The Hebrew noun kherpah signifies reproach, disgrace, shame, or scorn. It appears over 70 times in the Old Testament, describing the social and spiritual condition of being dishonored before God and people. It is among the most theologically significant words dealing with shame culture in the ancient Near East.
Kherpah pervades the Psalms of lament, where the righteous sufferer cries out under unjust reproach. Psalm 22 — a messianic psalm — opens with the cry 'Do not be far from me' and describes the scorn and mocking of enemies: 'He trusts in the LORD; let the LORD rescue him' (v. 8). Isaiah 53 describes the Suffering Servant as one who bore the disgrace of his people. Joshua 5:9 records God declaring, 'Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you' — naming the nation's shame after decades of slavery. The removal of reproach is a recurring theme of redemption. God's promise through Isaiah is that His servants 'will not be put to shame' (Isaiah 54:4). In the NT, Hebrews 11:26 praises Moses who 'regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt.'