שְׁבוּת or שְׁבִית shebut "captivity, group of captives" the similarity of sound between this word and שׁוב shub "return" made the combination a good one for poets speaking of a return from exile as in Am 9:14; Dt 30:3; Ps 14:7; 53:6; 85:1; Jer 29:14; 30:3, 18; etc. Ez 29:14; 39:25; Ho 6:11; Joel 3:1 (4:1 in Hebrew); Zeph 2:7; 3:20.