shaphal, “to be brought low,” strong’s H8213

The first occurrence.

YHVH makes poor, and makes rich: He brings low, and lifts up. 1 Sam 2:7

The primitive root.

Strong’s H8213  שפל  shaphal, a primitive root meaning, “to be or become low.” The 3-letter root is shin + pey + lamed.

shin ש  = two front teeth, thus sharp, press, eat, two, again
pey פ ף  = mouth, thus open, blow, scatter, edge
lamed ל  = shepherd’s staff, thus teach, yoke, to, bind

The story: The pey + lamed tells of speaking (pey) to one in authority (lamed) in order to plead a case, redress wrongs, or simply to ask for an extension of undeserved mercy, as Abraham went before YHVH to plead the case for the righteous of Sodom. When someone comes before authority to make such a request, they bow themselves down to acknowledge the greater in authority, power, and status. The shin is acting as a multiplier, multiplying (shin, x2) the lowliness of the one who is bowing himself down (pey + lamed), thus indicating the lowest of the low.

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