H3767 H3767
The lower leg or shank of an animal, used in ritual law for sacrificial preparation and dietary regulations.
This noun refers to the bending lower leg of an animal, appearing exclusively in priestly and ritual contexts. In Exodus 12:9, the Passover lamb is to be roasted whole — 'its head with its legs' — preserving the animal's integrity as a symbol of hasty departure. The Levitical burnt offering instructions (Lev 1:9, 13; 8:21; 9:14) pair the legs with the entrails as parts to be washed before burning. Amos 3:12 uses the image vividly: a shepherd rescues only two legs from the lion's mouth, a metaphor for Israel's near-total destruction. Leviticus 11:21 uniquely applies the word to the jointed hind legs of locusts that make them clean for eating.
Senses
1. leg (of an animal) — The lower leg or shank of an animal, occurring only in dual form and always in ritual or dietary contexts. Spanish 'patas/piernas' (legs) and French 'jambes' (legs) translate the anatomical sense, but the Hebrew is more specific: the bending joint below the knee. In Priestly legislation (Exod 12:9; 29:17; Lev 1:9, 13; 4:11; 8:21; 9:14), the legs are washed and offered alongside the entrails in burnt offerings. Amos 3:12 repurposes the sacrificial image as a metaphor for devastation. Leviticus 11:21 extends the term to the jointed leaping legs of clean insects, with the Aramaic cognate kar'a confirming the sense of a bending limb. 9×
AR["-الأَكَارِعَ", "أَكارِعِهِ", "أَوْ", "سَاقَانِ", "سِيقَانِهِ", "وَ-أَكارِعَهُ", "وَ-أَكارِعُهُ", "وَ-الأَكارِعُ"]·ben["-পা", "এবং-তার-পা", "এবং-তার-পাগুলি", "এবং-পা", "তার-পা", "তার-পায়গুলি", "পা", "পাগুলি"]·DE["Beine", "[כרעים]", "der-Beine", "sein-Beine", "sein-legs", "und-der-Beine", "und-sein-Beine", "und-sein-legs"]·EN["and-its-legs", "and-the-legs", "its-legs", "legs", "the-legs"]·FR["comme-mauvais", "et-le-legs", "et-son-jambes", "et-son-legs", "le-legs", "legs", "son-jambes", "son-legs"]·heb["ה-כרעיו", "ו-ה-כרעיים", "ו-כרעיו", "כרעיו", "כרעים"]·HI["उसके पैरों", "और-उसके-पैर", "और-पैर", "टाँगें", "टांगों-उसकी", "पैरों-उसके", "पैरों-को"]·ID["dan-kaki", "dan-kaki-kakinya", "dan-kakinya", "kaki", "kaki-kaki", "kaki-peloncat", "kakinya"]·IT["[כרעים]", "e-il-gambe", "e-suo-gambe", "e-suo-legs", "gambe", "il-gambe", "suo-gambe", "suo-legs"]·jav["lan-sampéyanipun", "sampEyanipun", "sampéyan", "sampéyanipun", "suku", "suku-suku", "suku-sukunipun"]·KO["그-다리들을", "그것-의-다리들", "그것의-다리들", "그리고-그-다리들-을", "그리고-그-다리들을", "그리고-그것-의-다리들-을", "다리들이", "다리를"]·PT["as-pernas", "e-as-pernas", "e-pernas-dele", "e-suas-pernas", "pernas", "pernas-dele", "suas-pernas"]·RU["голени", "голенями-его", "и-голени", "и-голени-его", "ногами-его"]·ES["las-patas", "las-piernas", "patas-suyas", "piernas", "sus-patas", "y-las-patas", "y-patas-suyas", "y-sus-piernas"]·SW["miguu", "miguu-ya-kuruka", "miguu-yake", "na-miguu", "na-miguu-yake"]·TR["-bacakları", "bacak", "bacakları", "bacaklarını", "ve-bacakları", "ve-bacaklarını"]·urd["اور-اُس-کی-ٹانگیں", "اور-ٹانگیں", "اُس-کی-ٹانگیں", "ٹانگوں-اس-کی", "ٹانگیں", "پاؤں", "پائیوں"]
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
† [כֶּ֫רַע] n.[f.] leg, (NH כֶּרַע, Aramaic כַּרְעָא, ܟܰܪܥܳܐ, Arabic كُراَع );—only du. כְּרָעַיִם Lv 11:21 + 3 times; כְּרָעָ֑יִם Lv 9:14; sf. כְּרָעָיו Ex 12:9 + 3 times;—two (bending) legs, of animals in ritual phrase of P, רֹאשׁוֹ עַל־כְּרָעָיו Ex 12:9 his head with his legs, Lv 4:11; (ה)קרב(ו) ו(ה)כרע(יו) (his) inwards and (his) legs Ex 29:17 Lv 1:9, 13; 8:21; 9:14; Am 3:12 (of legs of lamb…