Hip
The Phrase 'Hip and Thigh'
The most well-known biblical reference to the hip comes in Judges 15:8, where Samson struck the Philistines "hip and thigh with a great slaughter." The Hebrew phrase literally reads "leg upon thigh," a vivid idiom describing complete and overwhelming destruction. The expression suggests such violent combat that the bodies of the defeated lay in heaps, limbs piled upon one another. This phrase has entered common usage as a way of describing a thorough and decisive victory.
Samson's Context
Samson's assault on the Philistines came after a series of escalating provocations. His Philistine wife had been given to another man, and when Samson retaliated by burning their grain fields with foxes carrying torches, the Philistines killed his wife and her father (Judges 15:1-6). Samson's response was fierce and comprehensive — he struck them "hip and thigh" before retreating to the rock of Etam. The phrase emphasizes that this was no ordinary skirmish but a devastating act of judgment carried out by a man empowered by the Spirit of the Lord (Judges 14:19).
Jacob's Hip at Peniel
The other major biblical reference involving the hip occurs in Genesis 32:24-32, where Jacob wrestled with a mysterious figure through the night at Peniel. When the man saw that he could not prevail against Jacob, "he touched the socket of his hip, and Jacob's hip was put out of joint" (Genesis 32:25). Despite the injury, Jacob refused to let go until he received a blessing. He was renamed Israel, meaning "he struggles with God." Jacob walked away from this encounter with a permanent limp, a physical reminder of his transformative meeting with God.
The Sinew of the Hip
As a result of Jacob's wrestling experience, the Israelites developed a dietary practice: "Therefore to this day the people of Israel do not eat the sinew of the thigh that is on the hip socket" (Genesis 32:32). This custom, still observed in Jewish tradition, serves as a lasting memorial of the night when the patriarch of the nation encountered God face to face and was forever changed.
The Hip as Symbol of Strength and Vulnerability
In biblical thought, the hip and thigh region represented both strength and vulnerability. Warriors depended on strong legs for combat, and a hip injury could be crippling. The sword was worn at the hip (Psalm 45:3; Song of Solomon 3:8). The combination of strength and vulnerability makes the hip a fitting symbol for the human condition before God — capable of great power yet utterly dependent on divine grace.
Biblical Context
The hip appears most significantly in Judges 15:8, where Samson defeats the Philistines 'hip and thigh,' and in Genesis 32:24-32, where Jacob's hip is dislocated during his wrestling match with God at Peniel. The sinew of the hip is referenced in the dietary prohibition of Genesis 32:32.
Theological Significance
The hip in Scripture illustrates themes of divine power, human vulnerability, and transformation. Jacob's dislocated hip became a permanent sign of his encounter with God, demonstrating that genuine encounters with the divine leave lasting marks. Samson's overwhelming victory 'hip and thigh' pointed to God's power working through human instruments of deliverance.
Historical Background
The Hebrew word 'shoq' encompasses the leg, hip, and thigh region. In ancient Near Eastern warfare, disabling an opponent's legs was a decisive move. The Jewish dietary law prohibiting consumption of the sciatic nerve (gid hanasheh) based on Jacob's experience at Peniel is one of the oldest continuously observed food restrictions in the world, codified in rabbinic law and still practiced today.