← Back to Lexicon
H7785 · Hebrew · Old Testament
שׁוֹק
showq
Noun Masculine
thigh / leg / shoulder

Definition

Showq (H7785) refers to the thigh or lower leg — used for the human thigh and for the 'shoulder' or thigh portion of sacrificial animals given to the priest. In Leviticus and Numbers, the right thigh (showq hayamin) was the priest's portion, designated as holy.

Usage & Theological Significance

The priestly thigh-portion (showq) represents God's careful ordering of worship and provision. Every peace offering included the right thigh for the priest — God embedded sustenance for the ministers of the altar directly into the sacrificial system. This is grace-in-structure: the worshiper's act of giving to God simultaneously provides for those who serve God. Paul invokes this principle: 'The Lord commanded that those who proclaim the gospel should get their living by the gospel' (1 Cor 9:14). The thigh also appears in the Jacob narrative — the angel touches Jacob's hip (yarek, related root), forever marking him with the limp of grace.

Key Bible Verses

Leviticus 7:32 The right thigh you shall give to the priest as a contribution from your peace offerings.
Leviticus 10:14 But the breast that is waved and the thigh that is contributed you shall eat in a clean place.
Numbers 6:20 The priest shall wave them for a wave offering before the LORD; they are a holy portion for the priest, together with the breast that is waved and the thigh that is contributed.
1 Corinthians 9:14 The Lord commanded that those who proclaim the gospel should get their living by the gospel.
Proverbs 26:7 Like a lame man's legs, which hang useless, is a proverb in the mouth of fools.

Related Words

External Resources

🌙
☀️