Lexical Summary topheth: spit Original Word: תֹּפֶת Strong's Exhaustive Concordance tabret From the base of taphaph; a smiting, i.e. (figuratively) contempt -- tabret. see HEBREW taphaph NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom an unused word Definition (act of) spitting NASB Translation spit (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs I. תֹּ֫פֶת noun feminine act of spitting; — absolute ׳לְפָנִים וְת Job 17:6 a spitting in the face do I become, i.e. men spit in my face ("" לִמְשֹׁל עַמִּים; Perles Baer Bu מֹפֵת לִפְנֵיהֶם). II. תֹּפֶת see תפת. Topical Lexicon Meaning and Semantic Range The term describes the act or evidence of spitting as a gesture of disdain. It portrays social humiliation, the visible mark of contempt whereby the sufferer becomes a living reproach. The picture is not simple revulsion but a public ritual of dishonour, turning the victim into an emblem of shame before the watching community. Biblical Usage Job 17:6 is the sole occurrence: “He has made me a byword among the people, a man in whose face they spit”. Job’s lament highlights how complete his degradation has become. Once respected, he is now reduced to a proverb for misery, the target of spittle rather than sympathy. The vocabulary heightens the pathos of innocent suffering and prepares the hearer for God’s vindication that follows later in the narrative. Cultural and Historical Background In the ancient Near East spitting signified contempt, rejection, or ritual defilement. These passages show that spitting was a communal judgment that separated the victim from fellowship until honour was restored. Theological Implications 1. Human contempt does not annul divine righteousness. Job’s status before God is unaffected by the crowd’s spitting, underscoring the difference between earthly verdicts and heavenly realities (Job 42:7-9). Connections to the New Testament Christ’s passion narratives repeatedly mention spitting: Ironically, Jesus also uses His own spittle in acts of healing (Mark 8:23; John 9:6), reversing the cultural insult into a channel of blessing. The One who bears our shame transforms the instrument of disgrace into an agent of restoration. Practical Ministry Applications • Encouragement for the persecuted: believers mocked or ostracised today stand in venerable company with Job and with Christ. The gospel proclaims vindication beyond public scorn (1 Peter 2:20-23). Illustrative References Numbers 12:14; Deuteronomy 25:9; Isaiah 50:6; Job 17:6; Matthew 26:67; Mark 14:65; Mark 15:19; Mark 8:23; John 9:6; 1 Peter 2:20-23 Summary Strong’s Hebrew 8611 captures the cruel act by which society labels an individual unclean and despised. Though its Old Testament footprint is small, its theological resonance is vast, linking Job’s agony to prophetic anticipation and culminating in the redemptive sufferings of Christ. The word reminds believers that human contempt cannot overturn divine worth, and that God ultimately lifts the head of those whom the world has spat upon. Forms and Transliterations וְתֹ֖פֶת ותפת veTofet wə·ṯō·p̄eṯ wəṯōp̄eṯLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Job 17:6 HEB: לִמְשֹׁ֣ל עַמִּ֑ים וְתֹ֖פֶת לְפָנִ֣ים אֶֽהְיֶֽה׃ NAS: And I am one at whom men spit. KJV: and aforetime I was as a tabret. INT: A byword of the people spit and aforetime am 1 Occurrence |
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