Original Word: שִׁכְמָה
Part of Speech: Noun Feminine
Transliteration: shikmah
Pronunciation: shik-MAH
Phonetic Spelling: (shik-maw')
KJV: shoulder blade
Word Origin: [feminine of H7926 (שְׁכֶם - shoulder)]

1. the shoulder-bone

shoulder blade

Feminine of shkem; the shoulder-bone -- shoulder blade.

see HEBREW shkem

Word Origin
fem. of shekem, q.v.

Biblical Context and Usage

שִׁכְמָה (shikmah) appears singularly in Job 31:22, where Job invokes a self-imprecatory curse: “then let my shoulder fall from my socket, and my arm be torn from its socket” (Job 31:22). The word denotes the bony “shoulder-blade,” highlighting both physical strength and vulnerability. Though the specific feminine noun is rare, its masculine counterpart (שֶׁכֶם) and verbal root saturate Scripture with imagery of labor, burden, and delegated authority, enabling the single use of שִׁכְמָה to resonate with a rich canonical backdrop.

Literary and Rhetorical Function in Job

1. Oath of Purity: Job’s oath section (Job 31) mirrors ancient Near-Eastern judicial formulas. By exposing the very bone that empowers the arm, Job proclaims that, if guilty, God may dismantle his capacity for work and defense.
2. Emphasis on Integrity: The threatened dislocation dramatizes the severity of deceit; integrity is worth more than bodily wholeness.
3. Physical Metaphor for Spiritual Truth: The fracture of the shoulder-blade would terminate productive life, signaling that hidden sin—if present—deserves total incapacitation.

Theological Themes of Strength, Responsibility, and Judgment

• Strength Granted by God: Shoulders symbolize might (Psalm 18:34), bearing burdens (Numbers 4:15) and governmental authority (“the government will be on His shoulders,” Isaiah 9:6). Shikmah pinpoints the hinge of that strength.
• Stewardship and Accountability: Job accepts divine scrutiny; strength is a trust, forfeitable through sin.
• Retributive Justice: The potential dismemberment affirms the righteous order that God upholds: moral breach invites proportionate loss (Galatians 6:7).

Historical and Cultural Background

In the ancient Near East, oaths often called down bodily curses. A dislocated shoulder would eliminate military service, herding, farming, and craftsmanship—core male roles. Thus Job’s wording engages his hearers’ understanding of honor and livelihood hanging together.

Related Scriptural Motifs

• Bearing Burdens—Exodus 12:34; Psalm 81:6.
• Shoulder Stones of Memorial—Exodus 28:12: priestly onyx stones upon the ephod’s shoulders, reminding Israel that intercession rests on remembered names.
• Messianic Governance—Isaiah 9:6; Isaiah 22:22, depicting the Messiah’s ruling key upon His shoulder.
• Submission or Rebellion—Zephaniah 3:1-2 portrays a “rebellious and defiled” city that “draws no near”; the Hebrew idiom “turn a stubborn shoulder” (Zechariah 7:11) underscores moral posture.

Ministry Applications

• Integrity under Scrutiny: Believers serving in leadership can echo Job’s transparency, welcoming examination rather than concealing fault (2 Corinthians 13:5).
• Strength for Service: The shoulder-blade reminds the church that God-given strength is designed for bearing others’ burdens (Galatians 6:2).
• Consequences of Sin: Teaching on divine justice may draw from Job 31:22 to illustrate that moral failure can dismantle personal effectiveness.
• Christ’s Fulfillment: Where Job risked losing his shoulder, Christ offered His body wholly, bearing the cross upon His shoulders (John 19:17) and thereby lifting the heaviest burden—sin itself—from ours.

Summary

Shikmah, though occurring once, crystallizes the Bible’s shoulder symbolism: God grants strength for righteous labor, expects accountable stewardship, and justly removes power when integrity collapses. Job’s daring appeal models transparent godliness, pointing ultimately to the greater Righteous Sufferer whose shoulders carry the government and the cross, securing redemption for all who trust Him.

מִשִּׁכְמָ֣ה משכמה miš·šiḵ·māh mishshichMah miššiḵmāhInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts