Lexical Summary parshedonah: The term is often translated as "mule" or "steed" in English translations of the Bible. Original Word: פַרְשְׁדֹן Strong's Exhaustive Concordance dirt Perhaps by compounding parash and parad (in the sense of straddling) (compare parshez); the crotch (or anus) -- dirt. see HEBREW parash see HEBREW parad see HEBREW parshez NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originof uncertain derivation Definition perhaps crotch NASB Translation refuse (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs מַּרְשְׁדֹ֑נָה noun [masculine] only ׳וַיֵּצֵא הַמּ Judges 3:22, read perhaps מֶּרֶשׁ foeces (ᵑ9 ᵑ7 NöUntersuch. 180 Bu GFM). פַרְשֵׁז see מַּרְשֵׂז below פרשׂ. Topical Lexicon Biblical Occurrence Parshedon appears once, in Judges 3:22, within the account of Ehud’s assassination of King Eglon of Moab. “Ehud plunged the dagger into his belly. Even the handle sank in after the blade, and Eglon’s fat closed over it, so that Ehud did not withdraw the dagger. And the waste came out” (Judges 3:21–22). Meaning and Imagery The word denotes human excrement. Scripture does not shrink from earthy detail when such realism serves its redemptive message. By recording the involuntary discharge of Eglon’s bowels, the narrative underscores the utter humiliation of a tyrant who had gloried in his own corpulence and power. Divine deliverance is portrayed not with sanitized heroics but with a scene that strips the oppressor of dignity and reminds readers that “all flesh is grass” (Isaiah 40:6). Historical Setting Moab had subjugated Israel for eighteen years (Judges 3:14). Ehud, raised up as a deliverer, gains private audience with Eglon under pretense of a tribute. The suddenness of the act and the vivid outcome captured by the term parshedon fit the judge-cycle pattern: covenant infidelity, oppression, cry for help, a Spirit-empowered deliverer, and a decisive—often dramatic—salvation. Theological Significance 1. Judgment and Shame. In Ancient Near Eastern thought, death accompanied by defilement signified shame before the gods. Israel’s God makes an open spectacle of Moab’s king, demonstrating that “those who honor Me I will honor, and those who despise Me will be disdained” (1 Samuel 2:30). Moral and Ministry Applications • God employs unexpected instruments—here a left-handed Benjamite and even the by-product of digestion—to accomplish His purposes (1 Corinthians 1:27). Intertextual Considerations Parshedon echoes other passages that connect physical uncleanness with spiritual reality: Christological Foreshadowing Ehud’s deliverance prefigures a greater Deliverer who would defeat evil through an unexpected, even shocking means—the cross. Just as parshedon exposed the emptiness of Moab’s power, the crucifixion exposed “the rulers and authorities, triumphing over them by the cross” (Colossians 2:15). What appeared ignoble became the instrument of God’s ultimate victory. Practical Lessons for Today Believers can rest assured that no enemy is beyond the reach of God’s judgment and that He can overturn oppression in a moment. The earthy detail attached to parshedon also cautions against a sanitized view of sin’s consequences. Deliverance is real, but so is the shame of rebellion; both truths call the church to humble gratitude and bold proclamation of salvation in Jesus Christ. Forms and Transliterations הַֽפַּרְשְׁדֹֽנָה׃ הפרשדנה׃ hap·par·šə·ḏō·nāh happaršəḏōnāh HapparsheDonahLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Judges 3:22 HEB: מִבִּטְנ֑וֹ וַיֵּצֵ֖א הַֽפַּרְשְׁדֹֽנָה׃ NAS: out of his belly; and the refuse came KJV: out of his belly; and the dirt came out. INT: of his belly came and the refuse 1 Occurrence |
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