He was deeply embarrassed/ to be ashamed
In literary style: became very embarrassed.
("Look to Him and be radiant, and let your faces never be ashamed" - Psalms 34:6, and likewise: "Since my cousin enlisted in the army and was sent to serve as a kashrut supervisor at the supply base near Rosh Pina, my uncle was deeply embarrassed" - H. Be'er / Notsot, 231)
Translation
Expression (Hebrew)
חָפְרוּ פָּנָיו
Definition (Hebrew)
בִּמְלִיצָה: הִתְבַּיֵּישׁ מְאוֹד.
("הִבִּיטוּ אֵלָיו וְנָהָרוּ וּפְנֵיהֶם אַל יֶחְפָּרוּ"-תְּהִלִּים לֵד ו, וְכֵן:"מִשָּׁעָה שֶׁהִתְגַּיֵּס בֶּן דּוֹדִי לַצָּבָא וְנִשְׁלַח לְשָׁרֵת כְּמַשְׁגִּיחַ כַּשְׁרוּת בִּבְסִיס תּוֹבָלָה לְיַד רֹאשׁ פִּנָּה חָפְרוּ פָּנָיו שֶׁל הַדּוֹד"- ח.בְּאֵר/ נוֹצוֹת, 231)