### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew word **shayin**, represented by `{{H7890}}`, literally means **urine** or **piss**. It is a rare term, appearing only **2 times** across **2 unique verses** in the Bible. Derived from an unused root meaning to urinate, its usage in scripture is pointed and serves to illustrate a state of extreme distress and degradation.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
In both of its biblical appearances, `{{H7890}}` is part of a taunt delivered by the Assyrian official Rabshakeh to the defenders of Jerusalem. During the siege, he shouts to the men on the wall, warning that continued resistance under King Hezekiah will lead to such dire conditions that they will be forced to "eat their own dung, and drink their own **piss**" ([[2 Kings 18:27]]; [[Isaiah 36:12]]). The term is used to paint a graphic picture of the ultimate humiliation and desperation of a besieged city.
### Related Words & Concepts
The meaning of `{{H7890}}` is clarified by several words used alongside it in its specific context:
* `{{H8354}}` **shâthâh** (to imbibe... drink): This verb is directly linked to `{{H7890}}`, forming the core of the threat that the people will have to **drink** their own waste to survive [[2 Kings 18:27]].
* `{{H398}}` **ʼâkal** (to eat): Used in parallel with the verb to drink, this word completes the horrific image of desperation where the besieged must **eat** their own dung [[Isaiah 36:12]].
* `{{H6675}}` **tsôwʼâh** (excrement... filthiness): This noun for dung or **filthiness** is the direct counterpart to `{{H7890}}`, together representing the consumption of human waste as the outcome of the siege [[Isaiah 36:12]].
* `{{H4325}}` **mayim** (water... urine): This common word for **water** is used here as part of a euphemism for urine, highlighting the grotesque substitution for life-sustaining water [[2 Kings 18:27]].
* `{{H7272}}` **regel** (a foot... by euphemistically the pudenda): This word for **foot** is also part of the graphic phrase "water of the feet," which is translated as **piss** in the passages where `{{H7890}}` appears [[Isaiah 36:12]].
### Theological Significance
The thematic weight of `{{H7890}}` is tied to its graphic and specific use in scripture.
* **Symbol of Ultimate Humiliation:** The word is employed as a tool of psychological warfare by Rabshakeh to convey the most profound degradation imaginable, breaking the morale of his enemies with the image of them consuming their own waste [[Isaiah 36:12]].
* **Physical Consequence of Conflict:** It vividly portrays the horrific reality of ancient siege warfare, where the lack of basic necessities like food and water leads to desperate and defiling actions for survival [[2 Kings 18:27]].
* **A Stark Contrast to Divine Provision:** The threat to drink `{{H7890}}` stands in sharp opposition to the biblical theme of God providing life-giving sustenance, such as the blessing of bread and **water** `{{H4325}}` [[Exodus 23:25]] or the invitation to the thirsty to "come ye to the waters" [[Isaiah 55:1]].
### Summary
In summary, `{{H7890}}` is a rare and visceral term used exclusively to depict the extremity of human suffering during a siege. While its base meaning is simply **urine**, its biblical context in both 2 Kings and Isaiah gives it a powerful role as a symbol of utter desperation, humiliation, and the horrifying physical consequences of war. It stands as a stark depiction of a state where the most basic elements of life are perverted into sources of defilement.
TRV