H5786 H5786
to blind, put out the eyes (Piel); used literally of blinding captives and figuratively of bribes corrupting judgment
In the Piel stem, this verb means to make blind or to put out someone's eyes. Its literal use describes the brutal punishment inflicted on King Zedekiah by Nebuchadnezzar (2 Kgs 25:7; Jer 39:7; 52:11). Figuratively, both Exodus 23:8 and Deuteronomy 16:19 warn that a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise or of those who see clearly. The Aramaic and Arabic cognates confirm the root meaning of impairing sight.
Senses
1. sense 1 — To make blind, to put out the eyes — literally of the Babylonian blinding of Zedekiah (2 Kgs 25:7; Jer 39:7; 52:11), and figuratively of bribes corrupting judicial discernment (Exod 23:8; Deut 16:19). Spanish 'cegó/ciega' and French 'aveugle' both reflect the consistent rendering across traditions. The literal and figurative uses share the image of sight destroyed: whether physical eyes gouged by an enemy or moral perception darkened by corruption. 5×
AR["أَعْمَى", "تُعمي", "تُعْمِي"]·ben["অন্ধ-করলেন", "অন্ধ-করে"]·DE["[עור]", "blinds", "er-blinded"]·EN["blinds", "he-blinded"]·FR["[עור]", "aveugle", "blinds", "il-blinded"]·heb["יעוור", "עיוור", "עיור"]·HI["अंधा-करता-है", "अंधा-करती", "अंधा-किया", "अन्धा-कर-दिया"]·ID["ia-butakan", "membutakan"]·IT["[עור]", "blinds", "egli-blinded"]·jav["dibutakaken", "dipun-picakaken", "dipun-wutakaken", "nebutakaken", "wutakaken"]·KO["눈멀게-한다", "멀게-하느니라", "멀게-하였다", "멀게-하였다-그가", "멀게-했다"]·PT["cega", "cegou"]·RU["ослепил", "ослепляет"]·ES["cegó", "ciega"]·SW["akatoboa", "akayapofusha", "aliyapofusha", "inapofusha"]·TR["kor-etti", "kör-eder", "kör-etti"]·urd["اندھا-کر-دیا", "اندھا-کر-دیتی-ہے", "اندھا-کیا", "اندھی-کر-دیتی-ہے"]
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
† [עָוַר] vb.Pi. make blind, blind (orig. meaning of √ dub.; Thes עור = dig (Arabic غَارٌ etc. cave); HalRÉJ xi, 67 cp. עוֹר skin, whence blindness as cataract;—Aramaic adj. עֲוִיר, ܥܘܺܪ blind, Pa. עַוַּר, ܥܰܘܰܪ = Heb. Pi.; Arabic عَوِرَ be one-eyed, Ethiopic ዖረ be blind Di 995);— Pi. Pf. 3 ms. עִוֵּר 2 K 25:7, c. עֵינֵי put out the eyes of = Je 39:7 = 52:11; Impf. 3 ms. יְעַוֵּר fig., Ex 23:8 (E) a bribe blindeth, c. acc. pers. (Sam. 𝔊 ins. עֵינֵי); Dt 16:19, c. עֵינֵי.