Lexical Summary bots: Fine linen Original Word: בֹץ Strong's Exhaustive Concordance mire Probably the same as buwts; mud (as whitish clay) -- mire. see HEBREW buwts NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom an unused word Definition mire NASB Translation mire (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs בֹּץ noun [masculine] mire Jeremiah 38:22. Topical Lexicon בֹץ (mud, mire) Canonical Setting The term surfaces once in the Old Testament, in Jeremiah 38:22. There the prophet warns King Zedekiah that the palace women will taunt him: “Your feet have sunk in the mire, and they have turned their backs on you” (Berean Standard Bible). Literary Context in Jeremiah Jeremiah 38 records Judah’s last, desperate months under Babylonian siege. The king has repeatedly sought private counsel from Jeremiah yet refuses to obey the word of the Lord. The image of feet immobilized in mud captures Zedekiah’s condition: outwardly still on the throne, inwardly trapped and powerless. The very friends in whom he trusted would prove treacherous, and the Babylonian officials would lead away his household. The prophecy also mirrors Jeremiah’s earlier ordeal in the same chapter, when he was lowered into a cistern “where there was no water, but only mud” (Jeremiah 38:6). The king who allowed the prophet to sink in mire will himself be described as mired, underscoring divine justice. Symbolic Significance of Mire 1. Helplessness and Judgment 2. Moral Defilement 3. False Confidence Exposed Historical and Cultural Background Ancient Jerusalem relied on cisterns carved in limestone to capture winter rains. When empty, these pits held a thick layer of ooze—ideal for imprisoning dissidents without weapons or chains. Muddy streets and fields were also common in the rainy season, and travelers feared becoming stuck. The prophetic use of such everyday experience made the warning unmistakable: Zedekiah would be as helpless as a man whose sandals cannot be pulled free. Related Hebrew Imagery While בֹץ appears only once, several cognate pictures amplify the theme: Each term enriches the biblical motif of sinking human strength and the need for divine deliverance. Ministry Implications 1. Proclamation of the Word Jeremiah’s courage reminds preachers that truth spoken in love may be resisted, yet God vindicates His messengers. Zedekiah demonstrates how compromise traps leaders. Counsel that flatters rather than confronts leaves the hearer mired. Churches must surround leaders with voices committed to Scripture over popularity. Many believers feel “stuck in the mud” of habitual sin or discouragement. Jeremiah’s prophecy, together with Psalm 40, points them to the Lord who “sets feet upon a rock” and gives a “new song.” Practical Exhortation Believers are called to examine where trust has shifted from the Lord to unreliable allies, pleasures, or plans. Confession and renewed dependence clear the mire from spiritual footsteps (Proverbs 3:5-6; Hebrews 12:1-2). Summary Though בֹץ occurs only once, its single use wields enormous theological weight. The mire beneath Zedekiah’s feet reveals the futility of resisting God’s word and the certainty of His judgment, while simultaneously pointing to the gracious deliverance offered to all who cry, “He brought me up…out of the miry clay” (Psalm 40:2). Forms and Transliterations בַבֹּ֛ץ בבץ ḇab·bōṣ ḇabbōṣ vabBotzLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Jeremiah 38:22 HEB: שְׁלֹמֶ֔ךָ הָטְבְּע֥וּ בַבֹּ֛ץ רַגְלֶ֖ךָ נָסֹ֥גוּ NAS: were sunk in the mire, They turned KJV: are sunk in the mire, [and] they are turned away INT: your close were sunk the mire your feet turned 1 Occurrence |