BACK, BACK PARTS (backside) 1. The KJV tr. of two Heb. words: a. אַחַר, H339, “behind, after (either spatially or temporally)” in Exodus 3:1 where it prob. means “(far) side, (other) side.” It might mean “west side” here (RSV) since directions in Pal. were defined by facing E; hence “front” (קֶ֫דֶם, H7710) or “sunrise” (מִזְרָח, H4667) meant E; “right (hand)” (יָמִינ֒, H3545), S; “left (hand)” (שְׂמֹאל, H8520), N; and “behind” (H294, אָחﯴר), W. Cf. Judges 18:12 where the pl. of this same word clearly means W. As a result of this usage it is not clear in some contexts (as in Exod 3:1) whether the word means “behind” or W (cf. Josh 8:2). b. H294, אָחﯴר, “back, hindparts” (which is most often used adverbially “behind” [Exod 33:23]). Here it is used anthropomorphically to indicate that Moses cannot see the full glory of God; he may see only His “back,” not His “face.”

2. There is another Heb. word for back, גַּו, H1567, / גֵּו֒, H1568. This word is never used adverbially, “behind” and the like in the OT; it is used always to refer to the back of the person. It is used literally in Proverbs 10:13; 19:29; 26:3 to refer to the back of the fool as suitable only for the stick, and in Isaiah 50:6 to refer to the back of the servant of the Lord which is given over to the smiters. It is used metaphorically of Jerusalem in Isaiah 51:23. Finally, it is used idiomatically in 1 Kings 14:9; Ezra 6:5; Nehemiah 9:26; Isaiah 38:17 in the phrase “cast behind the back,” i.e. “to neglect, ignore.”

3. The same two Heb. words in 1a and 2 are frequently used adverbially with several Heb. verbs with the force of the Eng. adverbs “back” or “backwards,” e.g. “to fall backwards,” “to fall back (retreat),” “to turn back,” “to pull back,” “to go back,” “to come back,” etc.