שְׁחִין

# Biblical Usage of שְׁחִין (She-chin): "Boil" The Hebrew word *she-chin* appears thirteen times in the Bible and refers to a boil—a painful skin infection characterized by a localized inflammatory swelling. The word's consistent translation across its occurrences indicates a specific, recognizable medical condition rather than a general category of skin ailments. This specificity suggests that biblical writers distinguished boils from other skin diseases, treating them as a distinct phenomenon worthy of named reference. Given its thirteen biblical occurrences, *she-chin* served as an important term in describing physical afflictions. The frequency of use indicates that boils were a notable concern in the ancient Israelite world—significant enough to warrant repeated mention in scriptural narratives and laws. The word appears substantial enough in the textual record to suggest it held real relevance to the lived experience of ancient communities, whether in medical contexts, symbolic plague narratives, or descriptions of human suffering. Without access to the specific passages where *she-chin* appears in the biblical text, we can only confirm that this word maintained a stable meaning across its occurrences: a type of boil or pustule. Its regular appearance in Scripture suggests that biblical writers found this condition important enough to document, whether as literal medical phenomena or as theological signs within larger narratives about divine judgment and human affliction.