Lexical Summary geduphah: Reproach, Blasphemy, Reviling Original Word: גְּדוּפָה Strong's Exhaustive Concordance taunt Feminine passive participle of gadaph; a revilement -- taunt. see HEBREW gadaph NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfem. part. of gadaph Definition a taunt NASB Translation reviling (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs גְּדוּפָה noun feminine taunt, only Ezekiel 5:15 וְהָֽיְתָה חֶרְמָּה מוּסָר וּמְשַׁמָּה לַגּוֺיִם ׳וּג and she shall become a reproach and a taunt, an admonition and an astonishment, to the nations. Topical Lexicon Term Overview גְּדוּפָה describes a blasphemous insult or reproach powerful enough to shame its object publicly. In Ezekiel it designates the derision that would cling to Jerusalem after divine judgment, turning the city that once bore the Lord’s Name into a byword of contempt among the nations. Occurrence in Scripture Ezekiel 5:15 records the word’s single use: “So you will be a reproach and a taunt, a warning and an object of horror to the nations around you, when I execute judgments against you in anger, rage, and furious rebukes. I, the LORD, have spoken” (Berean Standard Bible). Here גְּדוּפָה is paired with “taunt” and “warning,” underscoring the intensity of ridicule that would follow the fall of Jerusalem. Historical Setting Ezekiel prophesied from Babylon to exiles who still hoped Jerusalem might be spared. Chapter 5 concludes a series of sign-acts depicting the siege and destruction of the city (Ezekiel 4:1–5:12). The predicted blasphemous scorn would arise precisely because the city was known as the dwelling place of the LORD (Psalm 76:2). When such a city fell, surrounding nations interpreted the calamity either as Yahweh’s impotence or His rejection of His people, and so they mocked both Jerusalem and her God (compare Psalm 79:10; Micah 4:11). גְּדוּפָה thus functions as a covenant curse: the shame promised in Leviticus 26:32–33 now descends in full. Theological Significance 1. Covenant violation. Reviling emerges as a consequence of disobedience: the people profane the LORD’s name (Ezekiel 36:20), therefore the nations profane Israel. Intercanonical Connections Other Hebrew terms like חֶרְפָּה (reproach) and שִׁמְעָה (report, rumor) overlap the theme, yet גְּדוּפָה uniquely emphasizes God-directed insult. The New Testament continues the pattern: Jesus endures “reproach” foretold in Psalm 69:9 (Romans 15:3), and believers are urged to “go to Him outside the camp, bearing His reproach” (Hebrews 13:13). The disgrace Ezekiel foresaw finds redemptive reversal in the Messiah who absorbs shame and turns it into glory (Philippians 2:8–11). Pastoral and Ministry Applications • Warnings against complacency. Churches and nations that presume on covenant privilege must recall Jerusalem’s downfall, lest public scandal bring similar reproach to Christ’s name (1 Corinthians 10:11–12). Practical Reflection Ezekiel’s lone use of גְּדוּפָה invites every generation to weigh the price of dishonoring God. Where His people refuse holiness, their witness can collapse into public shame. Where they submit to His discipline, even mockery becomes a stage for displaying His glory. Forms and Transliterations וּגְדוּפָה֙ וגדופה ū·ḡə·ḏū·p̄āh ugeduFah ūḡəḏūp̄āhLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Ezekiel 5:15 HEB: וְֽהָ֨יְתָ֜ה חֶרְפָּ֤ה וּגְדוּפָה֙ מוּסָ֣ר וּמְשַׁמָּ֔ה NAS: So it will be a reproach, a reviling, a warning KJV: So it shall be a reproach and a taunt, an instruction INT: will be a reproach A reviling A warning and an object 1 Occurrence |
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