בּוֹשׁ
to be ashamed
‘to be ashamed’ is one of 3 main senses fuller range ↓
Full lexicon entry — Brown-Driver-Briggs (BDB)
From Brown-Driver-Briggs (BDB)
Where this word appears
See every Qal verb in the Hebrew Bible →
Grammar key — what these labels mean
Part of speech
- Verb
- An action or state-of-being word.
Stem
- Qal
- The basic, simple active stem — the plain form of the verb (“he wrote”). Here: ‘sq.’
- Hiphil
- The causative active stem (“he caused / brought about”). Here: ‘put to shame 2 S 19’
- Polel
- A stem of hollow/geminate roots functioning like the Piel — intensive active.
- Hithpolel
- The reflexive counterpart of the Polel.
Form
- Imperfect
- An incomplete, ongoing, or future action (“he will / would write”).
- Perfect
- A completed action or state — Hebrew marks aspect (completeness) more than strict tense (“he wrote”).
- Cohortative
- A first-person volitional form expressing wish or resolve (“let me / let us write”).
- Participle Active
- A verbal adjective expressing ongoing or characteristic action (“writing / one who writes”).
- Infinitive Construct
- A bound verbal noun, frequently with prepositions (“to write / in writing”).
- Sequential Perfect
- A perfect with prefixed waw continuing a preceding imperfect or command (waw-consecutive perfect).
- Sequential Imperfect
- An imperfect with prefixed waw — the standard past-narrative form (waw-consecutive imperfect).
- Jussive
- A third- or second-person volitional form expressing wish or command (“let him write”).
- Infinitive Absolute
- An unbound verbal noun, often intensifying or standing in for a finite verb.
- Imperative
- A direct command (“write!”).
State
- Absolute
- The independent form of a noun, not bound to a following word.
Person
- 3rd Person
- The one spoken about (“he / she / it / they”).
- 1st Person
- The speaker (“I / we”).
- 2nd Person
- The one addressed (“you”).
Gender
- Masculine
- Grammatically masculine.
- Common
- Either gender — not distinguished for this form.
- Feminine
- Grammatically feminine.
Number
- Plural
- More than one (in Hebrew, generally three or more).
- Singular
- One.
Grammatical forms 33 distinct
- Verb, Qal, Imperfect, 3rd Person, Masculine, Plural 35 times (31%)
- Verb, Qal, Perfect, 3rd Person, Common, Plural 9 times (8%)
- Verb, Qal, Cohortative, 1st Person, Common, Singular 6 times (5%)
- Verb, Hiphil, Participle Active, Masculine, Singular, Absolute 5 times (4%)
- Verb, Qal, Infinitive Construct 4 times (4%)
- Verb, Qal, Imperfect, 1st Person, Common, Singular 4 times (4%)
- Verb, Qal, Imperfect, 2nd Person, Feminine, Singular 4 times (4%)
- Verb, Qal, Sequential Perfect, 3rd Person, Common, Plural 3 times (3%)
+25 more forms (44 occurrences)
Parsed forms decoded from the imported morphology (morphhb / Westminster Leningrad Codex — WLC text public domain, morphhb tagging CC BY 4.0), counted across 114 parsed occurrences — not distinct verses.
Every verse where H954 appears — 105 distinct verses across 16 books. Click any verse to open its interlinear word-by-word view. Verse text shown in the World English Bible for context — . Each verse’s Hebrew form is shown with its reference; the English is not keyword-highlighted, since the data carries no word-level English alignment. Use “Compare translations” on any verse to read it across multiple English versions. This concordance covers the Hebrew Bible; Septuagint (Greek Old Testament) occurrences are not indexed here.
Genesis 1 verse
Exodus 1 verse
Judges 2 verses
- Judges 3:25 בּ֔וֹשׁ Qal inf.cs They waited until they were ashamed; and, behold, he didn't open the doors of the upper room: therefore they took the key, and opened [them], and, behold, their lord was fallen down dead on the earth.
- Judges 5:28 בֹּשֵׁ֤שׁ Polel pf 3ms Through the window she looked forth, and cried, The mother of Sisera [cried] through the lattice, Why is his chariot so long in coming? Why do the wheels of his chariots wait?
2 Kings 3 verses
- 2 Kings 2:17 בֹּ֖שׁ Qal inf.cs When they urged him until he was ashamed, he said, Send. They sent therefore fifty men; and they sought three days, but didn't find him.
- 2 Kings 8:11 בֹּ֑שׁ Qal inf.cs He settled his gaze steadfastly [on him], until he was ashamed: and the man of God wept.
- 2 Kings 19:26 וַ/יֵּבֹ֑שׁוּ conj + Qal wimpf 3mp Therefore their inhabitants were of small power, they were dismayed and confounded; they were as the grass of the field, and as the green herb, as the grass on the housetops, and as grain blasted before it is grown up.
Ezra 2 verses
- Ezra 8:22 בֹ֗שְׁתִּי Qal pf 1cs For I was ashamed to ask of the king a band of soldiers and horsemen to help us against the enemy in the way, because we had spoken to the king, saying, The hand of our God is on all those who seek him, for good; but his power and his wrath is against all those who forsake him.
- Ezra 9:6 בֹּ֣שְׁתִּי Qal pf 1cs and I said, my God, I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face to you, my God; for our iniquities are increased over our head, and our guiltiness is grown up to the heavens.
Job 2 verses
Psalms 31 verses
- Psalms 6:10 יֵבֹ֤שׁוּ יֵבֹ֥שׁוּ Qal impf 3mp Qal impf 3mp May all my enemies be ashamed and dismayed. They shall turn back, they shall be disgraced suddenly.
- Psalms 14:6 תָבִ֑ישׁוּ Hiphil impf 2mp You frustrate the plan of the poor, Because Yahweh is his refuge.
- Psalms 22:5 בֽוֹשׁוּ Qal pf 3cp They cried to you, and were delivered. They trusted in you, and were not disappointed.
- Psalms 25:2 אֵב֑וֹשָׁה Qal coh 1cs My God, I have trusted in you, Don't let me be shamed. Don't let my enemies triumph over me.
- Psalms 25:3 יֵבֹ֑שׁוּ יֵ֝בֹ֗שׁוּ Qal impf 3mp Qal impf 3mp Yes, no one who waits for you shall be shamed. They shall be shamed who deal treacherously without cause.
- Psalms 25:20 אֵ֝ב֗וֹשׁ Qal coh 1cs Oh keep my soul, and deliver me. Let me not be disappointed, for I take refuge in you.
- Psalms 31:1 אֵב֣וֹשָׁה Qal coh 1cs In you, Yahweh, I take refuge. Let me never be disappointed: Deliver me in your righteousness.
- Psalms 31:17 אֵ֭בוֹשָׁה יֵבֹ֥שׁוּ Qal coh 1cs Qal impf 3mp Let me not be disappointed, Yahweh, for I have called on you. Let the wicked be disappointed. Let them be silent in Sheol.
- Psalms 35:4 יֵבֹ֣שׁוּ Qal impf 3mp Let those who seek after my soul be disappointed and brought to dishonor. Let those who plot my ruin be turned back and confounded.
- Psalms 35:26 יֵ֘בֹ֤שׁוּ Qal impf 3mp Let them be disappointed and confounded together who rejoice at my calamity. Let them be clothed with shame and dishonor who magnify themselves against me.
- Psalms 37:19 יֵ֭בֹשׁוּ Qal impf 3mp They shall not be disappointed in the time of evil. In the days of famine they shall be satisfied.
- Psalms 40:14 יֵ֘בֹ֤שׁוּ Qal impf 3mp Let them be disappointed and confounded together who seek after my soul to destroy it. Let them be turned backward and brought to dishonor who delight in my hurt.
- Psalms 44:7 הֱבִישֽׁוֹתָ Hiphil pf 2ms But you have saved us from our adversaries, And have shamed those who hate us.
- Psalms 53:5 הֱ֝בִשֹׁ֗תָה Hiphil pf 2ms There they were in great fear, where no fear was, For God has scattered the bones of him who encamps against you. You have put them to shame, Because God has rejected them.
- Psalms 69:6 יֵ֘בֹ֤שׁוּ Qal juss 3mp Don't let those who wait for you be shamed through me, Lord Yahweh of Hosts. Don't let those who seek you be brought to dishonor through me, God of Israel.
- Psalms 70:2 יֵבֹ֣שׁוּ Qal impf 3mp Let them be disappointed and confounded who seek my soul. Let those who desire my ruin be turned back in disgrace.
- Psalms 71:1 אֵב֥וֹשָׁה Qal coh 1cs In you, Yahweh, I take refuge. Never let me be disappointed.
- Psalms 71:13 יֵבֹ֣שׁוּ Qal impf 3mp Let my accusers be disappointed and consumed. Let them be covered with disgrace and scorn who want to harm me.
- Psalms 71:24 בֹ֥שׁוּ Qal pf 3cp My tongue will also talk about your righteousness all day long, For they are disappointed, and they are confounded, who want to harm me.
- Psalms 83:17 יֵבֹ֖שׁוּ Qal impf 3mp Let them be disappointed and dismayed forever. Yes, let them be confounded and perish;
- Psalms 86:17 וְ/יֵבֹ֑שׁוּ conj + Qal impf 3mp Show me a sign of your goodness, That those who hate me may see it, and be shamed, Because you, Yahweh, have helped me, and comforted me.
- Psalms 97:7 יֵבֹ֤שׁוּ Qal impf 3mp Let all them be shamed who serve engraved images, Who boast in their idols. Worship him, all you gods!
- Psalms 109:28 וַ/יֵּבֹ֗שׁוּ conj + Qal wimpf 3mp They may curse, but you bless. When they arise, they will be shamed, But your servant shall rejoice.
- Psalms 119:6 אֵב֑וֹשׁ Qal impf 1cs Then I wouldn't be disappointed, When I consider all of your commandments.
- Psalms 119:31 תְּבִישֵֽׁ/נִי Hiphil juss 2ms + sfx pers 1cs I cling to your statutes, Yahweh. Don't let me be disappointed.
- Psalms 119:46 אֵבֽוֹשׁ Qal impf 1cs I will also speak of your statutes before kings, And will not be disappointed.
- Psalms 119:78 יֵבֹ֣שׁוּ Qal impf 3mp Let the proud be disappointed, for they have overthrown me wrongfully. I will meditate on your precepts.
- Psalms 119:80 אֵבֽוֹשׁ Qal impf 1cs Let my heart be blameless toward your decrees, That I may not be disappointed.
- Psalms 119:116 תְּ֝בִישֵׁ֗/נִי Hiphil juss 2ms + sfx pers 1cs Uphold me according to your word, that I may live. Let me not be ashamed of my hope.
- Psalms 127:5 יֵבֹ֑שׁוּ Qal impf 3mp Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them. They won't be disappointed when they speak with their enemies in the gate.
- Psalms 129:5 יֵ֭בֹשׁוּ Qal impf 3mp Let them be disappointed and turned backward, All those who hate Zion.
Proverbs 6 verses
- Proverbs 10:5 מֵבִֽישׁ Hiphil ptcp.act ms He who gathers in summer is a wise son, But he who sleeps during the harvest is a son who causes shame.
- Proverbs 12:4 מְבִישָֽׁה Hiphil ptcp.act fs A worthy woman is the crown of her husband, But a disgraceful wife is as rottenness in his bones.
- Proverbs 14:35 מֵבִֽישׁ Hiphil ptcp.act ms The king's favor is toward a servant who deals wisely, But his wrath is toward one who causes shame.
- Proverbs 17:2 מֵבִ֑ישׁ Hiphil ptcp.act ms A servant who deals wisely will rule over a son who causes shame, And shall have a part in the inheritance among the brothers.
- Proverbs 19:26 מֵבִ֥ישׁ Hiphil ptcp.act ms He who robs his father and drives away his mother, Is a son who causes shame and brings reproach.
- Proverbs 29:15 מֵבִ֥ישׁ Hiphil ptcp.act ms The rod of correction gives wisdom, But a child left to himself causes shame to his mother.
Isaiah 21 verses
- Isaiah 1:29 יֵבֹ֔שׁוּ Qal impf 3mp For they shall be ashamed of the oaks which you have desired, And you shall be confounded for the gardens that you have chosen.
- Isaiah 19:9 וּ/בֹ֛שׁוּ conj + Qal wpf 3cp Moreover those who work in combed flax, and those who weave white cloth, shall be confounded.
- Isaiah 20:5 וָ/בֹ֑שׁוּ conj + Qal wpf 3cp They shall be dismayed and confounded, because of Ethiopia their expectation, and of Egypt their glory.
- Isaiah 23:4 בּ֣וֹשִׁי Qal impv 2fs Be ashamed, Sidon; for the sea has spoken, the stronghold of the sea, saying, I have not travailed, nor brought forth, neither have I nourished young men, nor brought up virgins.
- Isaiah 24:23 וּ/בוֹשָׁ֖ה conj + Qal wpf 3fs Then the moon shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed; for Yahweh of Hosts will reign on Mount Zion, and in Jerusalem; and before his elders shall be glory.
- Isaiah 26:11 וְ/יֵבֹ֨שׁוּ֙ conj + Qal impf 3mp Yahweh, your hand is lifted up, yet they don't see: but they shall see [your] zeal for the people, and be disappointed; yes, fire shall devour your adversaries.
- Isaiah 29:22 יֵבוֹשׁ֙ Qal impf 3ms Therefore thus says Yahweh, who redeemed Abraham, concerning the house of Jacob: Jacob shall not now be ashamed, neither shall his face now wax pale.
- Isaiah 30:5 הֹבִ֔ישׁ Hiphil pf 3ms They shall all be ashamed because of a people that can't profit them, that are not a help nor profit, but a shame, and also a reproach.
- Isaiah 37:27 וָ/בֹ֑שׁוּ conj + Qal pf 3cp Therefore their inhabitants were of small power, they were dismayed and confounded; they were as the grass of the field, and as the green herb, as the grass on the housetops, and as a field [of grain] before it is grown up.
- Isaiah 41:11 יֵבֹ֨שׁוּ֙ Qal impf 3mp Behold, all those who are incensed against you shall be disappointed and confounded: those who strive with you shall be as nothing, and shall perish.
- Isaiah 42:17 יֵבֹ֣שׁוּ Qal impf 3mp They shall be turned back, they shall be utterly disappointed, who trust in engraved images, who tell molten images, You are our gods.
- Isaiah 44:9 יֵבֹֽשׁוּ Qal impf 3mp Those who fashion an engraved image are all of them vanity; and the things that they delight in shall not profit; and their own witnesses don't see, nor know: that they may be disappointed.
- Isaiah 44:11 יֵבֹ֔שׁוּ יֵבֹ֥שׁוּ Qal impf 3mp Qal impf 3mp Behold, all his fellows shall be disappointed; and the workmen, they are of men: let them all be gathered together, let them stand up; they shall fear, they shall be put to shame together.
- Isaiah 45:16 בּ֥וֹשׁוּ Qal pf 3cp They shall be disappointed, yes, confounded, all of them; they shall go into confusion together who are makers of idols.
- Isaiah 45:17 תֵבֹ֥שׁוּ Qal impf 2mp [But] Israel shall be saved by Yahweh with an everlasting salvation: you shall not be disappointed nor confounded world without end.
- Isaiah 45:24 וְ/יֵבֹ֔שׁוּ conj + Qal impf 3mp Only in Yahweh, it is said of me, is righteousness and strength; even to him shall men come; and all those who were incensed against him shall be disappointed.
- Isaiah 49:23 יֵבֹ֖שׁוּ Qal impf 3mp Kings shall be your nursing fathers, and their queens your nursing mothers: they shall bow down to you with their faces to the earth, and lick the dust of your feet; and you shall know that I am Yahweh; and those who wait for me shall not be disappointed.
- Isaiah 50:7 אֵבֽוֹשׁ Qal impf 1cs For the Lord Yahweh will help me; therefore I have not been confounded: therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be disappointed.
- Isaiah 54:4 תֵב֔וֹשִׁי Qal impf 2fs Don't be afraid; for you shall not be ashamed: neither be confounded; for you shall not be disappointed: for you shall forget the shame of your youth; and the reproach of your widowhood shall you remember no more.
- Isaiah 65:13 תֵּבֹֽשׁוּ Qal impf 2mp Therefore thus says the Lord Yahweh, Behold, my servants shall eat, but you shall be hungry; behold, my servants shall drink, but you shall be thirsty; behold, my servants shall rejoice, but you shall be disappointed;
- Isaiah 66:5 יֵבֹֽשׁוּ Qal impf 3mp Hear the word of Yahweh, you who tremble at his word: Your brothers who hate you, who cast you out for my name's sake, have said, Let Yahweh be glorified, that we may see your joy; but it is those who shall be disappointed.
Jeremiah 21 verses
- Jeremiah 2:26 הֹבִ֖ישׁוּ Hiphil pf 3cp As the thief is ashamed when he is found, so is the house of Israel ashamed; they, their kings, their princes, and their priests, and their prophets;
- Jeremiah 2:36 תֵּב֔וֹשִׁי בֹּ֖שְׁתְּ Qal impf 2fs Qal pf 2fs Why go you about so much to change your way? you shall be ashamed of Egypt also, as you were ashamed of Assyria.
- Jeremiah 6:15 בּ֣וֹשׁ יֵב֗וֹשׁוּ Qal inf.abs Qal impf 3mp Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? nay, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush: therefore they shall fall among those who fall; at the time that I visit them they shall be cast down, says Yahweh.
- Jeremiah 8:9 הֹבִ֣ישׁוּ Hiphil pf 3cp The wise men are disappointed, they are dismayed and taken: behold, they have rejected the word of Yahweh; and what manner of wisdom is in them?
- Jeremiah 8:12 בּ֣וֹשׁ יֵבֹ֗שׁוּ Qal inf.abs Qal impf 3mp Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? nay, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush: therefore shall they fall among those who fall; in the time of their visitation they shall be cast down, says Yahweh.
- Jeremiah 9:19 בֹּ֤שְׁנֽוּ Qal pf 1cp For a voice of wailing is heard out of Zion, How are we ruined! we are greatly confounded, because we have forsaken the land, because they have cast down our dwellings.
- Jeremiah 12:13 וּ/בֹ֨שׁוּ֙ conj + Qal impv 2mp They have sown wheat, and have reaped thorns; they have put themselves to pain, and profit nothing: and you shall be ashamed of your fruits, because of the fierce anger of Yahweh.
- Jeremiah 14:3 בֹּ֥שׁוּ Qal pf 3cp Their nobles send their little ones to the waters: they come to the cisterns, and find no water; they return with their vessels empty; they are disappointed and confounded, and cover their heads.
- Jeremiah 14:4 בֹּ֥שׁוּ Qal pf 3cp Because of the ground which is cracked, because no rain has been in the land, the plowmen are disappointed, they cover their heads.
- Jeremiah 15:9 בּ֣וֹשָׁה Qal pf 3fs She who has borne seven languishes; she has given up the spirit; her sun is gone down while it was yet day; she has been disappointed and confounded: and the residue of them will I deliver to the sword before their enemies, says Yahweh.
- Jeremiah 17:13 יֵבֹ֑שׁוּ Qal impf 3mp Yahweh, the hope of Israel, all who forsake you shall be disappointed. Those who depart from me shall be written in the earth, because they have forsaken Yahweh, the spring of living waters.
- Jeremiah 17:18 יֵבֹ֤שׁוּ אֵבֹ֣שָׁה Qal juss 3mp Qal coh 1cs Let them be disappointed who persecute me, but let not me be disappointed; let them be dismayed, but don't let me be dismayed; bring on them the day of evil, and destroy them with double destruction.
- Jeremiah 20:11 בֹּ֤שׁוּ Qal pf 3cp But Yahweh is with me as an awesome mighty one: therefore my persecutors shall stumble, and they shall not prevail; they shall be utterly disappointed, because they have not dealt wisely, even with an everlasting dishonor which shall never be forgotten.
- Jeremiah 22:22 תֵּבֹ֨שִׁי֙ Qal impf 2fs The wind shall feed all your shepherds, and your lovers shall go into captivity: surely then shall you be ashamed and confounded for all your wickedness.
- Jeremiah 31:19 בֹּ֚שְׁתִּי Qal pf 1cs Surely after that I was turned, I repented; and after that I was instructed, I struck on my thigh: I was ashamed, yes, even confounded, because I did bear the reproach of my youth.
- Jeremiah 48:13 וּ/בֹ֥שׁ בֹּ֨שׁוּ֙ conj + Qal wpf 3ms Qal pf 3cp Moab shall be ashamed of Chemosh, as the house of Israel was ashamed of Bethel their confidence.
- Jeremiah 48:39 בּ֑וֹשׁ Qal inf.cs How is it broken down! [how] do they wail! how has Moab turned the back with shame! so shall Moab become a derision and a terror to all who are round about him.
- Jeremiah 49:23 בּ֤וֹשָֽׁה Qal pf 3fs Of Damascus. Hamath is confounded, and Arpad; for they have heard evil news, they are melted away: there is sorrow on the sea; it can't be quiet.
- Jeremiah 50:12 בּ֤וֹשָׁה Qal pf 3fs your mother shall be utterly disappointed; she who bore you shall be confounded: behold, she shall be the least of the nations, a wilderness, a dry land, and a desert.
- Jeremiah 51:47 תֵּב֑וֹשׁ Qal impf 3fs Therefore, behold, the days come, that I will execute judgment on the engraved images of Babylon; and her whole land shall be confounded; and all her slain shall fall in the midst of her.
- Jeremiah 51:51 בֹּ֚שְׁנוּ Qal pf 1cp We are confounded, because we have heard reproach; confusion has covered our faces: for strangers are come into the sanctuaries of Yahweh's house.
Ezekiel 4 verses
- Ezekiel 16:52 בּ֨וֹשִׁי֙ Qal impv 2fs You also, bear you your own shame, in that you have given judgment for your sisters; through your sins that you have committed more abominable than they, they are more righteous that you: yes, be also confounded, and bear your shame, in that you have justified your sisters.
- Ezekiel 16:63 וָ/בֹ֔שְׁתְּ conj + Qal wpf 2fs that you may remember, and be confounded, and never open your mouth any more, because of your shame, when I have forgiven you all that you have done, says the Lord Yahweh.
- Ezekiel 32:30 בּוֹשִׁ֔ים Qal ptcp.act mp There are the princes of the north, all of them, and all the Sidonians, who are gone down with the slain; in the terror which they caused by their might they are put to shame; and they lie uncircumcised with those who are slain by the sword, and bear their shame with those who go down to the pit.
- Ezekiel 36:32 בּ֧וֹשׁוּ Qal impv 2mp Nor for your sake do I [this], says the Lord Yahweh, be it known to you: be ashamed and confounded for your ways, house of Israel.
Hosea 3 verses
- Hosea 4:19 וְ/יֵבֹ֖שׁוּ conj + Qal impf 3mp The wind has wrapped her up in its wings; And they shall be disappointed because of their sacrifices.
- Hosea 10:6 וְ/יֵב֥וֹשׁ conj + Qal impf 3ms It also will be carried to Assyria for a present to a great king. Ephraim will receive shame, And Israel will be ashamed of his own counsel.
- Hosea 13:15 וְ/יֵב֤וֹשׁ conj + Qal impf 3ms Though he is fruitful among his brothers, an east wind will come, The breath of Yahweh coming up from the wilderness; And his spring will become dry, And his fountain will be dried up. He will plunder the storehouse of treasure.
Joel 3 verses
- Joel 1:11 הֹבִ֣ישׁוּ Hiphil impv 2mp Be confounded, you farmers! Wail, you vineyard keepers; For the wheat and for the barley; For the harvest of the field has perished.
- Joel 2:26 יֵבֹ֥שׁוּ Qal impf 3mp You will have plenty to eat, and be satisfied, And will praise the name of Yahweh, your God, Who has dealt wondrously with you; And my people will never again be disappointed.
- Joel 2:27 יֵבֹ֥שׁוּ Qal impf 3mp You will know that I am in the midst of Israel, And that I am Yahweh, your God, and there is no one else; And my people will never again be disappointed.
Micah 2 verses
- Micah 3:7 וּ/בֹ֣שׁוּ conj + Qal wpf 3cp The seers shall be disappointed, And the diviners confounded. Yes, they shall all cover their lips; For there is no answer from God."
- Micah 7:16 וְ/יֵבֹ֔שׁוּ conj + Qal impf 3mp The nations will see and be ashamed of all their might. They will lay their hand on their mouth. Their ears will be deaf.
Zephaniah 1 verse
Zechariah 2 verses
- Zechariah 9:5 הֹבִ֣ישׁ Hiphil pf 3ms Ashkelon will see it, and fear; Gaza also, and will writhe in agony; As will Ekron, for her expectation will be disappointed; And the king will perish from Gaza, And Ashkelon will not be inhabited.
- Zechariah 13:4 יֵבֹ֧שׁוּ Qal impf 3mp It will happen in that day, that the prophets will each be ashamed of his vision, when he prophesies; neither will they wear a hairy mantle to deceive:
About this entry
At a glance — auto-summarized from this page’s data, not written by a person. Every figure links to its source below. This summary describes the numbers; it doesn’t interpret them.
בוש (bûwsh) is a Hebrew verb most often rendered “to be ashamed.” Translators differ — “be ashamed” in the King James Version, then “be put to shame” (Berean Standard Bible) and “have shame” (unfoldingWord Literal Text), as the renderings breakdown shows. With 105 verses in 16 books, it is a common word in the Hebrew Bible. It concentrates in Psalms, which alone accounts for 30% of its uses. Across 2 stems, its meaning turns on the binyan (Qal, Hiphil). The sections below give every sense, occurrence, and version rendering.
Gloss history
Strong's 1890 vs modern scholarship
About this word
Strong's H954 catalogs a Hebrew word from the Hebrew Old Testament.
These counts are not copied from any lexicon or concordance. They are computed here, from the morphology-tagged Hebrew Old Testament. What Lemma adds →
- 105
- distinct verses
- The word appears in 105 distinct verses.
- 16 / 39
- OT books
- The word appears in 16 of 39 Old Testament books.
- #384
- by frequency
- Top 500 most frequent Hebrew words (rank 384 of 8,640 Hebrew words by occurrence).
View all 105 occurrences in the concordance →
By section of the Old Testament
By traditional corpus
Conventional, traditional groupings — biblical authorship is debated, so this is a traditional corpus grouping, not an authorship claim. Each share is this word’s portion of its verses in that division of the Hebrew canon. Each figure is a share of the word’s 105 distinct verses.
- Prophets (Nevi'im) 62 verses · 59%
- Writings (Ketuvim) 41 verses · 39%
- Torah (Pentateuch) 2 verses · 2%
How translations render this word
Counts come from each version’s own published word-to-Strong’s tagging or interlinear alignment — an approximate guide to how each version renders this word, not a word-level alignment the data otherwise carries. Because each total is that version’s own tagged count, the per-version totals vary from one another and need not match the appearance or distinct-verse counts above. These counts may also differ from a printed concordance because Lemma counts each distinctly tagged rendering and does not collapse phrase taggings into a single head-word total. This is a fixed set of word-tagged versions (KJV, ASV, BSB, ULT) and does not change with the reading translation you choose elsewhere. Each version’s license is shown beside its name below (and on Sources).
- King James Version: Be ashamed 11×, Ashamed 6×, They shall be ashamed 6×
- American Standard Version: Confounded 12×, Let them be put to shame 8×, Be put to shame 6×
- Berean Standard Bible: Be put to shame 21×, Be ashamed 16×, Shame 9×
- unfoldingWord Literal Text: Have shame 21×, Ashamed 8×, Let 8×
King James Version Public Domain
Renders H954 across 109 tagged occurrences — most commonly:
Plus other, less common renderings. Plus 51 renderings that appear only once — usually multi-word phrases or single function words the recovered tagging swept in, not distinct renderings.
American Standard Version Public Domain
Renders H954 across 113 tagged occurrences — most commonly:
Plus other, less common renderings. Plus 59 renderings that appear only once — usually multi-word phrases or single function words the recovered tagging swept in, not distinct renderings.
Berean Standard Bible Public Domain
Renders H954 across 125 tagged occurrences — most commonly:
Plus other, less common renderings. Plus 42 renderings that appear only once — usually multi-word phrases or single function words the recovered tagging swept in, not distinct renderings.
unfoldingWord Literal Text CC BY-SA 4.0
Renders H954 across 149 tagged occurrences — most commonly:
Plus other, less common renderings. Plus 46 renderings that appear only once — usually multi-word phrases or single function words the recovered tagging swept in, not distinct renderings.
10 senses and sub-senses in the full BDB
Hebrew verbs can shift meaning by stem (binyan): Qal is the basic action, Niphal is often passive or reflexive, Piel often intensifies or makes it factitive, and Hiphil is typically causative. The senses below are grouped under the stem BDB assigns to each.
What do BDB’s symbols mean?
BDB uses these scholarly abbreviations:
| Symbol | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 𝔊 | the Septuagint (the ancient Greek translation, LXX) |
| 𝔙 | the Vulgate (the Latin translation) |
| 𝔖 | the Syriac version (the Peshitta) |
| 𝔗 | the Targum (the Aramaic translation) |
| ψ | the Psalms |
| √ | root (the underlying root or stem) |
| ‖ | parallel passage (a synonymous or contrasted parallel) |
| † | the dagger: every passage where the word occurs is cited |
The 10 senses and sub-senses the full Brown-Driver-Briggs lexicon distinguishes for this word, in lexicon order (not ranked by frequency), with BDB’s own verbatim wording and sub-sense lettering. Shown in Hebrew script with BDB’s own scholarly abbreviations. The condensed entry is in the Lexicon Entry tab. See also the Forms in the corpus table below.
Qal
- Pf. Je 48:39; בּשׁ Je 48:13; בּוֹשָׁה Je 15:9; בֹּשְׁתִּי Je 31:19 + 25 times; Impf. יֵבוֹשׁ Is 29:22 + 57 times; Inf. abs. בּוֹשׁ Je 6:15; 8:12; Imv. בּוֹשִׁי Is 23:4 Ez 16:52, בּוֹשׁוּ Ez 36:32; Pt. pl. בּוֹשִׁים Ez 32:30;— e.g. Jeremiah 48:39
- 1. abs. feel shame Je 6:15 + 16 times, Is 19:9; 23:4; 37:27 Is 2 45:16 + 14 times Ez 16:63 Mi 7:16 Jo 2:26, 27 2 K 19:26 Ez 9:6 Jb 6:20 ψ 6:11 (+ 27 times, chiefly in late Psalms). e.g. Jeremiah 6:15
- 2. sq. מִן, be ashamed of, i.e. disconcerted, disappointed by reason of Je 2:36(×2); 12:13; 48:13 Is 1:29; 20:5 Ez 32:30; 36:32. e.g. Jeremiah 2:36
- 3. with obj. בֹּשְׁתִּי לִשְׁאוֹל I am ashamed to ask Ezr 8:22; לֹא תֵבשׁוּ תַּהְכְּרוּ לִי ye are not ashamed to deal hardly with me (impf. subj.) Jb 19:3. בּושׁ often ‖ נכלם & חפר; בּשׁוּ וְהָכְלְמוּ they are ashamed and confounded Je 14:3, 22:22 Is 20:5; 41:11; 45:16, 17 Ez 16:52; 36:32 ψ 35:4; 69:7 Ez 9:6; וּבשׁוּ הַחֹזִים וְחָֽפְרוּ הַקֹּסְמִים and the seers shall be ashamed and the diviners confounded Mi 3:7, cf. Je 15:9 Jb 6:20 ψ 35:26; 40:15; 70:3; 71:24; יֵבוֹשׁ מְקוֹרוֹ Ho 13:15 (read יִיבַשׁ be dry); עַד־בּוֹשׁ †Ju 3:25 2 K 2:17; 8:11. cf. עַד־בּשׁ to the point of confusion †Ju 3:25 (cf. GFM), 2 K 2:17; 8:11. Poʿlēl Pf. בֹּשֵׁשׁ delay (in shame), בּשֵׁשׁ משֶׁה לָרֶדֶת Moses delayed to descend Ex 32:1 (J), מַדּוּעַ בּשֵׁשׁ רִכְבּוֹ לָבוֹא why delay his chariots to come? Ju 5:28. e.g. Ezra 8:22
Hiphil
- 1. הֱבִישׁוֹתָ ψ 44:8; הֱבִישֹׁתָה ψ 53:6; Impf. 2 ms. sf. תְּבִישֵׁנִי ψ 119:31, 116; תָּבִישׁוּ ψ 14:6; put to shame, Pt. מֵבִישׁ Pr 10:5; 14:35; 19:26; 29:15; one causing shame or acting shamefully, ‖ מַשְׂכִּיל; עֶבֶד מַשְׂכִּיל יִמְשֹׁל בְּבֵן מֵבִישׁ a servant acting wisely will rule over a son causing shame Pr 17:2; מְבִישָׁה ‖ אֵשֶׁת חַיִל Pr 12:4. e.g. Psalms 44:8
- 2. הוֹבִישׁ 2 S 19:6 Je 2:26; 6:15 Jo 1:10, 12; הֹבִישׁ Je 10:14 + 7 times, Ho 2:7 Jo 1:12, 17 Is 30:5 (but הבאיש Kt); הֹבִשׁוּ Je 8:9, 12; Imv. הֹבִישׁוּ Jo 1:11 (all the forms in Joel derived √ יָבֵשׁ by ancient versions and some moderns, vid. Ew§ 122e Ges§ 78b). e.g. 2 Samuel 19:6
- a. put to shame 2 S 19:6. e.g. 2 Samuel 19:6
- b. act shamefully Ho 2:7. e.g. Hosea 2:7
- c. to be put to shame Je 2:26; 6:15; 46:24; 48:1(×2), 20; 50:2(×2) Jo 1:10, 12, 17 (?). e.g. Jeremiah 2:26
- d. be ashamed Je 8:9, 12 Jo 1:11, 12 (?) Is 30:5 (Qr); c. מִן Je 10:14 = 51:17. Hithpoʿl Impf. יִתְבּשָׁ֑שׁוּ ashamed before one another Gn 2:25 (J). e.g. Jeremiah 8:9
Senses from the full Brown-Driver-Briggs lexicon (Brown, Driver, Briggs; Oxford 1906 — public domain), digitized via Sefaria, supplemented by the OpenScriptures HebrewLexicon (CC BY 4.0). Full attribution on Sources.
Word origin
vb. be ashamed (Sab. בום; מהבאס = evil-doer DHMZMG 1883, 375, ‖ Aramaic בְּהַת, Syriac ܒܗܶܬ whence Arabic بَهُتَ was surprised)—
— Brown-Driver-Briggs (Oxford 1906, public domain), digitized via Sefaria, supplemented by the OpenScriptures HebrewLexicon (CC BY 4.0). See Sources.
Origin: a primitive root
Jastrow Dictionary
A second Hebrew/Aramaic lexicon for comparison, covering Aramaic and post-biblical (Talmudic, Targumic, Midrashic) usage that the biblical-Hebrew BDB does not. Matched by lemma rather than by Strong’s number, so a lemma may carry more than one Jastrow headword (shown separately below), and the entries cover usage well beyond the Bible.
בּוֹשׁ
- , v. בְּהַת); (as adj.) m. confounded, abashed, ashamed. Zeb. 101ᵃ הודה ולא ביש וכ׳ he confessed and was not ashamed so as to say, ‘I have not learned it’, but he said &c.; ib.ᵇ (v. Rabb. D. S. a. l.).—Ḥag. 22ᵇ בּוֹשְׁנִי = בוש אני; Tosef. Ohol. V, 11 בּוֹשְׁתִּי. Kidd. 81ᵇ בּוֹשָׁה she is too bashful to &c. Keth. VIII, 1 אנו בוֹשִׁין we are confounded (to find a reason); a. fr.—בוש פנים (not בושת) bashful, chaste. Aboth V, 20.
- to put to shame, insult, disgrace. B. Kam. VIII, 1 המְבַיֵּישׁ את הישן he who exposes a sleeping person to shame. Ib. הזיק וב׳ he injured and exposed (a person at the same time). Ib. הכל לפי המְבַ׳ והמתבייש all (the fine) according to the social position of the insulter and of the insulted. Succ. 53ᵃ happy our youth שלא בִּיְּישָׁה וכ׳ which casts no reflection on our old age; a. fr.
- (cmp. הוֹבִיר fr. בור) to trouble, spoil. Tosef. B. Kam. V, 12 ed. Zuck. (Var. הבאיש, v. בָּאַשׁ, as Mish. ib. V, 3).
- to be put to shame, be exposed, insulted; to be bashful. B. Kam. l. c. Ned. 20ᵃ. Num. R. s. 15 התב׳ והטמין he felt ashamed (to offer the king common accommodations) and hid &c. Ib. נִתְבַּיַּישְׁתִּי; a. fr.
A Dictionary of the Targumim, the Talmud Babli and Yerushalmi, and the Midrashic Literature (Marcus Jastrow; London, Luzac, 1903) — Public Domain. Digitized via Sefaria. Digitized via Sefaria. Full attribution on Sources.
Forms in the corpus
The 86 distinct written forms H954 takes in the Hebrew Bible, most frequent first — each parse links to that stem’s occurrences in the concordance. Hebrew forms include their vowel points and cantillation, so a single lemma takes many written forms.
The 60 most common forms are shown; 26 rarer forms follow in the full concordance.
Same root — word family
Other BDB entries built from the same root as H954, grouped by Strong’s listed origin. These share a root / origin per the lexicon — not necessarily a shared meaning. Each links to that word’s own entry.
Derived from this word
- בושה bûwshâh H955 shame
- בשנה boshnâh H1317 shame
- בשת bôsheth H1322 shame
- מבש mâbush H4016 private parts
Compare all same-root words → Showing 4 of 5 — not the complete family. They share a root, not necessarily a meaning.
Septuagint verse parallels
This word appears in 87 verses that also exist in the Greek Old Testament (Septuagint), out of the 105 Hebrew verses it occurs in. You can read those verses in Greek by switching the Old Testament edition to the Septuagint.
Read these verses in the Septuagint
- Genesis 2:25
- Exodus 32:1
- Judges 3:25
- 2 Kings 2:17
- Ezra 8:22
- Job 6:20
- Psalms 6:10
- Proverbs 10:5
- Isaiah 1:29
- Jeremiah 2:26
- Ezekiel 16:52
- Hosea 4:19
This is a verse-level parallel only — the same verses exist in both the Hebrew and Greek Old Testaments. No word-level Hebrew↔Greek correspondence is claimed: the data carries no such alignment, so no Greek word is shown as this Hebrew word’s translation. Coverage is not total — the Septuagint omits the deuterocanon and renumbers the Psalms, so some Hebrew verses have no direct Greek parallel.
