Lexical Summary shiphluth: Lowliness, Humility Original Word: שְׁפְלוּת Strong's Exhaustive Concordance idleness From shaphel; remissness -- idleness. see HEBREW shaphel NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom shaphel Definition a sinking NASB Translation slackness* (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs שִׁפְלוּת noun feminine sinking; — construct יָדִים ׳שׁ Ecclesiastes 10:18 sinking of hands, negligence ("" עֲצַלְתַּ֫יִם). Topical Lexicon Definition and Picture in Scripture The word signals a sagging or lowered condition—hands that have fallen slack, morale that has ebbed, resolve that has collapsed. Scripture presents it as the posture of neglect rather than active rebellion. Context in Ecclesiastes 10:18 “Through laziness the roof sinks in, and through indolent hands the house leaks.” (Ecclesiastes 10:18) The Preacher depicts a house whose beams droop and roof drips because its owner’s hands hang limp (shĕphelûth). The image functions on two levels: the literal danger of structural ruin and the spiritual danger of life allowed to decay for want of diligence. Theology of Decline Through Neglect 1. Passivity nurtures disorder (Proverbs 24:30-34). Humility Distorted into Apathy A related root can describe wholesome lowliness before God (Psalm 113:6; Isaiah 57:15). Yet when low-spiritedness curdles into inaction, it betrays rather than honors humility (Matthew 25:26-30; James 4:6-10). Historical and Cultural Background Mud-brick walls and timber beams demanded constant repair in the ancient Near East. Readers immediately grasped the peril of a sagging roof. The domestic metaphor equally addressed royal, priestly, and familial spheres where neglected responsibilities produced national, spiritual, and household collapse (1 Samuel 3:13; 2 Chronicles 24:17-22). Practical Ministry Applications • Personal discipleship: drift in prayer, Word, and fellowship leaks vigor (Hebrews 2:1-3). New Testament Resonance Hebrews 12:12 exhorts, “strengthen your limp hands,” directly echoing shĕphelûth imagery. Ephesians 5:15-16 and Revelation 3:15-17 further confront spiritual lethargy with the call to redeem time and restore zeal. Related References Proverbs 12:24; 13:4; 18:9; Isaiah 32:9-15; Haggai 1:4-11; 2 Thessalonians 3:10-12. Conclusion Shĕphelûth unmasks the quiet peril of disregard: what is not maintained collapses. Scripture answers with vigilant, grace-fueled labor so that hands lifted in worship never droop into the neglect that ruins both houses and hearts (1 Corinthians 15:58). Forms and Transliterations וּבְשִׁפְל֥וּת ובשפלות ū·ḇə·šip̄·lūṯ ūḇəšip̄lūṯ uveshifLutLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Ecclesiastes 10:18 HEB: יִמַּ֣ךְ הַמְּקָרֶ֑ה וּבְשִׁפְל֥וּת יָדַ֖יִם יִדְלֹ֥ף NAS: sag, and through slackness the house KJV: decayeth; and through idleness of the hands INT: sag the rafters idleness of the hands leaks 1 Occurrence |
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