

shav'-sha (shawsha'; in 2 Samuel 20:25, Kethibh, sheya', Kere, shewa', English Versions of the Bible "Sheva," are refuted by the Septuagint; in 2 Samuel 8:15-18, in other respects identical with Chronicles, "Seraiah" is found; the Septuagint varies greatly in all passages; it is the general consensus that Shavsha is correct):

State secretary or scribe during the reign of David (1 Chronicles 18:16; 2 Samuel 20:25). He was the first occupant of this office, which was created by David. It is significant that his father's name is omitted in the very exact list of David's officers of state (1 Chronicles 18:14-17 parallel 2 Samuel 8:15-18); this fact, coupled with the foreign sound of his name, points to his being an "alien"; the assumption that the state secretary handled correspondence with other countries may explain David's choice of a foreigner for this post. Shavsha's two sons, Elihoreph and Ahijah, were secretaries of state under Solomon; they are called "sons of Shisha" (1 Kings 4:3), "Shisha" probably being a variant of "Shavsha."

Horace J. Wolf