Lexical Summary maor: Light, luminary Original Word: מָעוֹר Strong's Exhaustive Concordance nakedness From uwr; nakedness, i.e. (in plural) the pudenda -- nakedness. see HEBREW uwr NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom ur Definition nakedness, pudendum NASB Translation nakedness (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs [מָעוֺר] noun [masculine] nakedness, pudendum; — only plural suffix מְעוֺרֵיהֶם Habakkuk 2:15. Topical Lexicon Meaning and Semantic Range מָעוֹר signifies the exposure of the body that leads to shame and humiliation. While literally describing physical nakedness, the term also conveys dishonor, vulnerability, and moral disgrace when used figuratively. Its employment therefore points beyond mere nudity to the public shaming of a person whose dignity has been stripped away. Biblical Occurrence Habakkuk 2:15 stands as the single use of מָעוֹר: “Woe to him who gives his neighbor drink, pouring it from the wineskin until they are drunk, so that he may look on their nakedness!” (Berean Standard Bible). The prophet denounces those who exploit others through intoxication in order to expose and degrade them, indicting such behavior as deserving divine judgment. Historical and Cultural Background In the ancient Near East, clothing was integral to identity and honor. To uncover someone was an act of power meant to disgrace, often practiced against prisoners of war or social inferiors. The passage evokes a scene where a host or conqueror uses strong drink to disarm guests or captives, then violates the sacred duty of hospitality by stripping them of both garments and honor. Habakkuk’s contemporaries would have recognized this as a gross social injustice echoing the shaming tactics of oppressive empires. Prophetic Message and Theological Themes 1. Abuse of Power. Habakkuk links drunkenness with manipulation, exposing how sin compounds when one person’s indulgence tears down another’s dignity. Intertextual Connections • Genesis 3:7–10: Adam and Eve’s sudden sense of nakedness links exposure with guilt and alienation. The continuity underscores a biblical ethic that guards personal modesty and condemns humiliating others. New Testament Echoes • Matthew 25:36: Caring for the naked is evidence of true discipleship. These passages maintain the dual themes of resisting intoxication and covering the vulnerable, drawing believers toward holiness and compassion. Ministry Implications 1. Protecting the Vulnerable. Churches and families must actively safeguard individuals from sexual exploitation, abuse, and public shaming—both in person and online. Summary מָעוֹר in Habakkuk 2:15 spotlights a sin that weaponizes intoxication to strip away another’s honor. Set against the broader biblical narrative of dignity, modesty, and divine justice, the term serves as a sober reminder to honor the image of God in every person and to confront any practice that trades on humiliation for personal gain. Forms and Transliterations מְעוֹרֵיהֶֽם׃ מעוריהם׃ mə‘ōwrêhem mə·‘ō·w·rê·hem meoreiHemLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Habakkuk 2:15 HEB: הַבִּ֖יט עַל־ מְעוֹרֵיהֶֽם׃ NAS: So as to look on their nakedness! KJV: also, that thou mayest look on their nakedness! INT: to look on their nakedness 1 Occurrence |
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