בּוֹשׁ109 H0954
To be ashamed, feel shame or disgrace; causatively to put to shame; also to delay or tarry (Piel); rarely to dry up
A deeply emotional verb rooted in the experience of public disgrace and disappointed trust. In its most common Qal form, it describes the internal sensation of shame, whether before God (Ezra 9:6), before enemies (Ps 6:10), or in the face of moral failure. The Hifil causative sense captures the act of actively bringing shame upon another, as when the psalmist declares that God has put evildoers to shame (Ps 14:6). A surprising semantic development appears in the Piel, where the root shifts to mean 'delay' or 'tarry,' as when Israel grew impatient because Moses delayed coming down from Sinai (Exod 32:1). A single occurrence in Hosea 13:15 points to a meaning of drying up, possibly related to the withering that accompanies disgrace.
1. to be ashamed, feel shame (Qal) — The foundational Qal stative sense covering the feeling of shame, disgrace, or humiliation. The subject experiences shame internally, whether as divine judgment, social exposure, or moral failure. The breadth is striking: it ranges from the shame of defeated nations (Isa 37:27) to personal penitence (Jer 31:19). Spanish avergonzar and German sich schämen both preserve this reflexive, inward-turning quality. Dominant across Psalms, Jeremiah, and Isaiah, this sense accounts for the vast majority of occurrences. 95×
AR["لِيَخْزَ","لِيَخْزَوْا","يَخزَونَ","يَخْزى","يَخْزَوْنَ","يَخْزَى"]·ben["তারা-লজ্জিত-হোক","লজ্জিত-হবে","লজ্জিত-হোক"]·DE["lass-ihnen-sein-ashamed","lass-sein-ashamed","schaemte-sich","schämte-sich","sich-schaemen"]·EN["let-be-ashamed","let-them-be-ashamed","shall-be-ashamed","shall-be-put-to-shame","they-are-ashamed","they-shall-be-ashamed","they-will-be-ashamed","will-be-ashamed"]·FR["avoir-honte"]·heb["יֵבוֹשׁוּ","יבושו","ייבושו"]·HI["लज्जित-हों","लज्जित-होंगे","लज्जित-होगी","वे-लज्जित-हों","वे-लज्जित-होंगे"]·ID["Biarlah-malu","Biarlah-mereka-malu","Menjadi-malu","akan-dipermalukan","akan-malu","biarlah-malu","menjadi-malu","mereka-akan-malu","mereka-malu"]·IT["fu-svergognato","vergognarsi"]·jav["Isin-a","Mugi-isin","Mugi-kawirangan","Mugi-sami-wirang","Tiyang-tiyang-punika-kawirangna","badhe-isin","badhé-kawirangan;","badhé-wirang","badh駱adho-wirang","isin","isina","mugi-wirang","piyambakipun-badhé-isin","wirang"]·KO["그들이-부끄러워할-것이라","부끄러우리라","부끄러울-것이다","부끄러움-당하게-하소서","부끄러워하게-되라","부끄러워하리라","부끄러워하리로다","부끄러워하리이다","부끄럽게-하소서","수치를-당하리라"]·PT["Envergonhados","Envergonhem-se","Sejam-envergonhados","e-sejam-envergonhados","envergonhar-se-ão","se-envergonharão","sejam-envergonhados","serão-envergonhados","serão-envergonhados;"]·RU["Да-постыдятся","да-будут-постыжены","да-постыдятся","постыдится","постыдятся","устыдятся"]·ES["Se-avergonzarán","Sean-avergonzados","Serán-avergonzados","se-avergonzarán","sean-avergonzados","serán-avergonzados"]·SW["Na-waaibishwe","Waaibishwe","Wataaibishwa","aibishwa","mtaaibika","na-waaibike","waaibishwe","wataaibika","wataaibishwa","wataona-aibu"]·TR["Utansınlar","utanacak","utanacaklar","utansınlar"]·urd["شرمندہ-ہوں","شرمندہ-ہوں-گے","وہ-شرمندہ-ہوں-گے"]
Ezra 8:22, Ezra 9:6, Ps 6:10, Ps 6:10, Ps 25:2, Ps 25:3, Ps 25:3, Ps 25:20, Ps 31:1, Ps 31:17, Ps 31:17, Ps 35:4 (+38 more)
▼ 3 more senses below
Senses
2. to put to shame, cause disgrace (Hifil) — The Hifil causative: to put to shame, cause disgrace, bring shame upon someone. Here an active agent inflicts shame on another. The Psalms use this frequently in petitions asking God to shame the wicked (Ps 44:7, Ps 119:31). Arabic mukhzin (shame-causing) and French avoir honte capture the transitive dimension. The shift from experiencing shame to causing it marks a significant semantic escalation. 16×
AR["أَخْزَيْتَ","أَخْزَيْتَهُمْ","اِخْجَلوا","تُخْزُونَ","تُخْزِنِي","خَجِلَ","خَزِيَ","مُخْزٍ","مُخْزِيَةٌ","يُخْزِي"]·ben["তুমি-আমাকে-লজ্জিত-করিও","তোমরা-লজ্জিত-করো","লজ্জা-দেয়","লজ্জাজনক","লজ্জিত-করেছ","লজ্জিত-করেছে","লজ্জিত-হও","লজ্জিত-হয়েছে"]·DE["schaemte-sich","schämte-sich","sich-schaemen"]·EN["They-shall-be-put-to-shame","You-have-put-to-shame","against-one-who-brings-shame","are-ashamed","be-ashamed","brings-shame","causing-shame","dried-up","is-she-who-brings-shame","over","put-me-to-shame","who-brings-shame","you-have-put-to-shame","you-would-shame"]·FR["avoir-honte","le-avoir-honte"]·heb["הבישות","הוביש","הובישו","מביש","מבישה","תבישו","תבישני"]·HI["तुम-लज्जित-करते-हो","लज्जा","लज्जाजनक","लज्जाजनक-पर","लज्जाजनक-है","लज्जित-करता","लज्जित-किया-तूने","लज्जित-हुए","लज्जित-हो","लज्जित-होंगे","वह-लज्जित-हुई"]·ID["Engkau-mempermalukan-aku","Malulah,","dipermalukan","kamu-mempermalukan","malu","memalukan","membuat-aku-malu","menjadi-malu","yang-memalukan"]·IT["fu-svergognato","vergognarsi"]·jav["(dipun-wirangaken)","Gusti Allah","Panjenengan-sampun-ngguguaken","Piyambakipun-sami-isin","damel-kula-kawirangan","isin","kang-damel-wirang","kang-ngawirangaken","kok-isin-aken","ngwirangaken","sami-isin","wirang"]·KO["부끄러운","부끄러워하게-하셨도다","부끄러워하라","부끄러워하였다","부끄러워할-것이다","부끄러웠다","부끄럽게-하나이다","부끄럽게-하다","부끄럽게-하셨도다","부끄럽게-하소서-나-를","부끄럽고","수치-당하게-마소서-나-를","수치를-당하리라","수치스럽게하는","수치스럽게하는-여자-는","수치스럽게하는-자-에게"]·PT["Envergonhai-vos","Envergonharam-se","a-que-envergonha","envergonha","envergonhais","envergonhando","envergonharam-se","envergonhaste","me-envergonhes","os-envergonhaste","para-o-que-envergonha","que-envergonha","se-envergonhou","secou","vergonhoso"]·RU["Постыдитесь","будут-посрамлены","позорит","посрамил","посрамлена","посрамляете","постыди-меня","постыдились","постыжающая","постыжающий","постыжающим","постыжен"]·ES["(fueron-avergonzados)","Avergonzaos","Han-sido-avergonzados","avergonzará","avergonzaste","avergonzáis","fueron-avergonzados","ha-sido-avergonzada","la-que-avergüenza","me-avergüences","para-el-que-avergüenza","que-avergüenza"]·SW["Aibisheni","ataaibishwa","humwaibisha","kunifedheheshea","kwa-anayeaibisha","litaaibishwa","mnaaibishu","ni-anayeaibisha","niaibishe","uliwaaibisha","umewaaibiisha","wa-aibu","wameaibishwa"]·TR["(utandirildi)","rezil-eden","utandı","utandılar","utandıran","utandırdın","utandırıldı","utandırır","utandırırsınız","utanç-veren","utanç-verene","utanı-çıkart-beni"]·urd["تم-شرمندہ-کرتے-ہو","تُو-نے-شرمندہ-کیا","شرمسار-کیا","شرمسار-ہوئے","شرمناک","شرمناک-کرنے-والی","شرمناک-کرنے-والے-پر","شرمندہ-کر-مجھے","شرمندہ-کرتا-ہے","شرمندہ-ہو","شرمندہ-ہوئے","شرمندہ-ہوں-گے","شَرمِندہ-کِیا"]
Ps 14:6, Ps 44:7, Ps 53:5, Ps 119:31, Ps 119:116, Prov 10:5, Prov 12:4, Prov 14:35, Prov 17:2, Prov 19:26, Prov 29:15, Isa 30:5 (+4 more)
3. to delay, tarry (Piel) — A distinctive Piel development meaning to delay, tarry, or be slow in coming. This sense is semantically distant from shame and likely arose through the idea of lingering hesitation. The two attestations — Moses' delay on Sinai (Exod 32:1) and Sisera's mother wondering why his chariot tarries (Judg 5:28) — both involve anxious waiting. Spanish tarda and the English 'delayed' align here, and the semantic leap from shame to delay finds a bridge in the concept of embarrassed hesitation. 2×
AR["أَبطَأَ","يَتَأَخَّرُ"]·ben["দেরি","দেরি-করছে"]·DE["delayed","ist-delayed"]·EN["delayed","is-delayed"]·FR["delayed","est-delayed"]·heb["בושש"]·HI["देर-कर-रहा-है","देरी-हो-रही"]·ID["berlambat-lambat","terlambat"]·IT["delayed","è-delayed"]·jav["kasep"]·KO["더딥다","지체하는가"]·PT["demorava","tarda"]·RU["медлит"]·ES["tarda","tardaba"]·SW["amechelewa","limechelewa"]·TR["gecikti"]·urd["دیر-کر-رہا-ہے","دیر-کرتا-ہے"]
4. sense 4 — A hapax or near-hapax sense in Hosea 13:15 meaning to dry up or wither, applied to a spring whose waters fail. The multilingual evidence splits: English renders 'shall dry up,' Spanish 'se secará,' while French and German retain the shame reading. This may reflect a separate homonymous root or a metaphorical extension where shame is likened to the withering of vitality. 1×
AR["وَيَجِفُّ"]·ben["এবং-শুকিয়ে-যাবে"]·DE["und-schaemte-sich"]·EN["and-shall-dry-up"]·FR["et-avoir-honte"]·heb["ו-ייבוש"]·HI["और-सूखेगा"]·IT["e-vergognarsi"]·jav["lan-garing"]·KO["그리고-마르리라"]·PT["e-secará"]·RU["и-иссохнет"]·ES["y-se-secará"]·SW["na-utakauka"]·TR["ve-kurayacak"]·urd["اور-سوکھ-جائے-گا"]
Related Senses
H3117 1. day, specific time (2231×)H5704 1. until, unto, as far as (1238×)H8141 1. year, unit of time (880×)H4325 1. water, waters (582×)H6965b 1. Qal: to rise, arise, get up (432×)H6258 1. and now (421×)H3701 1. silver (the metal) (391×)H2091 1. gold (the metal) (389×)G2250 1. day (388×)H5750 1. again, more, further (288×)H5769 1. forever, to eternity (280×)H0068 1. stone, rock (material/object) (267×)H6256 1. time, period (264×)H2320 1. month, calendar period (260×)H0310a 2. after (temporal) (258×)H3915 1. night, period of darkness (234×)H1242 1. morning (214×)G2309 1. want, desire (166×)H5750 2. still, yet (continuative) (166×)G5119 1. then (160×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
בּוֹשׁ109 vb. be ashamed (Sab. בום; מהבאס = evil-doer DHMZMG 1883, 375, ‖ Aramaic בְּהַת, Syriac ܒܗܶܬ whence Arabic بَهُتَ was surprised)— 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;— 1. abs. feel shame Je 6:15 +…