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H937 · Hebrew · Old Testament
בּוּז
Buz
Noun, masculine
Contempt / Shame / Scorn

Definition

Buz describes the feeling or act of contempt — regarding someone or something as worthless, despicable, or beneath consideration. It appears in contexts of social shaming, rejection by family (Job 12:5), and the scorn heaped on the righteous by the wicked.

Usage & Theological Significance

Scripture consistently portrays buz as something the wicked practice but the wise avoid. Proverbs warns that contempt follows the proud (Proverbs 18:3) while the humble receive grace. Prophetically, the Suffering Servant was held in contempt by men (Isaiah 53:3 uses the related bazah), yet God vindicates the despised. The resurrection reverses every contempt — those who scorned will bow (Philippians 2:10-11).

Key Bible Verses

Job 12:5 Those who are at ease have contempt for misfortune as the fate of those whose feet are slipping.
Proverbs 18:3 When wickedness comes, so does contempt, and with shame comes reproach.
Psalm 31:18 Let their lying lips be silenced, for with pride and contempt they speak arrogantly against the righteous.
Nehemiah 3:36 Hear us, our God, for we are despised. Turn their insults back on their own heads.
Isaiah 53:3 He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain.

Related Words

External Resources

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