H1618 H1618
scab, itch—a skin disease disqualifying priests and animals from service
This noun denotes a scabby skin condition, likely a form of chronic dermatitis or eczema. Leviticus 21:20 lists it among blemishes that disqualify a priest from offering sacrifices. Leviticus 22:22 forbids offering animals with scabs to God. Deuteronomy 28:27 threatens covenant-breakers with 'the scab of Egypt' among other incurable diseases. The condition was considered ritually defiling and medically troublesome. Cognates appear in Arabic, Aramaic, Syriac, and Akkadian, suggesting a widespread term for scaly, itching skin afflictions across ancient Near Eastern cultures.
Senses
1. sense 1 — A scabby skin disease or itch, appearing in three legal and covenantal contexts. Leviticus 21:20 lists it as a priestly disqualification ('a scab'), Leviticus 22:22 as an animal blemish ('and with scab'), and Deuteronomy 28:27 as a covenant curse ('and with the scab of Egypt'). Cross-linguistic glosses are consistent: English 'scab/and with scab,' Spanish 'sarna/con sarna/y con sarna' (scab/with scab/and with scab), French 'une croûte/et avec croûte,' German 'ein Schorf/und mit Schorf.' The conjunction 'and' marks it as one item in lists of disqualifying conditions. This is purity law vocabulary for skin afflictions. 3×
AR["جَرَبٌ", "وَبِ-الْجَرَبِ"]·ben["এবং-খোস-পাঁচড়ায়", "চর্মরোগ"]·DE["ein-Schorf", "und-mit-Schorf"]·EN["a-scab", "and-with-scab"]·FR["et-avec-croûte", "une-croûte"]·heb["גרב", "ו-ב-גרב"]·HI["और-खुजली-से", "खुजली"]·ID["dan-dengan-kudis", "kudis"]·IT["e-con-crosta", "un-crosta"]·jav["koreng", "lan-mawi-kudis"]·KO["그리고-가려움증으로", "밤진-물집"]·PT["e-com-sarna", "sarna"]·RU["и-коростой", "парша", "паршой"]·ES["con-sarna", "sarna", "y-con-sarna"]·SW["na-kwa-upele", "upele"]·TR["uyuz", "ve-uyuzla"]·urd["اور-خارش-سے", "خارش"]
Related Senses
H7200 1. Qal: to see, perceive (1257×)G4771 2. you (singular address) (1077×)H8085 1. Qal: hear, perceive aurally (921×)H0859a 1. you (2nd person masculine singular pronoun) (743×)H0398 1. eat (consume food) (697×)H4191 1. die (Qal: natural/general death) (645×)G3708 1. see, perceive visually (419×)G0191 1. hear, perceive sound (360×)H???? 3. (352×)G3708 2. behold, look (exclamatory) (256×)H7272 1. foot (body part) (236×)H8354 1. drink, consume liquid (209×)H3205 1. Qal active: bear/give birth (female subject) (204×)H3205 2. Qal active: beget/father (male subject) (198×)H2421 1. Qal: live, be alive (177×)H8085 2. Qal: listen, heed, pay attention (172×)H2416a 1. alive, living (state/attribute) (146×)H2416e 1. life, lifespan, lifetime (145×)G2198 1. be alive, have life (133×)H8193 1. lip, lips (body part) (123×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† גָּרָב n.[m.] itch, scab (Arabic جَرَبٌ, Aramaic גַּרְבָּא, ܓܰܪܒܳܐ, Assyrian garabu Dl§ 162)—גָּרָב Lv 21:20; 22:22 Dt 28:27.