Lexical Summary bosh: To be ashamed, to feel shame, to be confounded, to be disappointed Original Word: בּוּשׁ Strong's Exhaustive Concordance make, bring to, cause, put to, with, ashamed, be put to confusion, A primitive root; properly, to pale, i.e. By implication to be ashamed; also (by implication) to be disappointed or delayed -- (be, make, bring to, cause, put to, with, a-)shamed(-d), be (put to) confounded(-fusion), become dry, delay, be long. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origina prim. root Definition to be ashamed NASB Translation acted shamefully (1), acts shamefully (3), ashamed (60), ashamed at all (1), became anxious (1), become dry (1), been confounded (1), been put (8), been put to shame (8), been shamed (1), brings shame (1), covered with shame (1), delayed (1), disappointed (2), feel...shame (1), put me to shame (1), put them to shame (1), put to shame (32), shame (1), shamed (3), shameful (1), shames (1), utterly dejected (1), utterly put (1), utterly put to shame (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs בּוֺשׁ109 verb be ashamed (Sabean בוס; מהבאס = evil-doer DHMZMG 1883, 375, "" Aramaic בְּהַת, Syriac ![]() ![]() ![]() Qal Perfect Jeremiah 48:39; בּשׁ Jeremiah 48:13; בּוֺשָׁה Jeremiah 15:9; בּשְׁתִּי Jeremiah 31:19 25t.; Imperfect יֵבוֺשׁ Isaiah 29:22 57t.; Infinitive absolute בּוֺשׁ Jeremiah 6:15; Jeremiah 8:12; Imperative בּוֺשִׁי Isaiah 23:4; Ezekiel 16:52, בּוֺשׁוּ Ezekiel 36:32; Participle plural בּוֺשִׁים Ezekiel 32:30; — 1 absolute feel shame Jeremiah 6:15 16t., Isaiah 19:9; Isaiah 23:4; Isaiah 37:27; Isa2, Isaiah 45:16 14t., Ezekiel 16:63; Micah 7:16; Joel 2:26,27; 2 Kings 19:26; Ezekiel 9:6; Job 6:20; Psalm 6:11 (+ 27 t., chiefly in late Psalms). 2 followed by מִן, be ashamed of, i.e. disconcerted, disappointed by reason of Jeremiah 2:36 (twice in verse); Jeremiah 12:13; Jeremiah 48:13; Isaiah 1:29; Isaiah 20:5; Ezekiel 32:30; Ezekiel 36:32. 3 with object בּשְׁתִּי לִשְׁאוֺל I am ashamed to ask Ezekiel 8:22; לֹא תֵבשׁוּ תַּהְכְּרוּ לִי ye are not ashamed to deal hardly with me (imperfect subject) Job 19:3. בּושׁ often "" נכלם & חפר; בּשׁוּ וְהָכְלְמוּ they are ashamed and confounded Jeremiah 14:3; Jeremiah 22:22; Isa2, Isaiah 41:11; Isaiah 45:16; Isaiah 45:17; Ezekiel 16:52; Ezekiel 36:32; Psalm 35:4; Psalm 69:7; Ezekiel 9:6; וּבשׁוּ הַחֹזִים וְחָֽפְרוּ הַקֹּסְמִים and the seers shall be ashamed and the diviners confounded Micah 3:7, compare Jeremiah 15:9; Job 6:20; Psalm 35:26; Psalm 40:15; Psalm 70:3; Psalm 71:24; יֵבוֺשׁ מְקוֺרוֺ Hosea 13:15 (read יִיבַשׁ be dry); עַדבּֿוֺשׁ to the point of confusion Judges 3:25 (compare GFM), 2 Kings 2:17; 2 Kings 8:11. Polel Perfect בּשֵׁשׁ delay (in shame), בּשֵׁשׁ משֶׁה לָרֶדֶת Moses delayed to descend Exodus 32:1 (J), מַדּוּעַ בּשֵׁשׁ רִכְבּוֺ לָבוֺא why delay his chariots to come ? Judges 5:28. Hiph`il 1. הֱבִישׁוֺתָ Psalm 44:8; הֱבִישֹׁתָה Psalm 53:6; Imperfect2masculine singular suffix תְּבִישֵׁנִי Psalm 119:31; Psalm 119:116; תָּבִישׁוּ Psalm 14:6; put to shame, Participle מֵבִישׁ Proverbs 10:5; Proverbs 14:35; Proverbs 19:26; Proverbs 29:15; one causing shame or acting shamefully, "" מִשְׂכִּיל; עֶבֶד מַשְׂכִּיל יִמְשֹׁל בְּבֵן מֵבִישׁ a servant acting wisely will rule over a son causing shame Proverbs 17:2; מְבִישָׁה "" אֵשֶׁת חַיִל Proverbs 12:4. 2 הוֺבִישׁ 2 Samuel 19:6; Jeremiah 2:26; Jeremiah 6:15; Joel 1:10,12; הֹבִישׁ Jeremiah 10:14 7t., Hosea 2:7; Joel 1:12,17; Isaiah 30:5 (but הבאיש Kt); הֹבִשׁוּ Jeremiah 8:9,12; Imperative הֹבִישׁוּ Joel 1:11 (all the forms in Joel derived v יָבֵשׁ by ancient versions and some moderns, see Ew§ 122 e Ges§ 72, 6 a. put to shame 2 Samuel 19:6. b. act shamefully Hosea 2:7. c. to be put to shame Jeremiah 2:26; Jeremiah 6:15; Jeremiah 46:24; Jeremiah 48:1 (twice in verse); Jeremiah 48:20; Jeremiah 50:2 (twice in verse); Joel 1:10,12,17 (?). d. be ashamed Jeremiah 8:9,12; Joel 1:11,12 (?) Isaiah 30:5 (Qr); with מִן Jeremiah 10:14 = Jeremiah 51:17. Hithpa`el Imperfect יִתְבּשָׁ֑שׁוּ ashamed before one another Genesis 2:25 (J). Topical Lexicon Biblical Scope and Theological ThreadThe verb בּוּשׁ occurs about one-hundred-thirteen times, spreading from Genesis to Zechariah. It expresses the inner collapse that follows disappointed trust, moral failure, or public humiliation, and it often appears antithetically with hope, joy, salvation, or covenant faithfulness. The word’s prevalence reveals a deep biblical concern: where people place their confidence determines whether they experience shame or glory. Primary Old Testament Motifs 1. Disappointment of False Hope 2. Vindication of the Righteous 3. Shame as Covenant Sanction Prophets employ בּוּשׁ to announce covenant curses: drought (Jeremiah 14:3), military defeat (Micah 1:11), barren harvests (Joel 1:11). The disgrace underscores Yahweh’s fidelity to His covenant warnings (Leviticus 26; Deuteronomy 28). 4. Poetic Appeals for Divine Action Psalms knit shame with imprecation: the psalmist pleads that the wicked “be put to shame and perish” (Psalm 83:17) while the faithful escape embarrassment (Psalm 31:17). The contrast magnifies God as refuge. 5. Eschatological Hope Isaiah 49:23 looks beyond immediate history: “Those who hope in Me will not be disappointed.” Zephaniah 3:19 envisions the final reversal: the outcast is gathered and “I will give them praise and fame in every land.” A Note on Delay A secondary nuance appears in narratives like Genesis 43:10 and Judges 3:26, where בּוּשׁ refers to lingering or tarrying. Even here, the context hints at rising tension: delay invites potential shame if expectations are unmet. The nuance enriches pastoral readings about waiting on the Lord (cf. Psalm 25:3). Christological Fulfillment Isaiah 28:16 declares, “See, I lay a stone in Zion… the one who believes will never be put to shame.” The New Testament twice cites this promise (Romans 9:33; 1 Peter 2:6), showing that faith in Jesus Christ secures the very freedom from disgrace the Hebrew Scriptures anticipate. At the cross, Christ “despised the shame” (Hebrews 12:2), bearing covenant judgment so that believers might “not be ashamed at His coming” (1 John 2:28). Ministry Implications • Assurance: Pastors can ground believers in the certainty that hope placed in God will never end in disgrace (Romans 10:11). Representative Passages for Study Genesis 2:25; 1 Kings 18:29; Job 6:20; Psalm 22:5, Psalm 69:6, Psalm 119:80; Isaiah 30:3, Isaiah 50:7; Jeremiah 3:25, Jeremiah 20:11; Ezekiel 39:26; Joel 2:26; Micah 7:10; Zechariah 10:5. Summary בּוּשׁ traces a moral and relational line through Scripture: shame arises when people trust what cannot save, yet those who anchor their confidence in the LORD, ultimately revealed in Jesus Christ, find honor that can never be overturned. Forms and Transliterations אֵ֝ב֗וֹשׁ אֵ֭בוֹשָׁה אֵב֑וֹשָׁה אֵב֑וֹשׁ אֵב֣וֹשָׁה אֵב֥וֹשָׁה אֵבֹ֣שָׁה אֵבֽוֹשׁ׃ אבוש אבוש׃ אבושה אבשה בֹ֗שְׁתִּי בֹ֥שׁוּ בֹּ֑שׁ בֹּ֖שְׁתְּ בֹּ֖שׁ בֹּ֙שׁוּ֙ בֹּ֚שְׁנוּ בֹּ֚שְׁתִּי בֹּ֣שְׁתִּי בֹּ֤שְׁנֽוּ בֹּ֤שׁוּ בֹּ֥שׁוּ בֹּשֵׁ֤שׁ בֹשֵׁ֥שׁ בּ֑וֹשׁ בּ֔וֹשׁ בּ֙וֹשִׁי֙ בּ֣וֹשִׁי בּ֣וֹשָׁה בּ֣וֹשׁ בּ֤וֹשָֽׁה בּ֤וֹשָׁה בּ֥וֹשׁוּ בּ֧וֹשׁוּ בּוֹשִׁ֔ים בֽוֹשׁוּ׃ בוש בושה בושו בושו׃ בושי בושים בש בשו בשנו בשש בשת בשתי הֱ֝בִשֹׁ֗תָה הֱבִישֽׁוֹתָ׃ הֹבִ֖ישׁוּ הֹבִ֣ישׁ הֹבִ֣ישׁוּ הביש הבישו הבישות׃ הבשתה וְיֵב֤וֹשׁ וְיֵב֥וֹשׁ וְיֵבֹ֑שׁוּ וְיֵבֹ֔שׁוּ וְיֵבֹ֖שׁוּ וְיֵבֹ֙שׁוּ֙ וַיֵּבֹ֑שׁוּ וַיֵּבֹ֗שׁוּ וָבֹ֑שׁוּ וָבֹ֔שְׁתְּ וּבֹ֙שׁוּ֙ וּבֹ֛שׁוּ וּבֹ֣שׁוּ וּבֹ֥שׁ וּבוֹשָׁ֖ה ובושה ובש ובשו ובשת ויבוש ויבשו יִתְבֹּשָֽׁשׁוּ׃ יֵ֘בֹ֤שׁוּ יֵ֝בֹ֗שׁוּ יֵ֭בֹשׁוּ יֵב֗וֹשׁוּ יֵבֹ֑שׁוּ יֵבֹ֔שׁוּ יֵבֹ֖שׁוּ יֵבֹ֗שׁוּ יֵבֹ֙שׁוּ֙ יֵבֹ֣שׁוּ יֵבֹ֤שׁוּ יֵבֹ֤שׁוּ ׀ יֵבֹ֥שׁוּ יֵבֹ֧שׁוּ יֵבֹֽשׁוּ׃ יֵבוֹשׁ֙ יבוש יבושו יבשו יבשו׃ יתבששו׃ מְבִישָֽׁה׃ מֵבִ֑ישׁ מֵבִ֥ישׁ מֵבִֽישׁ׃ מביש מביש׃ מבישה׃ תְּ֝בִישֵׁ֗נִי תְּבִישֵֽׁנִי׃ תֵ֝בֹ֗שׁוּ תֵּב֑וֹשׁ תֵּב֔וֹשִׁי תֵּבֹ֙שִׁי֙ תֵּבֹֽשׁוּ׃ תֵב֔וֹשִׁי תֵב֙וֹשִׁי֙ תֵבֹ֥שׁוּ תָבִ֑ישׁוּ תבוש תבושי תבישו תבישני תבישני׃ תבשו תבשו׃ תבשי ’ê·ḇō·šāh ’ê·ḇō·wō·šāh ’ê·ḇō·wōš ’êḇōšāh ’êḇōwōš ’êḇōwōšāh bō·šə·nū bō·šə·tî ḇō·šə·tî bō·šêš ḇō·šêš bō·šət bō·šū ḇō·šū bō·wō·šāh bō·wō·šî bō·wō·šîm bō·wō·šū ḇō·wō·šū bō·wōš Boosh Booshah Booshi Booshu bōš bōšənū bōšêš ḇōšêš bōšət bōšətî ḇōšətî bosh Boshenu boShesh Boshet Bosheti boshi boShim Boshu bōšū ḇōšū bōwōš bōwōšāh bōwōšî bōwōšîm bōwōšū ḇōwōšū eVoosh eVooshah Evoshah hĕ·ḇi·šō·ṯāh hĕ·ḇî·šō·w·ṯā hĕḇišōṯāh hĕḇîšōwṯā heviShota heviShotah hō·ḇî·šū hō·ḇîš hōḇîš hōḇîšū hoVish hoVishu mə·ḇî·šāh mê·ḇîš mêḇîš məḇîšāh meVish meviShah ṯā·ḇî·šū ṯāḇîšū taVishu tə·ḇî·šê·nî tê·ḇō·šî tê·ḇō·šū ṯê·ḇō·šū tê·ḇō·wō·šî ṯê·ḇō·wō·šî tê·ḇō·wōš təḇîšênî têḇōšî têḇōšū ṯêḇōšū têḇōwōš têḇōwōšî ṯêḇōwōšî teviSheni teVoosh teVooshi teVoshi teVoshu ū·ḇō·šū ū·ḇō·wō·šāh ū·ḇōš ūḇōš ūḇōšū ūḇōwōšāh uVosh uvoShah uVoshu vaiyeVoshu vaVoshet vaVoshu veyeVoosh veyeVoshu Vooshu voShesh Vosheti Voshu wā·ḇō·šət wā·ḇō·šū wāḇōšət wāḇōšū way·yê·ḇō·šū wayyêḇōšū wə·yê·ḇō·šū wə·yê·ḇō·wōš wəyêḇōšū wəyêḇōwōš yê·ḇō·šū yê·ḇō·wō·šū yê·ḇō·wōš yêḇōšū yêḇōwōš yêḇōwōšū yeVoosh yeVooshu yeVoshu yiṯ·bō·šā·šū yiṯbōšāšū yitboShashuLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Genesis 2:25 HEB: וְאִשְׁתּ֑וֹ וְלֹ֖א יִתְבֹּשָֽׁשׁוּ׃ NAS: were both naked and were not ashamed. KJV: and his wife, and were not ashamed. INT: and his wife and were not ashamed Exodus 32:1 Judges 3:25 Judges 5:28 2 Kings 2:17 2 Kings 8:11 2 Kings 19:26 Ezra 8:22 Ezra 9:6 Job 6:20 Job 19:3 Psalm 6:10 Psalm 6:10 Psalm 14:6 Psalm 22:5 Psalm 25:2 Psalm 25:3 Psalm 25:3 Psalm 25:20 Psalm 31:1 Psalm 31:17 Psalm 31:17 Psalm 35:4 Psalm 35:26 Psalm 37:19 113 Occurrences |