H6879 H6879
To be afflicted with a skin disease (leprosy); as substantive, a leper; as adjective, leprous.
A denominative verb from צָרַעַת (skin disease, traditionally 'leprosy'), used exclusively in passive forms to describe someone struck with this condition. The Qal passive participle (צָרוּעַ) and Pual participle (מְצֹרָע) serve interchangeably as both adjectives and substantives — 'leprous' and 'leper.' The word carries enormous ritual weight: the מְצֹרָע must live outside the camp, cry 'unclean!' (Leviticus 13:45-46), and undergo elaborate purification rites (Leviticus 14). The narratives of Naaman (2 Kings 5), Uzziah (2 Chronicles 26:20-23), and the four lepers at Samaria's gate (2 Kings 7:3) make this condition one of the Bible's most vivid symbols of both affliction and divine sovereignty.
Senses
1. leprous person, leper — A person afflicted with a serious skin disease — the substantive use, 'a leper.' This covers the majority of occurrences. In Leviticus 14:2, 'the law of the leper' (תּוֹרַת הַמְּצֹרָע) establishes the purification ritual. Naaman is described as a 'leper' (מְצֹרָע, 2 Kings 5:1) despite being a powerful Syrian commander — the social irony heightening the narrative. The four lepers of 2 Kings 7:3 (מְצֹרָעִים) are outcasts at the city gate who become unlikely agents of salvation. Spanish 'leproso' and French 'lépreux' both preserve the substantive force. 17×
AR["أَبْرَصَ", "أَبْرَصُ", "الأَبْرَصَ", "الْأَبْرَصِ", "الْبُرْصُ", "بُرْصًا", "وَ-الْأَبْرَصُ", "وَمَجْذُومٌ"]·ben["আর-কুষ্ঠরোগী", "এবং-সেই-কুষ্ঠী", "কুষ্ঠরোগী", "কুষ্ঠরোগীকে", "কুষ্ঠরোগীরা", "কুষ্ঠী", "সেই-কুষ্ঠি", "সেই-কুষ্ঠির"]·DE["[מצורע]", "[מצרע]", "aussaetzig-eins", "der-diseased", "der-leper", "der-lepers", "diseased", "ein-leper", "ist-aussaetzig", "lepers", "leprous", "oder-leper", "und-der-diseased"]·EN["a-leper", "and-the-diseased", "diseased", "is-leprous", "lepers", "leprous", "leprous-one", "or-leper", "the-diseased", "the-leper", "the-lepers"]·FR["diseased", "est-lépreux", "et-le-diseased", "le-diseased", "le-leper", "le-lepers", "lepers", "leprous", "lépreux", "lépreux-un", "ou-leper", "un-leper"]·heb["ה-מצורע", "ה-מצורעים", "ה-מצרע", "ה-צרוע", "ו-ה-והצרוע", "ו-מצורע", "מצורע", "מצורעים", "מצרע", "מצרע ׀", "צרוע"]·HI["और-कोढ़ी", "कोढ़ी", "कोढ़ी-को", "मचोराईम", "हमचोराईम"]·ID["-orang-orang-kusta", "berkusta", "dan-orang-berkusta", "dan-yang-berkusta", "kusta", "orang-kusta-itu", "si-berkusta", "si-berkusta.", "tetapi-kusta", "yang-berkusta", "yang-kusta"]·IT["diseased", "e-il-diseased", "e-lebbroso", "il-diseased", "il-lebbroso", "il-lepers", "lebbroso", "lebbroso-uno", "lepers", "leprous", "o-lebbroso", "un-lebbroso"]·jav["Lan-tiyang-kusta", "ingkang-kusta", "kang-budhugen", "kena-buduk", "kena-lepra", "kusta", "lan-penyakit-kulit", "tiyang-kusta"]·KO["그-나병-환자-를", "그리고-그-나병환자-의", "그리고-나병-있는-자와", "나병-걸린", "나병-걸린-자", "나병-걸린-자이다", "나병-환자", "나병-환자로부터", "나병-환자의", "나병환자", "나병환자가", "나병환자들이", "문둥병-있는-자"]·PT["E-o-leproso", "e-leproso", "leproso", "leprosos", "o-leproso", "os-leprosos"]·RU["-прокажённого", "и-прокажённый", "прокажён", "прокажённого", "прокажённые", "прокажённый", "прокажённым"]·ES["Y-el-tsarua", "al-leproso", "el-metsorá", "el-tsarua", "leproso", "leprosos", "los-leprosos", "tsarua", "y-leproso"]·SW["Na-mwenye-ukoma", "Tsrua", "lakini-mwenye-ukoma", "mwenye-ukoma", "na-mwenye-ukoma", "wenye-ukoma"]·TR["cilt-hastalıklı", "cilt-hastalıklıdan", "cilt-hastalıklının", "ciltli", "cusamlı", "cuzamli", "cuzamlilar", "cuzamlı", "ve-cilt-hastalıklı", "ve-cuzamlı"]·urd["اور-کوڑھی", "اور-کوڑھیا", "کوڑھی", "کوڑھی-کی", "کوڑھیا"]
Lev 13:44, Lev 13:45, Lev 14:2, Lev 14:3, Lev 22:4, Num 5:2, 2 Sam 3:29, 2 Kgs 5:1, 2 Kgs 5:11, 2 Kgs 5:27, 2 Kgs 7:3, 2 Kgs 7:8 (+5 more)
2. leprous, diseased (of body part) — Leprous, diseased — the adjectival use, typically in feminine singular form describing a body part afflicted with skin disease. The paradigmatic instance is Exodus 4:6, where Moses' hand becomes 'leprous like snow' (מְצֹרַעַת כַּשָּׁלֶג) as a sign of divine power. Numbers 12:10 uses the same form twice when Miriam is struck with disease 'leprous like snow' as punishment for challenging Moses. The feminine form (מְצֹרַעַת) applied to the hand (יָד, feminine) distinguishes this adjectival usage from the substantive 'leper' applied to persons. 3×
AR["بَرْصَاءُ"]·ben["কুষ্ঠরোগী", "কুষ্ঠরোগী।"]·DE["aussaetzig", "leprous"]·EN["leprous"]·FR["lépreux"]·heb["מצורעת", "מצרעת"]·HI["कोढ़ी"]·ID["berkusta", "kusta"]·IT["lebbroso", "leprous"]·jav["budhugen", "kados-lepra"]·KO["나병에-걸린", "나병이-들었다"]·PT["leprosa"]·RU["покрыта-проказой", "прокажённая"]·ES["leprosa", "leprosa:"]·SW["mwenye-ukoma", "una-ukoma"]·TR["cuzamlı", "cüzamlı"]·urd["کوڑھی", "کوڑھی-تھی"]
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
† [צָרַע] vb.denom., only in pass., be struck with leprosy, leprous;— Qal Pt. pass. אִישׁ צָרוּעַ Lv 13:44; elsewhere as subst., = leper, v 45 14:3; Nu 5:2 (all P), Lv 22:4 (H). Pu. Pt. מְצֹרָע 2 S 3:29 +, מְצוֹרָע 2 Ch 26:20; pl. מְצֹרָעִים 2 K 7:3, 8; f. מְצֹרַ֫עַת Ex 4:6 +, מְצֹרָ֑עַת Nu 12:10;—leprous, of hand Ex 4:6 (J), of pers. Nu 12:10(×2) (E); 2 K 5:27; 2 Ch 26:20; אֲנָשִׁים מְצֹרָעִים 2…