In the Bible, the term "hips" is often associated with strength, movement, and the human body's structure. While the specific word "hips" is not frequently mentioned in the Scriptures, the concept is implicitly present in various passages that discuss the human form, strength, and girding oneself for action.

Biblical References and Symbolism

1. Strength and Stability: The hips are a central part of the body's structure, providing support and stability. In biblical times, girding one's hips or loins was a common expression indicating readiness for action or battle. This imagery is used to convey preparedness and strength. For example, in 1 Kings 18:46, it is written, "The hand of the LORD came upon Elijah, and he tucked his cloak into his belt and ran ahead of Ahab to Jezreel." Here, the act of tucking the cloak into the belt, which would involve the hips, symbolizes readiness and divine empowerment.

2. Girding the Loins: The phrase "gird up your loins" is a metaphorical expression found in the Bible, often used to encourage readiness and strength. In Job 38:3, God challenges Job, saying, "Now brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall inform Me." The act of girding the loins involves securing the garment around the hips, signifying preparation for a task or challenge.

3. Symbol of Fertility and Life: The hips are also associated with fertility and the continuation of life. In Genesis 35:11, God blesses Jacob, saying, "I am God Almighty; be fruitful and multiply. A nation—even a company of nations—shall come from you, and kings shall descend from you." The hips, as part of the reproductive system, symbolize the ability to bear children and continue the lineage, a significant theme in the biblical narrative.

4. Judgment and Weakness: In some contexts, the hips are mentioned in relation to judgment or weakness. In Jeremiah 30:6, the prophet describes a time of great distress, saying, "Ask now, and see: Can a male give birth? Why then do I see every man with his hands on his stomach like a woman in labor, and every face turned pale?" This imagery of men clutching their hips in pain underscores the severity of the judgment and the reversal of natural order.

5. Prophetic Imagery: The hips are sometimes used in prophetic imagery to convey messages of strength or vulnerability. In Ezekiel 21:6, the prophet is instructed, "As for you, son of man, groan with breaking heart and bitter grief; groan before their eyes." The physical act of groaning, which may involve the hips, serves as a sign of impending judgment and the emotional weight of the prophecy.

Cultural and Historical Context

In ancient Near Eastern culture, the hips were considered a vital part of the body, essential for movement and labor. The act of girding the loins was practical, allowing individuals to move freely and perform tasks efficiently. This cultural practice is reflected in the biblical text, where physical readiness often parallels spiritual readiness.

Theological Implications

The biblical references to hips, though not numerous, carry significant theological implications. They remind believers of the importance of being spiritually prepared and strong in the face of challenges. The imagery of girding the loins serves as a call to action, encouraging believers to be ready for the tasks God sets before them. Additionally, the association of hips with fertility and life underscores the biblical emphasis on the continuation of God's covenant through generations.4667. miphsaah -- hip or buttock
... 4666, 4667. miphsaah. 4668 . hip or buttock. Transliteration: miphsaah
Phonetic Spelling: (mif-saw-aw') Short Definition: hips. ...
/hebrew/4667.htm - 6k

4975. mothen -- loins
... Word Origin from an unused word Definition loins NASB Word Usage back (1), body
(1), heart (1), herself (1), hips (1), loins (32), rooster (1), side (1 ...
/hebrew/4975.htm - 6k

3409. yarek -- thigh, loin, side, base
... Word Origin of uncertain derivation Definition thigh, loin, side, base NASB Word
Usage base (3), direct (2), hips (1), loins (1), ruthlessly* (1), side (7 ...
/hebrew/3409.htm - 6k

8351. sheth -- seat (of the body), buttocks
... Word Origin from an unused word Definition seat (of the body), buttocks NASB Word
Usage buttocks (1), hips (1). Sheth. Numbers from sha'ah; tumult -- Sheth. ...
/hebrew/8351.htm - 6k

Follies of the Greek Mythology.
... how childishly he was delighted to be stunned by the cymbals of the satyrs, and
to be conquered by the love of woman, and to be struck on the hips by the ...
/.../justin/justins discourse to the greeks/chapter iii follies of the greek.htm

Don'ts for Public Speakers
... Don't fumble with your clothes. Don't speak through closed teeth. Don't put your
hands on your hips. Don't fail to stop when you have ended. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/kleiser/talks on talking/donts for public speakers.htm

Chapter twelve
... astonishment. The saloon-keeper had come to the door of the saloon and
was standing there looking on with his hands on his hips. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/sheldon/in his steps/chapter twelve.htm

Meanwhile, Unconscious of the Miracle his Prayer had Wrought...
... Her black silk gown, cut simply in the prevailing mode of definitely outlining the
figure from throat to hips, and then springing out in pliant folds of ...
/.../corelli/the master-christian/vii meanwhile unconscious of the.htm

The Son of the Murket
... Her zone was a broad braid of golden cords, girdling her beneath the breast,
encompassing her again about the hips, and fastened at last in front by a diamond ...
//christianbookshelf.org/miller/the yoke/chapter xvii the son of.htm

"In the Uttermost Parts of the Sea"
... bathed in quiet sunshine; the stork's nest was empty, but the apples still clung
to the wild apple-tree; though leaves had fallen, the red hips glistened, and ...
/.../wells/bible stories and religious classics/in the uttermost parts of.htm

Was it for this He Sent Souls, that Some Should Infest the ...
... their wantonness to abandon themselves to clumsy motions, to dance and sing, form
rings of dancers, and finally, raising their haunches and hips, float along ...
/.../arnobius/the seven books of arnobius against the heathen/42 was it for this.htm

Diamond and his Mother Sat Down Upon the Edge of the Rough Grass ...
... day I went to Epping Forest with him, that the rose-bushes, and the may-bushes,
and the holly-bushes were the bird's barns, for there were the hips, and the ...
/.../macdonald/at the back of the north wind/chapter 13 diamond and his.htm

Men and Mannerisms
... of the back in order to "support" the speaker, to clutch the lapels of the coat,
to slap the hands audibly together, to place the hands on the hips in the ...
//christianbookshelf.org/kleiser/talks on talking/men and mannerisms.htm

The Close of the Theban Empire --(Continued)
... Packets placed between the legs, the arms and the hips, and in the eviscerated abdomen,
contained the heart, spleen, the dried brain, the hair, and the ...
/.../chapter ithe close of the.htm

Hips (6 Occurrences)
...Hips (6 Occurrences). Exodus 28:42 And thou shalt make them linen trousers to cover
the flesh of nakedness; from the loins even to the hips shall they reach. ...
/h/hips.htm - 8k

Hip (8 Occurrences)
... 5. (vt) To throw (one's adversary) over one's hip in wrestling (technically called
cross buttock). 6. (vt) To make with a hip or hips, as a roof. ...
/h/hip.htm - 10k

Yoke (79 Occurrences)
... strain. 9. (n.) A band shaped to fit the shoulders or the hips, and joined
to the upper full edge of the waist or the skirt. 10. ...
/y/yoke.htm - 40k

Waistcloth (9 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary 1. (n.) A cloth or wrapper worn about the waist; by extension,
such a garment worn about the hips and passing between the thighs. ...
/w/waistcloth.htm - 9k

Waist (36 Occurrences)
... 1. (n.) That part of the human body which is immediately below the ribs or thorax;
the small part of the body between the thorax and hips. ...
/w/waist.htm - 17k

Foes (95 Occurrences)
... Accept the work of his hands. Strike through the hips of those who rise up against
him, of those who hate him, that they not rise again." (See NIV). ...
/f/foes.htm - 30k

Flashing (12 Occurrences)
... By extension, the metal covering of ridges and hips of roofs; also, in the United
States, the protecting of angles and breaks in walls of frame houses with ...
/f/flashing.htm - 10k

Ephod (45 Occurrences)
... the twelve tribes of Israel. It is not known whether the ephod extended
below the hips or only to the waist. Attached to the ephod ...
/e/ephod.htm - 27k

Breeches (6 Occurrences)
... 44:17, 18). Noah Webster's Dictionary. 1. (n. pl.) A garment worn by men, covering
the hips and thighs; smallclothes. 2. (n. pl.) Trousers; pantaloons. Int. ...
/b/breeches.htm - 12k

Shatter (26 Occurrences)
... Accept the work of his hands. Strike through the hips of those who rise up against
him, of those who hate him, that they not rise again." (See NAS). ...
/s/shatter.htm - 14k

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