בּוּשָׁה
𐤁𐤅𐤔𐤄
bûwshâh
H955 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
State or feeling of disgrace, humiliation, or embarrassment resulting from exposure, failure, or dishonor. In biblical usage, בּוּשָׁה primarily denotes a condition of being ashamed, often as the consequence of guilt, defeat, or social dishonor. It may refer both to an internal emotional state and to the outward circumstance provoking such a reaction.
Semantic Range
shame, disgrace, humiliation, embarrassment, ignominy, feeling or condition of being dishonored, inward sense of guilt or exposure
Root / Etymology
From the root בוש (b-w-sh), meaning 'to be ashamed, confounded, disappointed.' The feminine noun בּוּשָׁה is derived to denote the abstract condition or state of 'shame' or 'disgrace.' Root meaning is 'to be ashamed,' while the noun describes the result or state thereof.
Historical & Contextual Notes
בּוּשָׁה appears primarily in poetic and later biblical texts, and is used to denote the experience or state of shame brought about by failure, public exposure, defeat, or guilt. In patriarchal and monarchic sources, related forms such as verbs or other noun derivatives are more frequent, but בּוּשָׁה as a noun appears with increasing regularity in exilic and post-exilic literature, reflecting evolving concepts of public and communal honor and disgrace. The sense of 'shame' connotes both psychological experience and social reality, often contrasted with honor (כָּבוֹד). Translations in English ('shame') capture the central meaning, but may miss the strong public, even legal or covenantal element inherent in ancient Israelite usage, where shame functioned as a powerful social and moral regulator. The term is distinct from גְּנֵי חֵרְפָּה (disgrace, reproach) in emphasizing inner experience over external accusation or scorn, though overlap exists. Later in the Second Temple period and subsequent translations (e.g., Greek αἰσχύνη), 'shame' increasingly carries a moral and existential weight, bridging social stigma and inward guilt.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
feminine participle passive of בּוּשׁ; shame; shame.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
בוש (b-w-sh) — to be ashamed, to feel shame, to be confounded, to experience disappointment
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H1317 | בׇּשְׁנָה | public disgrace |
| H1322 | בֹּשֶׁת | their shame |
| H4016 | מָבֻשׁ | in his shame-parts |
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H955-02 |
בוּשָׁ֑ה | vushah | HNcfsa |
shame | state of shame | 2 |
H955-01 |
בּוּשָׁ֔ה | bushah | HNcfsa |
shame | shame | 2 |
Occurrences in Scripture
4 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H955-01 |
Ezekiel 7:18 | בּוּשָׁ֔ה | bushah | HNcfsa |
shame | shame |
H955-02 |
Obadiah 1:10 | בוּשָׁ֑ה | vushah | HNcfsa |
shame | state of shame |
H955-02 |
Micah 7:10 | בוּשָׁ֔ה | vushah | HNcfsa |
shame | state of shame |
H955-01 |
Psalms 89:46 | בּוּשָׁ֣ה | bushah | HNcfsa |
with shame | shame |