H7146 H7146
baldness of the back of the head
This technical term in Levitical purity legislation distinguishes baldness on the crown or back of the head from forehead baldness. Always contrasted with baldness of the forehead, it appears exclusively in Leviticus 13's skin disease regulations, where location of symptoms matters for diagnosis. The term reflects ancient Israel's careful attention to bodily symptoms in cultic purity.
Senses
1. sense 1 — Denotes baldness specifically at the back or crown of the head, consistently opposed to forehead baldness (גַּבַּחַת) in Leviticus 13:42-43, 55. The diagnostic distinction matters for identifying skin diseases: if a reddish-white sore appears 'in his baldness' (בְּקָרַחְתּוֹ) or 'in his forehead baldness,' the priest must examine it. The four occurrences all appear in this single priestly context, showing the term's technical precision. Multilingual renderings maintain the anatomical specificity: Spanish 'calvicie,' French 'calvitie,' German 'baldness'—all modified by possessive pronouns marking the afflicted person. 4×
AR["فِي-الْقَرَعَةِ", "فِي-قَرَعَتِهِ"]·ben["তার-পিছনে", "তার-পিছনের-টাকে", "সেই-পিছনের-টাকে"]·DE["in-der-baldness", "in-sein-baldness"]·EN["in-his-baldness", "in-its-baldness", "in-the-baldness"]·FR["dans-le-calvitie", "dans-son-calvitie"]·heb["ב-ה-בקרחת", "ב-קרחתו"]·HI["के दिखावट के अनुसार", "में-गंजी", "या"]·ID["di-botak-belakang", "di-botak-belakangnya"]·IT["in-il-baldness", "in-suo-baldness"]·jav["ing-gundhul-wingking", "ing-gundhul-wingking-panjenenganipun", "ing-sisih-wingking"]·KO["그-의-대머리-에", "그것-의-뒷면-에", "대머리-에"]·PT["em-calvície-sua", "em-parte-traseira-sua", "na-calvície"]·RU["на-изнанке-его", "на-плеши", "на-плеши-его"]·ES["en-la-calvicie", "en-su-calvicie"]·SW["katika-upara-wa-nyuma", "katika-upara-wake-wa-nyuma"]·TR["arkasında", "kellikte", "kelliğinde"]·urd["میں-گنجےپن", "میں-گنجےپن-اُس-کے"]
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
† קָרַ֫חַת n.f. baldness of head;—abs. ק׳ Lv 13:42a; sf. קָרַחְתּוֹ v 42 +;—baldness of head (always opp. גַּבַּחַת baldness of forehead), Lv 13:42(×2), 43, 55.