HEEL (עָקֵב֒, H6811; πτέρνα, G4761, heel). The word is twice used in a literal sense of Jacob’s taking hold of Esau’s heel while still in the womb of Rebekah (Gen 25:26; Hos 12:3), and four times in a fig. sense.

In the Protevangelium (Gen 3:15), God said that the seed of the woman would bruise the serpent’s head, but the serpent would bruise his heel. This clearly refers to the conflict between Satan and the Son of God and the utter defeat Christ would administer to the foe responsible for His crucifixion at Calvary.

The dying patriarch Jacob in blessing Dan wished that those who wickedly opposed him may find him as deadly an opponent as a serpent. The enemy of Dan is spoken of as a horseman whose horse’s heel is bitten by a poisonous serpent so that the frightened animal rears and throws his rider (Gen 49:17). So may Dan successfully overthrow all his enemies.

Job’s friend Bildad the Shuhite insinuated that Job was like the wicked who bring about their own destruction. A trap seizes him by the heel and he is caught (Job 18:9).

The psalmist laments that the bosom friend whom he trusted and who dined at his table lifted his heel against him—prob. spurned him with brutal violence or perhaps kicked him when he was down (Ps 41:9). Jesus referred to this statement at the Last Passover and applied it to Himself. The bosom friend who ate with Him and then betrayed Him was Judas (John 13:18).