### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew word **mᵉshôl**, represented by `{{H4914}}`, translates to **a satire** or **byword**. This specific term is exceptionally rare in scripture, appearing only **1 time** in **1 unique verse**. Its singular usage highlights a moment of profound personal anguish and public disgrace.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
The sole appearance of `{{H4914}}` is in the book of Job. In a state of deep suffering, Job laments that God "hath made me also a **byword** of the people" [[Job 17:6]]. In this context, **mᵉshôl** signifies being turned into a public object of scorn and a cautionary tale. Job feels his identity has been reduced to a proverbial example of suffering, a subject of mocking commentary among the community.
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related words in the surrounding text clarify the meaning of `{{H4914}}`:
* `{{H3322}}` **yâtsag** (to place permanently; establish, leave, make, present, put, set, stay): This verb is used to describe how Job has been *made* or established as a byword, indicating a fixed and public condition of disgrace [[Job 17:6]]. It is also used when Nebuchadnezzar had *made* Jerusalem an empty vessel [[Jeremiah 51:34]].
* `{{H5971}}` **ʻam** (a people (as a congregated unit); specifically, a tribe... folk, men, nation, people): This word identifies the audience for Job's disgrace. He has become a byword of the **people**, meaning his humiliation is a community spectacle [[Job 17:6]]. This term is often used to describe the nation of Israel as God's covenant **people** [[Jeremiah 31:33]].
* `{{H8611}}` **tôpheth** (a smiting, i.e. (figuratively) contempt; tabret): Appearing in the same verse, this word parallels the idea of being a byword. Job states he was "as a **tabret**," which figuratively means an object of contempt, reinforcing the theme of public mockery [[Job 17:6]].
### Theological Significance
The theological weight of `{{H4914}}` is concentrated in its single, poignant use.
* **The Social Dimension of Suffering:** The concept of being a **byword** underscores that Job's suffering is not merely a private affair but a public spectacle. He is made `{{H3322}}` an object lesson for the **people** `{{H5971}}`.
* **Profound Humiliation:** To become a **mᵉshôl** is to lose one's honor and be redefined by disgrace. Job’s lament is that his name and story have become synonymous with a negative example, a target of satire and scorn.
* **A Test of Identity:** Job's ordeal involves being publicly stripped of his former status and made into a symbol of contempt. His struggle is not just with God and his own pain, but with the identity forced upon him by his community.
### Summary
In summary, `{{H4914}}` is a rare but potent term. Its singular appearance in [[Job 17:6]] powerfully captures the essence of being made into a public example of scorn and disgrace. The word, understood as a **byword** or **satire**, reveals the depths of social and emotional anguish experienced in suffering, where one's identity is publicly redefined by their affliction.
TRV