Topical Encyclopedia
The term "unshod" refers to the state of being without shoes or sandals. In biblical times, being unshod often carried significant cultural and spiritual connotations. The act of removing one's shoes was sometimes a sign of reverence, humility, or mourning, and it could also symbolize a deeper spiritual truth or command from God.
Biblical References:1.
Moses and the Burning Bush: One of the most notable instances of being unshod in the Bible is found in the account of Moses at the burning bush. In
Exodus 3:5 , God commands Moses, "Do not come any closer," God said. "Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground." Here, the removal of sandals signifies the holiness of the ground and the presence of God. It is an act of reverence and submission to the divine.
2.
Joshua and the Commander of the Lord's Army: A similar event occurs in the book of Joshua. In
Joshua 5:15 , the commander of the Lord's army instructs Joshua, "Remove your sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy." Joshua obeys, recognizing the sacredness of the moment and the presence of God.
3.
Symbol of Mourning and Humility: Being unshod can also symbolize mourning or humility. In
2 Samuel 15:30 , as David flees from Absalom, he ascends the Mount of Olives "weeping as he went; his head was covered, and he was barefoot." David's unshod state reflects his deep sorrow and humility before God during a time of personal and national crisis.
4.
Prophetic Symbolism: The prophet Isaiah was commanded to go unshod as a sign to the people of Israel. In
Isaiah 20:2-3 , the Lord instructs Isaiah, "Go, loosen the sackcloth from your waist and take off your sandals from your feet." Isaiah obeys, walking "naked and barefoot" as a prophetic sign against Egypt and Cush, symbolizing their impending captivity and humiliation.
Cultural and Spiritual Significance:In the ancient Near Eastern context, being unshod was not merely a practical matter but often carried deeper spiritual and cultural meanings. The removal of shoes could denote respect and acknowledgment of a sacred space, as seen in the encounters of Moses and Joshua. It was also a gesture of humility and vulnerability, as demonstrated by David and Isaiah.
The act of being unshod serves as a reminder of the need for purity and reverence in approaching God. It underscores the importance of recognizing God's holiness and our own need for humility and submission before Him. The biblical instances of being unshod highlight the profound connection between physical actions and spiritual truths, illustrating how outward expressions can reflect inner attitudes of the heart.
Strong's Hebrew
3182. yacheph -- barefoot... Word Origin from an unused word Definition barefoot NASB Word Usage barefoot
(4),
unshod (1). barefoot, being
unshod. From an unused
...Library
Matt. x. 16
... that they might learn that this system of war is new, and the manner of the array
unwonted; as He sends them bare, and with one coat, andunshod, and without...
But as Celsus Makes a Jest Also of the Serpent...
... place, he is always poor, and far from being delicate and beautiful, as most persons
imagine; but is withered, and sunburnt, [3861] andunshod, and without a...
On Lent, I.
... He has shod our feet with the bonds of peace: because the unbelted soldier is quickly
vanquished by the suggester of immodesty, and he that isunshod is easily...
Instructions to Catechumens.
... the Church should be initiated at this season; and for what reason, after the
instruction from us, removing your shoes and raiment, unclad andunshod, with but...
Caput xv.
... the lightness of the wings denotes their being in no respect earthly, but undefiledly
and lightly raised to the sublime; and the naked andunshod denotes the...
The Third Book
... Who obeys his order to be content with a single tunic? Who thinks the command
to walkunshod possible or even tolerable to follow?...
Matt. xxviii. 11-14.
... For what instruments had these apostles, who effected such things? Did they not
go about with one vestment andunshod? and they got the better of all....
The Raising of the Young Man of Nain - the Meeting of Life and...
... [2664] Nor can we doubt that the ends of handles were borne by friends and neighbours,
different parties of bearers, all of themunshod, at frequent intervals...
Faustus Fails to Understand Why He Should be Required Either to...
... But the man who thinks it enough to secure his own safety by believing, and shirks
the duty of benefiting others, has the reproach of beingunshod, not in type...
To the Right Hon. Henry Pelham, First Lord Commissioner of the...
... The curtain's fall; there, see the buskin'd chief.Unshod behind this momentary
scene; 350. Reduced to his own stature, low or high,....
Thesaurus
Unshod (1 Occurrence)... Multi-Version Concordance
Unshod (1 Occurrence). Jeremiah 2:25 Withhold your
foot from being
unshod, and your throat from thirst: but
...Unsheathed (1 Occurrence)
Unshrunk (2 Occurrences)
Incurable (13 Occurrences)
... Jeremiah 2:25 Withhold thy foot from beingunshod, And thy throat from thirst, And
thou sayest, 'It is incurable, No, for I have loved strangers, and after...
Throat (13 Occurrences)
... Jeremiah 2:25 Withhold your foot from beingunshod, and your throat from thirst:
but you said, It is in vain; no, for I have loved strangers, and after them...
Withhold (32 Occurrences)
... Jeremiah 2:25 Withhold your foot from beingunshod, and your throat from thirst:
but you said, It is in vain; no, for I have loved strangers, and after them...
Thirst (40 Occurrences)
... Jeremiah 2:25 Withhold your foot from beingunshod, and your throat from thirst:
but you said, It is in vain; no, for I have loved strangers, and after them...
Hopeless (4 Occurrences)
... Jeremiah 2:25 Withhold thy foot from beingunshod, and thy throat from thirst; but
thou saidst: 'There is no hope; no, for I have loved strangers, and after...
Foreign (65 Occurrences)
... Jeremiah 2:25 Withhold thy foot from beingunshod, and thy throat from thirst; but
thou saidst: 'There is no hope; no, for I have loved strangers, and after...
Sayest (66 Occurrences)
... Jeremiah 2:25 Withhold thy foot from beingunshod, And thy throat from thirst, And
thou sayest, 'It is incurable, No, for I have loved strangers, and after...
Resources
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