In biblical times, a dunghill referred to a heap of manure or refuse, often located outside a city or village. These mounds were used for agricultural purposes, as the decomposed material served as a natural fertilizer for fields. The term "dunghill" appears in several passages of the Bible, symbolizing both physical and metaphorical concepts.

Old Testament References

The concept of a dunghill is mentioned in the Old Testament, where it often symbolizes degradation or lowliness. In 1 Samuel 2:8, Hannah's prayer of thanksgiving includes a reference to the dunghill: "He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap; He seats them with princes and bestows on them a throne of honor." Here, the "ash heap" or "dunghill" represents a place of poverty and despair, from which God can elevate the humble to positions of honor.

In the book of Job, the imagery of a dunghill is used to describe Job's state of affliction. Job laments his condition, saying, "I have become a brother of jackals and a companion of ostriches. My skin grows black and peels, and my bones burn with fever" (Job 30:29-30). Although the term "dunghill" is not explicitly used in this passage, the imagery of desolation and suffering is akin to the symbolism of a dunghill.

New Testament References

While the New Testament does not directly mention dunghills, the concept of refuse and waste is present in the teachings of Jesus. In Luke 14:34-35, Jesus speaks of salt losing its flavor: "Salt is good, but if the salt loses its savor, with what will it be seasoned? It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile; it is thrown out." Here, the "manure pile" serves a similar function to a dunghill, emphasizing the idea of worthlessness and rejection when something loses its intended purpose.

Symbolic Meaning

In biblical literature, the dunghill often symbolizes a state of humility, degradation, or worthlessness. However, it also serves as a backdrop for divine intervention and redemption. The transformation from the dunghill to a place of honor, as seen in Hannah's prayer, underscores the power of God to elevate the lowly and restore dignity to those who are downtrodden.

Cultural and Historical Context

In ancient Near Eastern societies, dunghills were a common sight, reflecting the agrarian lifestyle of the people. They were essential for maintaining soil fertility and were often located on the outskirts of settlements to manage waste and odor. The presence of dunghills in biblical narratives provides insight into the daily life and environmental practices of the time.

Overall, the dunghill serves as a powerful metaphor in the Bible, illustrating themes of humility, redemption, and the transformative power of God's grace.To sit on a, was a sign of the deepest dejection (1 Samuel 2:8; Psalm 113:7; Lamentations 4:5). 1. (n.) A heap of dung.

2. (n.) Any mean situation or condition; a vile abode.

DUNGHILL

dung'-hil ('ashpoth, 1 Samuel 2:8, madhmenah, etc., with other words; kopria, Luke 14:35): Dung heap, or place of refuse. To sit upon a dunghill (1 Samuel 2:8 Psalm 113:7 Lamentations 4:5) is significant of the lowest and most wretched condition. To turn a house into a dunghill (Daniel 2:5; Daniel 3:29), or be flung upon a dunghill (Luke 14:35), marks the extreme of ignominy. See also DUNG.

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

2874. kopria -- a dunghill
... a dunghill. Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine; Noun, Neuter Transliteration: kopria
Phonetic Spelling: (kop-ree'-ah) Short Definition: manure Definition: manure; a ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2874.htm - 5k

830. ashpoth -- an ash heap, refuse heap, dunghill
... 829, 830. ashpoth. 831 . an ash heap, refuse heap, dunghill. Transliteration:
ashpoth Phonetic Spelling: (ash-pohth') Short Definition: refuse. ...
/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

Resurgam
... Mary? Since his enemies could not reach his body, they took up the body of
his wife after she was dead, and buried it in a dunghill. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 6 1860/resurgam.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

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

Decree (82 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 ...
/d/decree.htm - 34k

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