H7144 H7144
Baldness, especially a shaved spot on the head as a sign of mourning, prohibited for priests and Israel
Refers to a bare patch on the head produced by shaving as a mourning rite. Ancient Near Eastern peoples commonly shaved their heads to express grief, but Israelite law restricted the practice: priests must not make a baldness on their heads (Lev 21:5), and the people are told not to cut themselves or make baldness for the dead (Deut 14:1). When Isaiah prophesies judgment, baldness replaces well-set hair (Isa 3:24), and Moab's devastation brings baldness upon every head (Isa 15:2). The Spanish 'calvicie' and English 'baldness' both capture the visible, intentional nature of this sign of grief.
Senses
1. baldness (ritual/mourning) — A bald patch or shaved area on the head, produced ritually as an expression of mourning or grief. Levitical law prohibits priests from making such marks (Lev 21:5), and Deuteronomy 14:1 extends the prohibition to all Israel, distinguishing them from surrounding cultures. Prophetic texts use baldness as a sign of divine judgment and national calamity (Isa 3:24; 15:2; Ezek 7:18). Spanish 'calva/calvicie' and English 'baldness' converge on the visible, deliberate nature of the shaving act. 11×
AR["الصَّلَعُ", "صَلَعٌ", "صَلَعَةً", "صَلْعَةً", "قَرَعٌ", "قَرْعَةً", "قَرْعَتَكِ", "وَالْحَلْقِ"]·ben["ও-টাকের-জন্য", "টাক", "তোমার-টাক"]·DE["[ולקרחה]", "[קרחה]", "[קרחתך]", "baldness"]·EN["and-for-baldness", "and-instead-of", "baldness", "your-baldness"]·FR["[ולקרחה]", "[קרחה]", "calvitie"]·heb["ו-ל-קרחה", "קרחה", "קרחתך"]·HI["अपना-गंजापन", "और-गंजापन-के-लिए", "गंजा", "गंजापन"]·ID["botak", "dan-untuk-mencukur-kepala", "gundul", "kebotakan", "kebotakan,", "kebotakanmu", "kegundulan", "kepala-botak"]·IT["[קרחה]", "[קרחתך]", "baldness", "calvizie", "e-calvizie"]·jav["botakan", "gundhul", "gundhul-panjenengan", "gundhulan", "gundul", "gundulan", "kados-sedhih", "lan-supados-nggunduli"]·KO["그리고-대머리와", "대머리", "대머리-너의", "대머리가", "대머리를", "대머리요", "대머리이고"]·PT["calvice", "calvície", "e-para-calvície", "tua-calvície"]·RU["и-к-обритию", "лысина", "плешивости", "плешивость", "плешь", "плешь-твою"]·ES["calva", "calvas", "calvicie", "tu-calvicie", "y-a-calvicie"]·SW["na-kunyoa-nywele", "ni-kipara", "upara", "upara-wako"]·TR["kel", "kellik", "kelliliğini-senin", "kelliği", "ve-kellige"]·urd["اور-گنجاپن-کے-لیے", "اپنا-گنجاپن", "گنجا", "گنجاپن", "گنجپن"]
Related Senses
H3548 1. priest, cultic officiant (750×)G5547 1. Christ, Messiah, Anointed One (540×)H5030 1. Prophet, divine spokesperson (317×)H5930a 1. burnt offering (sacrifice) (286×)H3881 1. Levites (priestly class) (283×)G4396 1. prophet, spokesperson of God (146×)H6944 1. sanctuary, holy place (129×)G0749 1. high priest, chief priest (123×)H6944 2. holiness, sacredness (abstract quality) (123×)G5330 1. Pharisee (99×)G4336 1. pray to God (86×)H6944 3. holy things, sacred offerings (plural) (86×)H3722a 1. make ritual atonement (Piel) (85×)H6912 1. bury (Qal active) (82×)H6419 1. pray (Hitpael) (80×)H6944 4. holiness (with possessive pronoun) (77×)H6942 1. sanctify, consecrate (Piel factitive) (76×)H2930a 1. Qal: be/become unclean (75×)H7819a 1. slaughter an animal (Qal active) (72×)H1486 1. lot (object cast for decisions) (71×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† קָרְחָה, קָרְחָא n.f. baldness, bald spot, made in mourning;—abs. ק׳ Is 3:24 +; sf. קָרְחָתֵךְ Mi 1:16;—bald spot, עַל־כָּל־רֹאשׁ Am 8:10, בְּכָל־ר׳ Is 15:2; Ez 7:18; ק׳ בְּרֹאשׁ Lv 21:5 (acc. cogn.); כָּל־רֹאשׁ ק׳ Je 48:37; ק׳ כַּנֶּשֶׁר Mi 1:16; בֵּין עֵינֵיכֶם Dt 14:1; opp. מַעֲשֶׂה מִקְשֶׁה Is 3:24; also Je 47:5 and (acc. cogn.) Ez 27:31 (קָרְחָא).