שִׁפְלָה
depression
Definition
Shiplah refers to a low or depressed place, specifically a geographical depression or hollow. In its sole biblical occurrence in Isaiah 32:19, it describes a 'low place' or 'hollow' that will be blessed with peace and security, contrasting with the proud city that will be brought low. The word carries the concrete sense of a physical topographical feature, not an emotional state. It is the feminine form of the noun shephel (H8216), emphasizing the quality or state of being lowly or depressed.
Biblical Usage
This word is used only once in the Old Testament, in Isaiah 32:19. It appears in a prophetic oracle of future blessing and security for God's people. The context contrasts the fate of the arrogant city (likely Jerusalem under judgment) with the safety that will be found in the countryside, even in its 'low places' (shiphlâh). The usage is purely descriptive of a physical landscape feature within a poetic prophecy.
Etymology
Derived from the root שׁפל (sh-p-l), meaning 'to be low, humble, or sink down.' It is the feminine noun form of שֶׁפֶל (shephel, H8216), meaning 'lowness' or 'a low place.' The root conveys the fundamental idea of being brought down from a height, whether physically, socially, or morally. Related words include the verb שָׁפֵל (shaphel, H8213) 'to be or become low,' and the region known as the 'Shephelah' (H8219), the lowland hills of Judah.
Semantic Range
While used only once, its appearance in Isaiah 32:19 contributes to a major prophetic theme: God's reversal of human pride and exaltation of the humble. The 'low place' becomes a place of divine blessing and protection ('it will hail when the forest falls'), illustrating that God's security is not found in human fortifications (the 'city' and 'palace' mentioned) but in His provision, even in seemingly vulnerable locations. It subtly reinforces that God's ways often invert human expectations of strength and honor.
In the ancient Near Eastern context, low-lying geographical areas (depressions, valleys) were often associated with vulnerability to flooding, military attack, or being overlooked. Isaiah's prophecy subverts this perception, declaring that even these topographically disadvantaged places will be safe under God's reign. This contrasts with the cultural preference for fortified high places (cities on hills) for security.
בִּקְעָה (biqʿâh, H1237) — a broad valley or plain, often fertile. שְׁפֵלָה (shephelah, H8219) — a specific region, the lowland foothills between Judah's hill country and the coastal plain.
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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