שִׁפְלָה (shiph.lah)
shiph.lah
humiliation
H:N-FQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-F
Word Overview
The noun shiphlah describes a state of being brought low, encompassing both the abstract condition of humiliation and the concrete reality of a lowly place. It captures the experience of loss of status or dignity, often resulting from external forces that reduce one’s standing.
This word appears only once in the Hebrew Bible, in Isaiah 32:19. The context describes a forest falling on the city, causing it to be brought down into shiphlah. Here, the term illustrates physical destruction and the subsequent social or political debasement that follows such a catastrophic event.
Its usage highlights how biblical language connects physical vulnerability with social disgrace. The fall of a fortified place is not just structural damage but a profound lowering of its prestige, leaving it in a state of exposed weakness.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word shiphlah appears just once in Scripture, painting a stark picture of total reversal. In Isaiah 32:19, it describes a city being leveled as hail flattens the forest around it. This is not merely physical damage but a profound lowering of status and dignity. For those who rely on their own strength or security, such a scene reminds us that human fortifications are fragile.
Yet this single occurrence carries a quiet hope for believers. It shows that no earthly power is immune to God’s sovereignty. When pride builds high walls, humility often follows. This does not mean God delights in our shame, but rather that He brings down what opposes His justice so that we might look to Him alone. Our true security rests not in cities or strength, but in the One who holds all things together.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- and/ with <the>/ lowness1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- וּ/בַ/שִּׁפְלָ֖ה1×
Key Verses
-
Isaiah 32:19
though hail flattens the forest, and the city is leveled completely.
This verse uses shiphlah to describe the complete leveling of a city by hail, linking physical destruction with the loss of social standing and pride.