In biblical times, a dung-hill was a heap or pile of animal waste, often mixed with straw or other refuse, used primarily as fertilizer. The term "dung-hill" appears in various contexts throughout the Bible, symbolizing both physical and metaphorical concepts.

Old Testament References

The dung-hill is mentioned in several Old Testament passages, often symbolizing degradation or lowliness. In 1 Samuel 2:8 , Hannah's prayer of thanksgiving includes the phrase, "He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap," where "ash heap" is sometimes translated as "dung-hill." This imagery highlights God's power to elevate the humble and downtrodden to positions of honor and prosperity.

In the book of Job, the dung-hill serves as a metaphor for extreme suffering and humiliation. Job, in his lament, describes his fall from prosperity to sitting among ashes and refuse, a vivid picture of his profound loss and despair (Job 2:8). The dung-hill here underscores the depth of Job's affliction and the dramatic reversal of his fortunes.

New Testament Context

While the New Testament does not explicitly mention dung-hills, the concept of refuse and waste is present in the teachings of Jesus and the apostles. For instance, in Philippians 3:8 , the Apostle Paul uses the term "rubbish" to describe all things he once valued compared to the surpassing worth of knowing Christ. The Greek word "skubalon," often translated as "rubbish" or "dung," conveys the idea of worthlessness and rejection, akin to the refuse found on a dung-hill.

Symbolism and Interpretation

In biblical symbolism, the dung-hill often represents the lowest state of human existence, a place of shame and rejection. Yet, it is also a place from which God can lift individuals, demonstrating His redemptive power and grace. The transformation from the dung-hill to a place of honor is a recurring theme, illustrating the divine ability to restore and exalt those who are humble and contrite.

The dung-hill also serves as a reminder of the transient nature of earthly wealth and status. Just as refuse is discarded and forgotten, so too are worldly achievements when compared to the eternal value of a relationship with God. This perspective encourages believers to focus on spiritual riches rather than temporal gains.

Cultural and Historical Context

In ancient Near Eastern cultures, dung was a common byproduct of daily life, used as fuel and fertilizer. Dung-hills were often located outside city walls or near fields, serving practical purposes in agricultural societies. The presence of dung-hills in biblical narratives reflects the agrarian lifestyle of the Israelites and their neighbors, providing a backdrop for the spiritual lessons conveyed through these images.

Overall, the dung-hill in biblical literature serves as a powerful metaphor for humility, redemption, and the transformative work of God in the lives of His people.To sit on a, was a sign of the deepest dejection (1 Samuel 2:8; Psalm 113:7; Lamentations 4:5). 2874. kopria -- a dunghill
... a dunghill. Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine; Noun, Neuter Transliteration: kopria
Phonetic ... kop-ree'-ah) Short Definition: manure Definition: manure; a dung-hill. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2874.htm - 5k

2874a. kopria -- a dunghill
... a dunghill. Transliteration: kopria Short Definition: manure. Word Origin from kopros
(dung) Definition a dunghill NASB Word Usage manure pile (1). ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2874a.htm - 5k

830. ashpoth -- an ash heap, refuse heap, dunghill
... Word Origin from the same as shaphath Definition an ash heap, refuse heap, dunghill
NASB Word Usage ash (2), ash pits (1), refuse (4). dung hill. ...
/hebrew/830.htm - 6k

4087. madmenah -- place of dung, dung pit
... dunghill. Feminine from the same as domen; a dunghill -- dunghill. see HEBREW
domen. 4086, 4087. madmenah. 4088 . Strong's Numbers.
/hebrew/4087.htm - 6k

5122. nevalu -- a refuse heap
... dunghill. (Aramaic) or nvaliy (Aramaic) {nev-aw-lee'}; from an unused root probably
meaning to be foul; a sink -- dunghill. 5121, 5122. ...
/hebrew/5122.htm - 6k

4086. Madmen -- a place in Moab
... Madmen. From the same as domen; dunghill; Madmen, a place in Palestine -- Madmen.
see HEBREW domen. 4085, 4086. Madmen. 4087 . Strong's Numbers.
/hebrew/4086.htm - 6k

The Exhortation of the Last HomilyIs Continued in This. ...
... furnace, did, as it would seem, yesterday give no small comfort to your Charity;
and still more the example in the case of Job, and that dunghill more to be ...
/.../chrysostom/on the priesthood/homily v the exhortation of.htm

That the Union of Our Will with the Good-Pleasure of God Takes ...
... And yet behold the great Job, king as it were of all the miserable creatures of
the world, seated upon a dunghill, as upon the throne of misery, adorned with ...
/.../francis/treatise on the love of god/chapter ii that the union.htm

1 John ii. 27-iii. 8
... But there was a certain man, a man now well skilled, though a mortal born, who even
as he sat on the dunghill, putrifying with worms, overcame the devil: yea ...
/.../ten homilies on the epistle of john to the parthians/homily iv 1 john ii.htm

About the Prefigured Change of the Israelitic Kingdom and ...
... He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill,
that He may set him among the mighty of [His] people, and maketh them ...
/.../augustine/city of god/chapter 4 about the prefigured change.htm

Spoken in Antioch in the Old Church, as it was Called...
... Thus it was that Job, when he had lost all, sat himself down upon a dunghill; and
his friends heard of it, and came, and seeing him, while yet afar off, they ...
/.../chrysostom/on the priesthood/homily ii spoken in antioch.htm

Jerusalem
... of David, and the sepulchre of Huldah the prophetess; which were there from the
days of the former prophets: nor in it do they suffer a dunghill by reason of ...
/.../lightfoot/from the talmud and hebraica/chapter 21 jerusalem.htm

Of the Scriptures
... prosperity and wealth, O that is but sand and dung! Would any man build a house
upon a dunghill? You who have no other hope but in your ...
/.../binning/the works of the rev hugh binning/lecture v of the scriptures.htm

"For they that are after the Flesh do Mind,"
... themselves. You see the swine embraces the dunghill, that stink is only a savoury
smell to them, because it is suitable to their nature. ...
/.../binning/the works of the rev hugh binning/sermon xviii for they that.htm

"This Then is the Message which we have Heard of Him, and Declare ...
... add that singular property of it, that it is not capable of infection, it is of
such absolute purity, that it can communicate itself to the dunghill, as well ...
/.../binning/the works of the rev hugh binning/sermon x this then is.htm

After Eutropius Having Been Found Outside the Church had Been ...
... Adam was in paradise yet he fell; Job was on a dung hill, yet he was crowned
victorious. ... or what injury was the dung hill to the other? ...
/.../chrysostom/on the priesthood/homily ii after eutropius having.htm

Dunghill (8 Occurrences)
...DUNGHILL. ... To sit upon a dunghill (1 Samuel 2:8 Psalm 113:7 Lamentations
4:5) is significant of the lowest and most wretched condition. ...
/d/dunghill.htm - 10k

Dung-hill (3 Occurrences)
Dung-hill. Dunghill, Dung-hill. Dunghills . Easton's Bible Dictionary ...
(ASV). Dunghill, Dung-hill. Dunghills . Reference Bible.
/d/dung-hill.htm - 7k

Rubble (17 Occurrences)
... shall alter this word, let a beam be pulled out from his house, and let him be lifted
up and fastened thereon; and let his house be made a dunghill for this ...
/r/rubble.htm - 12k

Limb (5 Occurrences)
... The thing is gone from me: if you don't make known to me the dream and its
interpretation, you shall be cut in pieces, and your houses shall be made a dunghill...
/l/limb.htm - 8k

Rubbish (5 Occurrences)
... The thing is gone from me: if you don't make known to me the dream and its
interpretation, you shall be cut in pieces, and your houses shall be made a dunghill...
/r/rubbish.htm - 8k

Dung (27 Occurrences)
...Dunghill was used in the same way (1 Samuel 2:8 Ezra 6:11 Psalm 113:7 Isaiah
25:10 Daniel 2:5; Daniel 3:29 Luke 14:35 Lamentations 4:5); (b) as an expression ...
/d/dung.htm - 20k

Piles (10 Occurrences)
... The thing is gone from me: if you don't make known to me the dream and its
interpretation, you shall be cut in pieces, and your houses shall be made a dunghill...
/p/piles.htm - 9k

Raiseth (33 Occurrences)
... 1 Samuel 2:8 He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the beggar from
the dunghill, to set them among princes, and to make them inherit the ...
/r/raiseth.htm - 15k

Lifteth (69 Occurrences)
... 1 Samuel 2:8 He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the beggar from
the dunghill, to set them among princes, and to make them inherit the ...
/l/lifteth.htm - 27k

Ruins (84 Occurrences)
... The thing is gone from me: if you don't make known to me the dream and its
interpretation, you shall be cut in pieces, and your houses shall be made a dunghill...
/r/ruins.htm - 31k

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