Shoulder

Wilson's Dictionary of Bible Types

 Exodus 28:12 (c) By this is represented the strength and power of GOD upon which rests all the burdens and cares of the people of GOD.

 Deuteronomy 18:3 (c) This may represent the fact that Christians give to their High Priest, Christ Jesus the strength, vigor and power of their shoulders, which represents their work and service. It may mean also that they offer the shoulder to Him that He may put His burdens on them.

 Deuteronomy 33:12 (b) This picture indicates that GOD's people are protected and sheltered by the mighty power of GOD as the papoose is safe between the shoulders of the Indian mother in a secure resting place.

 Nehemiah 9:29 (b) Here is a graphic picture of the fact that Israel refused to bear GOD's burdens, and to do His work.

 Psalm 81:6 (b) What a beautiful type is seen here of the deliverance that GOD gives to His child even though He does not remove the difficulty that is in the life. He may leave the affliction in the body or in the home, or in the business, but delivers His child from the burden of it, so that he can sing and be a radiant Christian while under the difficulty.

 Isaiah 9:6 (b) This is a type of the power, wisdom and judgment of Christ Jesus who is able to bear all the governments of this world because of His sovereign knowledge, power and Deity.

 Isaiah 11:14 (b) This prophecy reveals the fact that both Judah and Israel will conquer their enemies, make them their servants, and ride upon them as their victors, having them completely under their control. (See also  Isaiah 49:22).

 Isaiah 22:22 (b) Here we see a symbol of the responsibility and dependability of Christ Jesus to handle all the affairs of His people.

 Zechariah 7:11 (b) The refusal of Israel to assume any responsibility for GOD and His work is thus represented. They would not enter into the program GOD outlined for them.

 Luke 15:5 (a) By this type we understand the loving care and the mighty power of the great Shepherd of the sheep. He restores and returns and protects that one whom He reaches with His love, and who is willing to turn to Him for salvation, or restoration.

Webster's Dictionary

(1): ( v. i.) To push with the shoulder; to make one's way, as through a crowd, by using the shoulders; to move swaying the shoulders from side to side.

(2): ( n.) That which resembles a human shoulder, as any protuberance or projection from the body of a thing.

(3): ( v. t.) To push or thrust with the shoulder; to push with violence; to jostle.

(4): ( v. t.) To take upon the shoulder or shoulders; as, to shoulder a basket; hence, to assume the burden or responsibility of; as, to shoulder blame; to shoulder a debt.

(5): ( n.) The joint, or the region of the joint, by which the fore limb is connected with the body or with the shoulder girdle; the projection formed by the bones and muscles about that joint.

(6): ( n.) The flesh and muscles connected with the shoulder joint; the upper part of the back; that part of the human frame on which it is most easy to carry a heavy burden; - often used in the plural.

(7): ( n.) Fig.: That which supports or sustains; support.

(8): ( n.) The upper joint of the fore leg and adjacent parts of an animal, dressed for market; as, a shoulder of mutton.

(9): ( n.) The angle of a bastion included between the face and flank. See Illust. of Bastion.

(10): ( n.) An abrupt projection which forms an abutment on an object, or limits motion, etc., as the projection around a tenon at the end of a piece of timber, the part of the top of a type which projects beyond the base of the raised character, etc.

Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary

To give or lend the shoulder for the bearing of a burden, signifies to submit to servitude. "Issachar bowed his shoulder to bear, and became a servant unto tribute,"  Genesis 49:15 . And  Isaiah 10:27 , comforting Israel with the promise of deliverance from Assyria, says, "His burden shall be taken away from off thy shoulder." The Scripture calls that a rebellious shoulder, a withdrawing shoulder, which will not submit to the yoke; and to bear it together with joint consent, is termed "serving with one shoulder." To bear any thing upon the shoulder, is to sustain it, and this is applied to government and authority. Thus Messiah was to bear the government upon his shoulder: "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor," &c,  Isaiah 9:6; and God promises Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, to give him the key of the house of David, and to lay it upon his shoulder; "so he shall open, and none shall shut, and he shall shut, and none shall open;" that is, the sole authority shall rest upon him.

King James Dictionary

Shoulder n.

1. The joint by which the arm of a human being or the fore leg of a quadruped is connected with the body or in man, the projection formed by the bones called scapula or shoulder blades, which extend from the basis of the neck in a horizontal direction. 2. The upper joint of the fore leg of an animal cut for th emarket as a shoulder of mutton. 3. Shoulders, in the plural, the upper part of the back.

Adown her shoulders fell her length of hair. Dryden.

4. Figuratively, support sustaining power or that which elevates and sustains.

For on thy shoulders do I build my seat. Shak.

5. Among artificers, something like the human shoulder a horizontal or rectangular projection from the body of a thing.

SHOULDER,

1. To push or thrust with the shoulder to push with violence.

Around her numberless the rabble flow'd,

Vine's Expository Dictionary of NT Words

1: Ὦμος (Strong'S #5606 — Noun Masculine — omos — o'-mos )

occurs in  Matthew 23:4;  Luke 15:5 , and is suggestive (as in the latter passage) of strength and safety.

Morrish Bible Dictionary

Often alluded to in scripture as the place of strength, on which burdens are borne. The high priest had the names of the twelve tribes on his shoulders, as in a place of safety.  Exodus 28:12 . Of Christ it is said, when He comes to reign, the 'government shall be on his shoulder,'  Isaiah 9:6; and, as the Good Shepherd, when He finds a lost sheep He places it on His shoulders.  Luke 15:5 . When God blesses Israel in their land the Gentiles will bring Israel's dispersed daughters upon their shoulders, that is, will give them substantial aid.  Isaiah 49:22 .

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

shōl´dẽr ( שׁכם , shekhem , כּתף , kāthēph , זרע or זרוע , zerōa‛ , זרעה or זרועה , zerō‛āh or zerōw‛āh , שׁוק , shōḳ  ; ὦμος , ṓmos , βραχίων , brachı́ōn (  Sirach 7:31 only)): The meanings of the Hebrew words are rather varied. The first ( shekhem ) has perhaps the widest application. It is used for the part of the body on which heavy loads are carried (  Genesis 21:14;  Genesis 24:15 ,  Genesis 24:45;  Exodus 12:34;  Joshua 4:5;  Judges 9:48 ). King Saul's impressive personality is thus described: "There was not among the children of Israel a goodlier person than he: from his shoulders and upward he was higher than any of the people" ( 1 Samuel 9:2;  1 Samuel 10:23 ). To carry loads on the shoulder or to have "a staff on the shoulder" is expressive of subjection and servitude, yea, of oppression and cruel punishment, and the removal of such burdens or of the rod of the oppressor connotes delivery and freedom ( Isaiah 9:4;  Isaiah 14:25 ).

Figuratively:

The shoulders also bear responsibility and power. Thus it is said of King Messiah, that "the government shall be upon his shoulder" ( Isaiah 9:6 ) and "the key of the house of David will I lay upon his shoulder; and he shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open" ( Isaiah 22:22 ). Job declares that he will refute all accusations of unlawful conduct made against him, in the words: "Oh ... that I had the indictment which mine adversary hath written! Surely I would carry it upon my shoulder" ( Job 31:35 f).

The Hebrew word kāthēph comes very close in meaning to the above, though it is occasionally used in the sense of arm-piece and shoulder-piece of a garment. Like Hebrew shekhem , it is used to describe the part of the body accustomed to carry loads. On it the Levites carried the implements of the sanctuary (  Numbers 7:9;  1 Chronicles 15:15;  2 Chronicles 35:3 ). Oriental mothers and fathers carried their children on the shoulder astride ( Isaiah 49:22; compare  Isaiah 60:4 ); thus also the little bundle of the poor is borne ( Ezekiel 12:6 ,  Ezekiel 12:7 ,  Ezekiel 12:12 ). The loaded shoulder is likely to be "worn" or chafed under the burden ( Ezekiel 29:18 ). In the two passages of the New Testament in which we find the Greek equivalent of shoulder ( ōmos , fairly common in Apocrypha), it corresponds most closely with this use ( Matthew 23:4;  Luke 15:5 ). Of the shoulders of animals the word kāthēph is used in  Ezekiel 34:21 (of sheep, where, however, men are intended) and in   Isaiah 30:6 (of asses).

Stubborn opposition and unwillingness is expressed by "withdrew the shoulder" ( Nehemiah 9:29 ), or "pulled away the shoulder" ( Zechariah 7:11 ), where the marginal rendering is "they gave (or "turned") a stubborn shoulder." Contrast "bow the shoulder," i.e. "submit" (Baruch 2:21). Compare "stiffnecked"; see Neck . Somewhat difficult for the understanding of Occidentals is the poetical passage in the blessing of Moses: "Of Benjamin he said, The beloved of Yahweh shall dwell in safety by him; he covereth him all the day long, and he dwelleth between his shoulders" ( Deuteronomy 33:12 ). The "shoulders" refer here to the mountain saddles and proclivities of the territory of Benjamin between which Jerusalem, the beloved of Yahweh, which belonged to Judah, lay nestling close upon the confines of the neighboring tribe, or even built in part on ground belonging to Benjamin.

Much less frequently than the above-mentioned words. we find zerōa‛ , zerō‛āh , which is used of the "boiled shoulder of the ram" which was a wave offering at the consecration of a Nazirite (  Numbers 6:19 ) and of one of the priestly portions of the sacrifice ( Deuteronomy 18:3 ). In Sirach 7:31 this portion is called brachiōn , properly "arm," but both the King James Version and the Revised Version (British and American) translate "shoulder." Regarding the wave and heave offerings see Sacrifice . the King James Version frequently translates Hebrew shōḳ , literally, "leg," "thigh" (which see) by "shoulder," which the Revised Version (British and American) occasionally retains in the margin (e.g.  Numbers 6:20 ).

Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature

is the rendering mostly of שְׁכֶ ם , Shekem (as being the part Bent to receive a burden; but perhaps the word is rather primitive; occasionally "back," etc.), and ῏Ωμος ( Matthew 23:4;  Luke 15:4); frequently of שׁוֹק , shok (properly the Leg [as sometimes rendered], especially the so called right or "heave" shoulder [q.v.],  Exodus 29:22;  Exodus 29:27;  Leviticus 7:32-34, etc.); and elsewhere of כָּתֵ , Katheph, the Shoulder properly so called, especially the "shoulder pieces" (q.v.) of the high priest's ephod ( Exodus 28:39); rarely of זְרוֹעִ , Zeroa, the Arm ( Numbers 6:19;  Deuteronomy 18:3), or of some denominative phrase.