Lexical Summary mabush: Shame, disgrace Original Word: מָבֻשׁ Strong's Exhaustive Concordance secrets From buwsh; (plural) the (male) pudenda -- secrets. see HEBREW buwsh NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom bosh Definition private parts, genitalia NASB Translation genitals (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs [מבושׁ] noun [masculine] plural suffix מְבֻשָׁיו, his privates, that excite shame, pudenda, Deuteronomy 25:11. בַּז see below בזז. Topical Lexicon Biblical Setting The single occurrence of מָבֻשׁ is found in Deuteronomy 25:11, a law set within a series of statutes that govern Israel’s civil life. The statute addresses a scenario in which a wife intervenes in a physical struggle and “seizes his private parts”. The word translated “private parts” is מָבֻשׁ. The immediate penalty—“you shall cut off her hand” (Deuteronomy 25:12)—underscores the seriousness with which the Law safeguards bodily integrity and personal honor. Sanctity of the Generative Organs Throughout Scripture the reproductive organs carry covenantal weight. Circumcision (Genesis 17:10-14) marks the male member as the sign of the Abrahamic covenant. Any assault upon that member, therefore, is more than physical violence; it jeopardizes the very symbol of covenant continuity through offspring (cf. Deuteronomy 25:5-10 on levirate marriage). By identifying the assaulted area with a term linked to shame, Scripture highlights both personal modesty and the sacred role of procreation in God’s redemptive plan (Genesis 3:15; Ruth 4:13-22; Matthew 1:1-17). Modesty and Shame Language Hebrew vocabulary frequently connects nakedness, exposure, and shame. Isaiah 20:4 and Nahum 3:5 employ similar imagery to depict humiliation of nations. מָבֻשׁ belongs to this semantic field, reminding readers that unseemly exposure—or in this case, forceful grasping—violates the God-given dignity of the body. The text thus guards against both physical mutilation and the sinful impulse to degrade another’s personhood. Legal Principle of Proportional Justice The seemingly severe penalty aligns with the lex talionis principle (“life for life, eye for eye…,” Exodus 21:23-25). The hand that committed the assault forfeits its own function. This teaches Israel that protective intervention must remain within righteous limits. In a broader sense, it restrains vigilante impulses, insisting that even urgent rescue of a loved one submit to divine order. Moral and Ethical Applications 1. Respect for Bodily Boundaries: Believers are called to “possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor” (1 Thessalonians 4:4). Connection to Covenant Theology The Old Testament repeatedly binds physical signs to spiritual realities (Passover blood, priestly garments, Sabbath). Мָבֻשׁ, by pointing to the protected member, implicitly safeguards the line through which Messiah would come. Its lone appearance thus contributes to the tapestry of Scriptures that preserve the seed promise (Galatians 3:16). New Testament Resonance While the term itself does not recur, its themes echo: Such passages extend the Old Testament concern for bodily sanctity into the believer’s life in Christ. Implications for Modern Ministry • Teaching on sexual ethics must include respect for bodily boundaries and recognition of the body’s sacred purpose. Summary Though מָבֻשׁ occurs only once, it magnifies enduring biblical principles: the honor of the body, the protection of marital and covenantal integrity, and the necessity of righteousness in every action, even in a moment of crisis. Forms and Transliterations בִּמְבֻשָֽׁיו׃ במבשיו׃ bim·ḇu·šāw bimḇušāw bimvuShavLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Deuteronomy 25:11 HEB: יָדָ֔הּ וְהֶחֱזִ֖יקָה בִּמְבֻשָֽׁיו׃ NAS: out her hand and seizes his genitals, KJV: and taketh him by the secrets: INT: her hand and seizes his genitals 1 Occurrence |
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