מְשֹׁל
a satire
Definition
The Hebrew noun מְשֹׁל (mᵉshôl) refers to a taunting proverb or a byword, specifically a satirical saying used to mock or deride someone. In its single biblical occurrence in Job 17:6, it describes Job's lament that God has made him a 'byword' or object of scorn among the people. This sense differs from the more common noun מָשָׁל (mashal, H4912), which broadly means a proverb, parable, or wisdom saying. While a מָשָׁל can be instructive, a מְשֹׁל carries a negative, mocking connotation.
Biblical Usage
This word is used only once in the Old Testament, in the poetic book of Job. In Job 17:6, Job declares, 'He has made me a byword [מְשֹׁל] of the people, and I am one before whom men spit.' The context is one of intense personal suffering and social ostracism, where Job feels he has become a proverbial example of ruin and a target for public ridicule and contempt.
Etymology
The noun מְשֹׁל (mᵉshôl) is derived from the root מָשַׁל (mashal, H4911), meaning 'to rule,' 'to be like,' or 'to speak a proverb.' This root gives rise to several words concerning proverbial speech and comparison. מְשֹׁל represents a specific nominal form that developed the sense of a taunting or satirical saying, a derivative meaning from the broader concept of a illustrative comparison or proverb.
Semantic Range
This word highlights the biblical theme of suffering and derision experienced by the righteous. Job's use of מְשֹׁל underscores the depth of his anguish and feeling of being made a public spectacle of divine judgment, which he perceives as unjust. Understanding this term enriches the reading of Job by clarifying that his complaint is not merely about pain but about profound social shame and becoming a negative proverb, a concept that finds echoes in the sufferings of the righteous servant and, ultimately, in Christ (Psalm 22:6-8, Isaiah 53:3).
In ancient Near Eastern culture, becoming a 'byword' or object of a satirical saying was a severe form of social punishment. It meant one's name and fate were used proverbially to warn others or to mock misfortune, indicating complete loss of honor and status. This cultural reality intensifies the portrayal of Job's total ruin—not just physical and material, but social and reputational.
מָשָׁל (mashal, H4912) — a general term for proverb, parable, or wisdom saying, often without the negative, mocking connotation of מְשֹׁל.
Word Details
How this works
Hebrew definitions are from Brown-Driver-Briggs (1906) and Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (1890), both public domain. BDB was groundbreaking for its era but reflects 19th-century assumptions about Semitic etymology. Modern scholarship (HALOT, DCH) has revised many entries. Use these definitions as a starting point for exploration, not as the final word on a term's meaning in context.
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