In biblical contexts, the term "hump" is not directly referenced in the scriptures. However, the concept can be associated with the physical characteristic of certain animals mentioned in the Bible, particularly camels, which are known for their distinctive humps. These animals play a significant role in the cultural and economic life of the ancient Near East, including the regions described in the Bible.

Camels in the Bible

Camels are frequently mentioned in the Bible, often symbolizing wealth, trade, and transportation. They are known for their ability to endure long journeys across arid landscapes, thanks to their humps, which store fat reserves that can be converted into water and energy. This unique adaptation makes camels invaluable in desert regions.

In Genesis 24:10 , camels are highlighted in the account of Abraham's servant who took ten camels to Mesopotamia to find a wife for Isaac: "Then the servant took ten of his master’s camels and departed with all manner of good things from his master in hand. And he set out for Aram-naharaim, to Nahor’s city." This passage underscores the importance of camels in long-distance travel and trade.

Symbolism and Usage

Camels, with their humps, are often seen as symbols of endurance and provision. In Isaiah 60:6 , camels are mentioned in a prophetic vision of abundance and blessing: "Caravans of camels will cover your land—young camels of Midian and Ephah—all those from Sheba will come, bearing gold and frankincense and proclaiming the praises of the LORD." Here, camels are associated with the wealth and prosperity that will come to Jerusalem.

In the New Testament, Jesus uses the camel in a metaphor to illustrate the difficulty for the rich to enter the kingdom of God. In Matthew 19:24 , He states, "Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." This hyperbolic statement emphasizes the challenges of prioritizing spiritual wealth over material riches.

Cultural and Historical Context

In the ancient Near East, camels were domesticated and used extensively for their ability to carry heavy loads over long distances. Their humps, a defining feature, allowed them to survive in harsh environments where other animals could not. This made them essential for trade caravans and nomadic lifestyles, as seen in the journeys of the patriarchs and other biblical figures.

The presence of camels in biblical narratives reflects the historical and geographical realities of the time. They were integral to the economy and daily life, serving as a means of transport and a measure of wealth. The biblical references to camels and their humps provide insight into the practical and symbolic roles these animals played in the ancient world.1. (n.) A protuberance; especially, the protuberance formed by a crooked back.

2. (n.) A fleshy protuberance on the back of an animal, as a camel or whale.

1707. dabbesheth -- a hump
... 1706, 1707. dabbesheth. 1708 . a hump. Transliteration: dabbesheth Phonetic
Spelling: (dab-beh'-sheth) Short Definition: humps. ...
/hebrew/1707.htm - 6k

1708. Dabbesheth -- "hump," a place in Zebulun
... 1707, 1708. Dabbesheth. 1709 . "hump," a place in Zebulun. Transliteration:
Dabbesheth Phonetic Spelling: (dab-beh'-sheth) Short Definition: Dabbesheth. ...
/hebrew/1708.htm - 6k

7164. qaras -- to bend down, stoop, crouch
... stoop. A primitive root; properly, to protrude; used only as denominative from qerec
(for alliteration with qara'), to hunch, ie Be hump-backed -- stoop. ...
/hebrew/7164.htm - 6k

1386. gabnon -- a peak, rounded summit
... 2). high. From the same as gibben; a hump or peak of hills -- high. see HEBREW
gibben. 1385, 1386. gabnon. 1387 . Strong's Numbers.
/hebrew/1386.htm - 6k

Judging, Asking, and Giving
... neighbour does it. Everybody can see the hump on his friend's shoulders,
but it takes some effort to see our own. David was angry ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture a/judging asking and giving.htm

On Certain Modern Writers and the Institution of the Family
... The camel does not contort his features into a fine sneer because Mr. Robinson has
not got a hump; the cultured gentleman at No.5 does exhibit a sneer because ...
//christianbookshelf.org/chesterton/heretics/xiv on certain modern writers.htm

The First Sermon in the Tabernacle
... They are like certain courtiers of the reign of Richard III, who is said by history
to have had a hump upon his back and his admirers stuffed their backs that ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 7 1861/the first sermon in the.htm

Letter cvii. To Laeta.
... [2675] Moreover, to typify that penitence which he was to preach, he was
clothed in the spoils of the hump-backed camel. [2676]. ...
/.../jerome/the principal works of st jerome/letter cvii to laeta.htm

All his Insulting Epithets are Shewn by Facts to be False.
... Like the fathers of his heresy, the scribes and Pharisees, he knows how to strain
a gnat carefully and to swallow at one gulp the hump-backed camel laden with ...
/.../gregory of nyssa dogmatic treatises etc/section 10 all his insulting.htm

Letter Lxxix. To Salvina.
... the time to come that they may lay hold on the true life." [2406] We have learned
how a camel can pass through a needle's eye, how an animal with a hump on its ...
/.../jerome/the principal works of st jerome/letter lxxix to salvina.htm

The Requirements of the King
... modify ours. A camel with its great body, long neck, and hump, struggling
to get through a needle's eye, is their emblem. It is ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture b/the requirements of the king.htm

The Form and Spirit of Religion
... withdrawn. Thus they strained at the gnat, thus getting the reputation of
being very religious, and swallowed the camel, hump and all. ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 4 1858/the form and spirit of.htm

The Suicide of Thought
... him from his stripes. Do not free a camel of the burden of his hump: you
may be freeing him from being a camel. Do not go about ...
//christianbookshelf.org/chesterton/orthodoxy/iii the suicide of thought.htm

The Journey of the Three Holy Kings to Bethlehem
... They travel with perfect orderliness; first comes a big camel with boxes on each
side of his hump covered with large carpets on which sits the leader with a ...
/.../emmerich/the life of the blessed virgin mary/xiii the journey of the.htm

Dromedary (3 Occurrences)
... Easton's Bible Dictionary (Isaiah 60:6), an African or Arabian species of camel
having only one hump, while the Bactrian camel has two. ...
/d/dromedary.htm - 8k

Bunch (6 Occurrences)
... 1). (3.) The "bunch of a camel" (Isaiah 30:6). Noah Webster's Dictionary.
1. (n.) A protuberance; a hunch; a knob or lump; a hump. 2 ...
/b/bunch.htm - 9k

Hump-backed (1 Occurrence)
Hump-backed. Hump, Hump-backed. Humps . Multi-Version Concordance
Hump-backed (1 Occurrence). Leviticus 21:20 or hump...
/h/hump-backed.htm - 6k

Hump (1 Occurrence)
... camel or whale. Multi-Version Concordance Hump (1 Occurrence). Isaiah
30:6 The burden of the animals of the South. Through the land ...
/h/hump.htm - 7k

Lord (59401 Occurrences)
... Gaza, Ashkelon, and Ekron. Noah Webster's Dictionary. 1. (n.) A hump-backed
person; -- so called sportively. 2. (n.) One who has ...
/l/lord.htm - 61k

Mixture (16 Occurrences)
... (YLT NAS). Leviticus 21:20 or hump-backed, or a dwarf, or with a mixture in his
eye, or a scurvy person, or scabbed, or broken-testicled. (YLT). ...
/m/mixture.htm - 12k

Broken-testicled (1 Occurrence)
... Broken-testicled (1 Occurrence). Leviticus 21:20 or hump-backed, or a dwarf, or
with a mixture in his eye, or a scurvy person, or scabbed, or broken-testicled. ...
/b/broken-testicled.htm - 6k

Camel (13 Occurrences)
... (2.) The Arabian camel or dromedary, from the Greek dromos, "a runner" (Isaiah
60:6; Jeremiah 2:23), has but one hump, and is a native of Western Asia or Africa ...
/c/camel.htm - 21k

Saraph (3 Occurrences)
... and distress, Of young lion and of old lion, Whence 'are' viper and flying saraph,
They carry on the shoulder of asses their wealth, And on the hump of camels ...
/s/saraph.htm - 7k

Withered (46 Occurrences)
... Leviticus 21:20 or hump-backed, or withered, or that hath a spot in his eye,
or hath the itch, or scabs, or his testicles broken. (DBY). ...
/w/withered.htm - 22k

Hump: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

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