מוֹרָה

# Mōrāh: The Hebrew Word for Razor The Hebrew word *mōrāh* (מוֹרָה) denotes a razor—a sharp cutting instrument. Based on its appearance in the biblical text, this term represents a specific tool rather than a general word for blades or cutting implements. The word's presence in only three biblical occurrences suggests it was not a commonplace term in Hebrew scripture, implying either that razors held particular significance in specific contexts or that writers used alternative terminology for everyday cutting tools. The rarity of *mōrāh* in the biblical record indicates that when it does appear, its context likely carried special meaning. Rather than being a mundane household item casually mentioned, the term appears to mark moments of deliberate attention in the biblical narrative. This pattern—a specialized tool word appearing sparingly in scripture—suggests that references to razors served particular literary or religious purposes, whether related to personal grooming practices, ritual observance, or symbolic action. Without access to the specific passages where *mōrāh* appears, the precise contexts remain undetermined by the lexical data alone. However, the word's limited distribution and specialized meaning indicate that biblical writers selected it deliberately when describing razor-related actions or conditions, making each occurrence potentially significant to understanding the passage's intent.