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Bible Dictionaries
Shadow
Holman Bible Dictionary
or Old Testament The Hebrew tsel speaks of shadow as protection and as transitory, short-lived, and changing. The intensive heat, particularly in the summer, made shade and shadows important in Palestine. Travelers sought rest under a tree (Genesis 18:4; compare Job 40:22 ) or in a house (Genesis 19:8 ). Especially at midday when shade virtually vanished, people looked for a shadow (Isaiah 16:3; compare Genesis 21:15; Jonah 4; Job 7:2 ). In the afternoon shadows lengthen (Jeremiah 6:4; compare Nehemiah 13:19 NIV). In the evening cool, shadows disappear (Song of Song of Solomon 2:17 ). In the desert wilderness the traveler found little hope for shade but looked for shade or shadow from hills (Judges 9:36 ), large rocks (Isaiah 32:2 ), a cave (Exodus 33:1 : 22; 1 Kings 19:9 ), or a cloud (Isaiah 25:5 ).
Powerful people offer the shadow of protection and security (Song of Song of Solomon 2:3 ). So does a king (Lamentations 4:20; Ezekiel 31:6 ). Still, Israel knew the false claims of kings to provide such protection (Judges 9:15; compare Isaiah 30:2; Ezekiel 31:1 ). Biblical writers looked to the Messiah for needed shade or shadow (Isaiah 32:2; Ezekiel 17:23 ). God was the ultimate shadow of protection for His people (Psalm 36:7; Psalm 91:1; Psalm 121:5; Isaiah 25:4; Isaiah 49:2; Isaiah 51:16 ).
Human life itself is only a brief shadow (Job 8:9; Job 14:2; Psalm 102:11; Psalm 144:4; Ecclesiastes 6:12; Ecclesiastes 8:13 ).
New Testament The Greek skia can refer to a literal shadow ( Mark 4:32; Acts 5:15 ). More often it refers to death or to an indication of something to come, a foreshadowing. References to death come from Old Testament prophecy—Matthew 4:16 and Luke 1:79 picking up Isaiah 9:2 . Dietary laws and religious festivals were only a shadow preparing Israel for the reality made known in Christ (Colossians 2:17; Hebrews 8:5; Hebrews 10:1 ). James used a related Greek word to say that God is not a fleeting, changing shadow (James 1:17 ).
Trent C. Butler
These dictionary topics are from the Holman Bible Dictionary, published by Broadman & Holman, 1991. All rights reserved. Used by permission of Broadman & Holman.
Butler, Trent C. Editor. Entry for 'Shadow'. Holman Bible Dictionary. https://www.studylight.org/dictionaries/eng/hbd/s/shadow.html. 1991.
