The Hidden Place of Striding

There is a word in the Holy Tongue that appears but once in all of Scripture, like a hidden jewel waiting for the light of the Spirit to reveal its meaning. The word miphsâʻâh (מִפְשָׂעָה) appears only a single time in the sacred text, yet it carries within it a mystery that touches the very core of human existence. Its root, pasa (פָּשַׂע), speaks of striding, of stepping forward with purpose and power. The ancient sages teach that every word in the Tanakh is pregnant with meaning, and this rare noun—translated by the English as "buttocks" or more euphemistically as "the crotch"—is no exception. It is a word that speaks of the place where the body divides and yet unites, where the stride begins and where the hidden parts of humanity reside.

The Root of the Stride

The derivation of miphsâʻâh from the verb pasa (H6585) reveals a profound truth about the nature of human movement. In the paleo-Hebrew script, the letter peh (פ) pictures a mouth, representing speech and breath; samekh (ס) is a support or a prop, signifying foundation; and ayin (ע) is an eye, symbolizing vision and understanding. When you combine these letters, the root suggests a stepping forward that is both supported and seen—a stride that is intentional, purposeful, and observed by the Almighty. The only occurrence of this noun is found in the book of Isaiah, where the prophet speaks of the judgment that comes upon the prideful. The word appears in a context of uncovering and exposure, where the hidden place of the body is laid bare before the eyes of the world. This is not merely a physical description; it is a spiritual revelation about what happens when the covering of righteousness is removed.

The Scriptural Unveiling

Turn with me to the scroll of Isaiah, chapter 20, verse 4, where the prophet declares: "So shall the king of Assyria lead away the prisoners of Egypt and the captives of Cush, young and old, naked and barefoot, with their buttocks uncovered, to the shame of Egypt." Here the word miphsâʻâh appears in its solitary glory. The sages of old observed that this judgment was not merely political—it was a stripping away of every pretense of human glory. The Hebrew word for "shame" in this passage is ervah, the same term used for nakedness in the Garden of Eden. Jewish tradition holds that when Adam and Eve ate from the tree, their eyes were opened to see what had always been there, but now with shame. The uncovering of the miphsâʻâh in Isaiah is a return to that primal moment of exposure, when the hidden parts of humanity are no longer protected by the garments of divine provision. The stride of the proud is halted, and the hidden place is revealed for all to see.

The Tabernacle of the Body

The ancient Hebrew writings compare the human body to the Tabernacle of the Lord. Just as the Tabernacle had its holy place and its most holy place, so the body has its revealed parts and its hidden parts. The miphsâʻâh corresponds to that most sacred and hidden place within the Tabernacle—the place where the Ark of the Covenant rested, covered by the mercy seat. The rabbis of old taught that the human form is a microcosm of the divine dwelling. The covering of the miphsâʻâh represents the veil that separates the holy from the common, the pure from the profane. In the pattern of the Tabernacle, the priests were commanded to wear linen undergarments that reached from the loins to the thighs, covering this very place (Exodus 28:42). The Hebrew word for these garments is michnasayim, which shares a root with the concept of covering and hiding. The Lord, in His wisdom, commanded that even the priests who ministered before Him must be covered in this place, for the holiness of God cannot dwell where there is exposure and shame.

The Gematria of Hidden Glory

The numerical value of miphsâʻâh is 495. In the wisdom of the ancient Hebrew letters, numbers carry meaning beyond mere quantity. The number 495 is the value of the word malkhut (מַלְכוּת), meaning "kingdom" or "royalty." What a profound connection! The place of the stride, the hidden crotch, the seat of the buttocks—this seemingly shameful part of the body is linked to the concept of kingdom. The sages teach that the number 495 also reduces to 4 + 9 + 5 = 18, which is the value of chai (חַי), meaning "life." So the word that speaks of the hidden place of the body is tied to both kingdom and life. The early church understood that what the world considers shameful, God often uses for His greatest glory. The apostle Paul wrote that the parts of the body which seem less honorable are treated with greater honor (1 Corinthians 12:23). The gematria of miphsâʻâh whispers a truth: that the hidden things of God, the places of vulnerability and exposure, are the very places where His kingdom is established and where life springs forth.

The Messianic Fulfillment in the Strider

How does this rare word point to Yeshua the Messiah? Consider the One who strode across the pages of the Tanakh and into the flesh of human history. The prophet Isaiah, who used this very word, also wrote of the Messiah: "How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news" (Isaiah 52:7). The feet of the Messenger, the Messiah, are beautiful because they stride with purpose toward redemption. But there is a deeper mystery. In the crucifixion of Yeshua, the soldiers stripped Him of His garments and cast lots for His clothing. The Gospel of John records that they divided His garments, but for His tunic they cast lots, "woven in one piece from top to bottom" (John 19:23). This seamless garment covered the hidden place of the Messiah. Yet on the cross, His miphsâʻâh was exposed to the mocking eyes of the world. The One who came to cover the shame of humanity was Himself uncovered. The early church fathers observed that just as the Tabernacle veil was torn from top to bottom at His death, so the covering of the Messiah was stripped away so that the hidden glory of God might be revealed to all who would look upon Him. The stride of the Messiah led Him to the place of exposure, and from that place, He brought forth life for all who would believe.

The Stride of Righteousness

There is yet another dimension to this word that speaks to the life of the believer. The verb pasa means to stride, to step forward with determination. In the book of Proverbs, the wise man writes: "The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and He delights in his way" (Proverbs 37:23). The stride of the righteous is not a careless wandering but a deliberate journey toward the purposes of God. The miphsâʻâh is the place from which that stride originates—the hidden source of movement and direction. Jewish tradition holds that when a man walks in the ways of the Lord, even his private parts are sanctified. The rabbis of old taught that the covenant of circumcision, which is made in that very place, is a sign that the entire body, including its most hidden parts, is dedicated to the Holy One. The apostle Paul, writing to the believers in Rome, spoke of presenting your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God (Romans 12:1). This includes the hidden places, the parts that the world never sees, but which the Lord sees clearly. Your stride, your direction in life, begins in the hidden place of your heart, and from there, every step you take is either toward righteousness or away from it.

A Charge to the Hidden Places of Your Heart

Beloved reader, let the word miphsâʻâh speak to the hidden places of your own life. There are parts of you that you keep covered, not only from the world but perhaps even from yourself. Yet the Lord, who sees in secret, knows every hidden thing. He does not seek to shame you by exposure but to heal you by His covering grace. The Messiah Yeshua took upon Himself the shame of your hidden places, the parts of your life you would rather keep in darkness. He strode to the cross with the hidden place of His body exposed so that you might be clothed in His righteousness forever. The ancient sages teach that the journey of faith is a stride from the hidden to the revealed, from shame to glory. You are called to walk in that stride today. Let every step you take be a step of faith, knowing that the One who sees in secret will reward you openly. The hidden place of your heart, the place where your true intentions and desires reside, can become a holy place where the kingdom of God dwells. Stride forward, child of the covenant, for the Lord has covered you with His own garment of salvation. Amen.