Topical Bible: The Feet: Early Use of Shoes

◄ The Feet: Early Use of Shoes ►

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Topical Encyclopedia

In biblical times, the feet held significant cultural and spiritual symbolism, often representing one's journey, status, and relationship with God. The use of shoes, or sandals, in the ancient Near East, including the biblical context, was both practical and symbolic.

Practical Use of Shoes

Shoes in the ancient world were primarily sandals made from leather or other durable materials. They served the practical purpose of protecting the feet from harsh terrain, thorns, and the intense heat of the ground. The Israelites, like other ancient peoples, wore sandals as they traveled through the wilderness and settled in the Promised Land. The construction of these sandals was simple, often consisting of a sole fastened to the foot with straps.

Symbolic Significance

Shoes also carried symbolic meanings in the Bible. Removing one's shoes was an act of reverence and humility. In Exodus 3:5 , God commands Moses, "Do not come any closer," He said. "Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground." This act signified Moses' recognition of God's holiness and his own submission to divine authority.

Similarly, in Joshua 5:15 , the commander of the LORD's army instructs Joshua, "Remove your sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy." This further emphasizes the act of removing shoes as a gesture of respect and acknowledgment of God's presence.

Cultural Practices

In the cultural context of the Bible, shoes were also associated with social customs and legal transactions. For instance, in the book of Ruth, the removal of a sandal was part of a legal transaction. Ruth 4:7 explains, "Now in former times in Israel, for the redemption and transfer of property to become final, one party would remove his sandal and give it to the other. This was the method of legalizing transactions in Israel." This practice symbolized the transfer of rights and responsibilities.

Prophetic Imagery

Prophets in the Bible sometimes used the imagery of shoes to convey messages from God. In Isaiah 20:2-4 , the prophet Isaiah is instructed to walk barefoot as a sign against Egypt and Cush, symbolizing their impending captivity and humiliation. This act of going without shoes was a prophetic demonstration of vulnerability and impending judgment.

Spiritual Lessons

The New Testament also reflects on the spiritual lessons associated with feet and shoes. In Ephesians 6:15 , Paul speaks of the "readiness of the gospel of peace" as being like shoes for the feet, highlighting the importance of being prepared to spread the message of Christ. This metaphor underscores the role of believers in carrying the gospel to the world, equipped and ready for spiritual journeys.

In summary, the early use of shoes in the Bible encompasses practical, cultural, and spiritual dimensions. From the protection of the feet to the symbolic acts of reverence and legal transactions, shoes played a multifaceted role in the biblical narrative, reflecting deeper truths about humanity's walk with God.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Exodus 12:11
And thus shall you eat it; with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and you shall eat it in haste: it is the LORD's passover.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

On Shoes.
... and cannot endure bare feet, we may use slippers or ... them, on account of their bringing
the feet near the ... [1550] [It was such designs which early Christian art ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/clement/the instructor paedagogus/chap xii on shoes.htm

Diamond Woke Very Early in the Morning, and Thought what a Curious ...
... Diamond woke very early in the morning, and thought what a ... "But, please, North Wind,
where's the use? ... running on their edges like wheels, all about her feet. ...
/.../macdonald/at the back of the north wind/chapter 3 diamond woke very.htm

Obadiah; Or, Early Piety Eminent Piety
... Let us persevere in the use of those means which ... This early piety of Obadiah's had
special marks of genuineness ... Put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 30 1884/obadiah or early piety eminent.htm

The Possibility of Repentance is a Reason Why Baptism Should not ...
... of a first repentance and takes away the use of a ... 3160] how much more must we free
the feet of our ... Ambrose, like many other early writers, lost sight of the ...
/.../ambrose/works and letters of st ambrose/chapter xi the possibility of.htm

Tobacco.
... merchant in London, saying: 'Send me six feet of theology ... With the Indian its use
has always had a ... Early in the sixteenth century tobacco was introduced into ...
/.../judy/questionable amusements and worthy substitutes/i tobacco.htm

Canaan
... From an early date libraries had existed in Babylonia stored ... Their feet were shod
with boots with turned-up ends, a ... as we may conclude, from the use of similar ...
/.../sayce/early israel and the surrounding nations/chapter ii canaan.htm

On the Road
... of rope, tied his stout shoes on his feet, and took ... journeying from the countryside
to Vienna in the early morning. ... I have no use for them, and perhaps you can ...
/.../greater things the story of saint stanislaus kostka /chapter i on the road.htm

The Blessing of God.
... Again, sometimes we use it for some gracious gift, as ... arms are stretched out, and
the little feet are running to ... walked in the fields in the early morning, and ...
/.../taylor/separation and service/part ii the blessing of.htm

Life in the Villages
... On the early morning of the day decided on for our ... reins for my hands nor stirrups
for my feet, for sometimes ... The deep cave set apart for our use was decorated ...
/.../cable/the fulfilment of a dream of pastor hsis/chapter v life in the.htm

The Next Morning Dawned with all the Strange Half Mystical Glow of ...
... of others,"and if he does not so use it, it is ... she said,""With the incense of early
Mass clinging ... on steadily, her eyes downcast,"her tiny feet, shod in ...
/.../corelli/the master-christian/xxiv the next morning dawned.htm