Lexical Summary shuph: To bruise, crush Original Word: שׁוּף Strong's Exhaustive Concordance break, bruise, cover A primitive root; properly, to gape, i.e. Snap at; figuratively, to overwhelm -- break, bruise, cover. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origina prim. root Definition to bruise NASB Translation bruise (2), bruises (1), overwhelm (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs [שׁוּף] verb bruise (Late Hebrew id., Aramaic שׁוּף, שְׁפַף,  rub off, away, grind (Exodus 32:20 ᵑ7 ᵑ9 for טָחַן); see especially DrGn; > Di and others think "" form of I. שׁאף); — Qal Imperfect3masculine singular + 2 masculine singular הוּא יְשׁוּפְךָ ראֹשׁ וְּאַתָּה תְּשׁוּפֶנּוּ עָקֵב Genesis 3:15; אֲשֶׁרבִּֿשְׂעָרָה יְשׁוּפֵנִי Job 9:17; אַךְ השֶׁךְ יְשׁוּפֵנִי Psalm 139:11 meaning unsuitable, read perhaps with Ew and others יְשׂוּבֵּנִי cover, screen, me. שׁוֺפַךְ see שׁוֺבַךְ. שׁוּפָמִי see שְׁפוּפָם below שׁפף. I. שׁוּק (√ of following, meaning dubious; Arabic Topical Lexicon Overview of UsageStrong’s Hebrew 7779 (שׁוּף, shuph) appears four times in the Hebrew Scriptures (Genesis 3:15 twice, Job 9:17, Psalm 139:11). Each context portrays a sudden, forceful, and often violent encounter—variously expressed as bruising, crushing, or overwhelming. Though sparingly used, the verb anchors two vital theological strands: the redemptive promise of Genesis 3:15 and the experiential reality of human frailty before God’s sovereign power. Genesis 3:15 – The Protoevangelium “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed. He will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.” (Genesis 3:15) 1. Promise of Ultimate Victory The verse is widely regarded as the first gospel proclamation. The serpent’s head is destined for decisive defeat, while the woman’s seed (ultimately fulfilled in Jesus Christ) sustains only a temporary wound. The mutual “shuph” sets up a conflict in which the serpent’s blow proves limited, whereas the Messiah’s blow is fatal. 2. Continuity of Redemption The imagery unifies Scripture. From the serpent of Eden to the dragon of Revelation 20:10, the theme of crushing evil culminates when “the God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet” (Romans 16:20). The vocabulary of Genesis 3:15 therefore provides a lexical thread tying the beginning and end of salvation history. 3. Pastoral Implications The seed’s victory assures believers that sin and death, though presently aggressive, are already judged. This fosters confidence in sanctification and mission, knowing they operate within a account whose climax has been foretold. Job 9:17 – Human Frailty under Sovereignty “For He would crush me with a storm and multiply my wounds without cause.” (Job 9:17) 1. Job’s Complaint Job employs “shuph” to describe how the Almighty’s providence feels—like a relentless tempest. The same verb that promises victory over evil also captures the terrifying weight of God’s dealings with the righteous sufferer. 2. Theological Balance Scripture does not sanitize the believer’s experience. The crushing that liberates in Genesis may, in Job’s lament, leave the sufferer perplexed. Yet even here, the narrative points forward: Christ Himself was “bruised” (Isaiah 53:5) so that the righteous might find ultimate vindication. Psalm 139:11 – Futile Concealment from Omniscience “If I say, ‘Surely the darkness shall hide me, and the light become night around me,’” (Psalm 139:11) 1. Darkness That “Crushes” The psalmist imagines darkness attempting to shroud him, using “shuph” to depict oppressive concealment. Yet the next verse answers: “even the darkness is not dark to You.” 2. Divine Presence as Comfort What appears overpowering cannot thwart God's knowledge. Thus, the verb underscores the futility of hiding from the One whose light penetrates all cover. Intertextual Echoes and Development • Messianic Fulfillment: Isaiah 53:10 speaks of the Servant being “crushed” by the LORD, a deliberate resonance with Genesis 3:15 that unites atonement and victory. Historical Reception Early Jewish exegesis recognized the adversarial dynamic of Genesis 3:15 but often left its fulfillment open-ended. Patristic writers—Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, Augustine—explicitly identified the woman’s Seed as Christ, reading the dual “shuph” as prophecy of the cross and resurrection. Reformers such as Martin Luther treated the verse as the gospel in embryonic form, grounding justification by faith in the promised Victor. Practical Ministry Applications 1. Gospel Proclamation Preaching Genesis 3:15 establishes the continuity of redemption and underscores the certainty of Christ’s triumph. 2. Suffering and Lament Job 9:17 legitimizes candid lament. Believers can voice feelings of being “crushed” without forfeiting faith, knowing even the Savior shared this experience. 3. Spiritual Warfare The term encourages realistic engagement with evil. Victory is assured, yet conflict persists until final consummation. 4. Assurance of Presence Psalm 139:11–12 comforts those tempted to believe darkness can overwhelm them. The One who sees all will not lose sight of His children. Summary Though occurring only four times, שׁוּף (shuph) carries weighty theological freight. It frames the Bible’s first promise of redemption, articulates human distress under divine sovereignty, and highlights the futility of hiding from God’s presence. Across these texts runs a single trajectory: God’s decisive, crushing victory over evil, secured in Christ and applied to His people, assuring them of ultimate triumph, present comfort, and unshakeable hope. Forms and Transliterations יְשׁוּפְךָ֣ יְשׁוּפֵ֑נִי ישופך ישופני תְּשׁוּפֶ֥נּוּ תשופנו tə·šū·p̄en·nū teshuFennu təšūp̄ennū yə·šū·p̄ə·ḵā yə·šū·p̄ê·nî yeshufeCha yeshuFeni yəšūp̄əḵā yəšūp̄ênîLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Genesis 3:15 HEB: זַרְעָ֑הּ ה֚וּא יְשׁוּפְךָ֣ רֹ֔אשׁ וְאַתָּ֖ה NAS: and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, KJV: and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, INT: seed He shall bruise the head and you Genesis 3:15 Job 9:17 Psalm 139:11 4 Occurrences |
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is drive beast etc., carry on affairs; Ethiopic 
sustain; compare Arabic 
leg, especially shank, Aramaic שׁוֺקָא leg (rare), 
leg, thigh; connection dubious with Assyrian su‡u, street, Aramaic שׁוּקָא, 
, street, market-place (whence Arabic 
loan-word according to Frä187; but then 
= שׁ?), Palmyrene שוק id., Lzb373).