### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew word **miphsâʻâh**, represented by `{{H4667}}`, refers to the **buttocks**. It is derived from a root meaning a stride and is used as a euphemism for the crotch. This term is exceptionally rare, appearing only **1 time** in **1 unique verse** in the entire biblical text.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
The single appearance of `{{H4667}}` occurs in a narrative of profound political and personal humiliation. In [[1 Chronicles 19:4]], Hanun, king of the Ammonites, seizes the servants of David. In an act of extreme disrespect, Hanun has the men shaved and their garments cut off in the middle, exposing their **buttocks** `{{H4667}}`. This public shaming was intended as a grave insult to King David and his kingdom, turning a mission of goodwill into an act of provocation.
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related words from this account provide a fuller picture of the event:
* `{{H2586}}` **Chânûwn** (Hanun): The Ammonite king who perpetrated the insult. His name ironically means "favored," yet his actions made him "odious to David" [[1 Chronicles 19:6]].
* `{{H1548}}` **gâlach** (shave): This action was part of the humiliation inflicted on David's servants. Shaving, particularly the beard, was a sign of deep mourning or disgrace.
* `{{H3772}}` **kârath** (to cut off): This verb describes the cutting of the garments, an act designed to expose and dishonor the men.
* `{{H4063}}` **medev** (garment): The item that was cut. Clothing signifies dignity and status, and its destruction was a key part of the public shaming.
### Theological Significance
While anatomically specific, the use of `{{H4667}}` in this context carries significant weight concerning honor, shame, and divine justice.
* **Symbol of Deep Humiliation:** The act of exposing the **buttocks** was not merely a prank but a deliberate and severe political insult, designed to strip David's emissaries of their dignity and publicly shame their king [[1 Chronicles 19:4]].
* **Provocation for War:** The dishonoring of David's **servants** `{{H5650}}` was a direct affront to the king himself. This act of disgrace was the catalyst for war between Israel and the Ammonites [[1 Chronicles 19:6]].
* **Offense Against Representatives:** The servants were acting as official representatives of King **David** `{{H1732}}`. An attack on a designated servant or messenger was considered an attack on the one who sent them, a principle with deep theological resonance for God's relationship with His own servants [[Isaiah 42:1]].
### Summary
In summary, `{{H4667}}` is a term whose significance is defined entirely by its singular, dramatic context. While it simply means **buttocks**, its use in [[1 Chronicles 19:4]] serves as a powerful illustration of public dishonor in the ancient world. The word marks the central point of an insult so profound that it led to war, demonstrating how an act of physical humiliation against a king's servants was understood as an indefensible offense against the king himself.
TRV