Crusade BibleCrusade Bible

Shoe(sandal)

/SHOO/

Summary

Foot coverings, typically sandals, with rich symbolic significance in Scripture—removed on holy ground, used in property transfer, and loosened by servants as a mark of humility.

☩Types of Footwear

Hebrew footwear was typically the sandal—a simple leather sole tied to the foot with thongs. Egyptian sandals were of palm leaves or papyrus, sometimes of leather, turned up at the end. Assyrian monuments show shoes of similar character worn by princes. The shoe's thong or latchet is proverbially worthless—Abraham would not take 'from a thread even to a shoelatchet.' The poor were sold 'for a pair of shoes.'

Key verses:Genesis 14:23Amos 2:6Amos 8:6Ezekiel 16:10

☩Symbolic Uses

Shoes were removed on holy ground as a sign of reverence—at the burning bush and before the commander of the Lord's army. Removing shoes signified mourning. In property transfer, delivering a sandal symbolized relinquishing possession—the next of kin who refused levirate duty had his shoe removed and was called 'the house of him that hath his shoe loosed.' Throwing one's shoe upon a land symbolized claiming it as one's own.

Key verses:Exodus 3:5Joshua 5:15Ezekiel 24:17Ruth 4:7-8Deuteronomy 25:9Psalm 60:8

☩Servile Associations

Loosing another's sandals was the duty of slaves, hence John the Baptist's declaration that he was unworthy to loose Christ's sandal thongs. To bear another's sandals was similarly a mark of servile condition. Israel's shoes miraculously did not wear out during forty years of wilderness wandering.

Key verses:Mark 1:7Luke 3:16John 1:27Matthew 3:11Deuteronomy 29:5

Related Verses35 mentions

Deuteronomy· 4 verses

25:925:1029:533:25

Luke· 4 verses

3:1610:415:2222:35

Joshua· 3 verses

5:159:59:13

Acts· 3 verses

7:3312:813:25

See Also

Maundy (Foot Washing)
Foot

References

  1. 1.John McClintock and James Strong, "Shoe," in Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature, vol. IX (Harper & Brothers, 1867–1887).
  2. 2.James Orr (ed.), "Shoe; Shoe-Latchet," in International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, vol. IV (Howard-Severance Company, 1915).
  3. 3.James Orr (ed.), "Shoe; Shoe-Latchet," in International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, vol. IV (Howard-Severance Company, 1915).
  4. 4.John McClintock and James Strong, "Shoe," in Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature, vol. IX (Harper & Brothers, 1867–1887).
  5. 5.James Orr (ed.), "Shoe; Shoe-Latchet," in International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, vol. IV (Howard-Severance Company, 1915).
  6. 6.John McClintock and James Strong, "Shoe," in Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature, vol. IX (Harper & Brothers, 1867–1887).
  7. 7.James Orr (ed.), "Shoe; Shoe-Latchet," in International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, vol. IV (Howard-Severance Company, 1915).
  8. 8.John McClintock and James Strong, "Shoe," in Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature, vol. IX (Harper & Brothers, 1867–1887).
  9. 9.John McClintock and James Strong, "Shoe," in Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature, vol. IX (Harper & Brothers, 1867–1887).
  10. 10.James Orr (ed.), "Shoe; Shoe-Latchet," in International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, vol. IV (Howard-Severance Company, 1915).