H0931 H0931
Thumb or big toe — the extremity anointed in priestly consecration and purification rites
A noun referring to the thumb of the hand or the big toe of the foot, always appearing in ritual contexts where both extremities are named together. In the consecration of Aaron and his sons, blood from the offering is applied to the right thumb and right big toe (Exod 29:20; Lev 8:23-24). The identical ritual appears in the purification of healed lepers, where oil and blood mark these extremities as signs of cleansing (Lev 14:14, 17, 25, 28). Outside ritual law, the plural form appears strikingly in Judges 1:6-7, where the severed thumbs and big toes of Adoni-bezek become evidence of retributive justice. Spanish 'pulgar' and 'dedo gordo' helpfully distinguish the hand and foot usages.
Senses
1. thumb / big toe (body part) — The thumb (when paired with 'hand') or big toe (when paired with 'foot'), always referring to the larger digit of the respective extremity. Nearly every occurrence is ritual: the consecration of priests involves daubing sacrificial blood on the right thumb and right big toe (Exod 29:20; Lev 8:23-24), and the purification of lepers follows the same pattern with blood and oil (Lev 14:14-28). The sole non-ritual use in Judges 1:6-7 — where Adoni-bezek's thumbs and big toes are cut off — still echoes the body-part's symbolic significance as a marker of capacity and agency. 16×
AR["أَباهِمَ","أَباهِمُ","أَبَاهِمِ","إِبهامِ","إِبْهَامِ"]·ben["অঙ্গুষ্ঠের","বুড়ো-আঙুল","বৃদ্ধাঙ্গুলি","বৃদ্ধাঙ্গুষ্ঠ"]·DE["-der-thumbs-von","der-gross-toe-von","der-thumb-von","gross-toe-von","mit-der-thumbs-von","thumb-von"]·EN["-the-thumbs-of","big-toe-of","the-big-toe-of","the-thumb-of","thumb-of","with-the-thumbs-of"]·FR["-le-thumbs-de","avec-le-thumbs-de","grand-orteil-de","grand-toe-de","le-grand-toe-de","le-thumb-de","thumb-de"]·heb["ב-בהונות","בהונות","בהן","בוהן"]·HI["अंगूठा","अंगूठे","अंगूठों-को","उसके पैर","उसके हाथ","दाहिनी","लहू"]·ID["dengan-ibu-jari","ibu-jari"]·IT["-il-thumbs-di","big-toe-di","con-il-thumbs-di","grande-toe-di","il-grande-toe-di","il-thumb-di","thumb-di"]·jav["jempol"]·KO["엄지-발가락에","엄지손가락들을","엄지손가락들이","엄지에","엄지의"]·PT["dedoo-grande-de","dedos-de","polegar-de","polegares-de"]·RU["большие-пальцы","большой-палец","с-большими-пальцами"]·ES["con-pulgares-de","dedo-gordo-de","pulgar-de","pulgares-de"]·SW["kidole-gumba","kidole-kikubwa","kidole-kikubwa-cha","vidole-vikubwa-vya"]·TR["baş-parmak","baş-parmağı","başparmakları","başparmaklarını","başparmakının"]·urd["انگوٹھے"]
Related Senses
H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)G1537 1. from, out of (source/origin) (886×)H8034 1. Name (designation / identifier) (856×)G3361 1. subjective negation (not) (834×)G1909 1. on, upon (spatial surface) (757×)H0369 1. existential negation: there is not (738×)H5869a 1. in the eyes/sight of (evaluative) (734×)H5650 1. Servant, attendant, subject (723×)H0408 1. prohibitive negation do-not (712×)G2443 1. so that, in order that (purpose/result) (665×)G0575 1. from (649×)G1223 1. through, by means of (582×)H3541 1. thus, so, in this manner (569×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† בֹּ֫הֶן n.[f.] (cf. Sta§ 310 c) c. יַד thumb, c. רֶגֶל great toe (Arabic إِبْهَامٌ & (vulg.) بَاهِمٌ, بِهَامٌ )—בּ׳ only cstr. Ex 29:20(×2) + 12 times; pl. cstr. בְּהֹנוֹת Ju 1:6, 7 (from sg. [בְּהוֹן] as always Cod. Sam. for MT בֹּהֶן);—thumb (יָדָם) בּ׳ יָדוֹ, & great toe (רַגְלָם) בּ׳ רַגְלוֹ (always named together) Ex 29:20(×2) Lv 8:23(×2), 24(×2); 14:14(×2), 17(×2), 25(×2), 28(×2); בְּהֹנוֹת י׳ וְר׳ Ju 1:6, 7.