גַּבַּ֫חַת
gab.ba.chat
baldness
Lexicon Entry
Lexicon data from STEPBible TIPNR, Tyndale House, Cambridge. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.
What Original Readers Understood
ExploredThe Hebrew word גַּבַּ֫חַת (gab.ba.chat) is defined as "baldness." This term is found four times in the Bible, indicating its significance in the ancient Hebrew culture. The fact that it is categorized under the semantic domain of "Body & Health" suggests that baldness was perceived as a physical condition rather than a spiritual or metaphorical one. The use of this term in the Bible implies that baldness was a noticeable and perhaps stigmatized aspect of an individual's appearance. The limited occurrences of this word suggest that it was not a common or trivial topic, but rather one that held some significance or importance in the context of the narrative. While the exact significance of baldness in the Bible is not explicitly stated, its presence highlights the attention given to physical appearance and health in ancient Hebrew culture. This focus on physicality underscores the importance of bodily well-being and appearance in the lives of ancient Hebrew individuals.
Source data & methodology
Occurrences in Scripture
4 total occurrences across the text
But if a reddish-white plague is in the bald head or the bald forehead, it is leprosy breaking out in his bald head or his bald forehead.
Leviticus 13:42But if a reddish-white plague is in the bald head or the bald forehead, it is leprosy breaking out in his bald head or his bald forehead.
Leviticus 13:43Then the priest shall examine him. Behold, if the swelling of the plague is reddish-white in his bald head, or in his bald forehead, like the appearance of leprosy in the skin of the body,
Leviticus 13:55Then the priest shall examine it, after the plague is washed; and behold, if the plague hasn’t changed its color, and the plague hasn’t spread, it is unclean; you shall burn it in the fire. It is a mildewed spot, whether the bareness is inside or outside.