1384. gibben

Lexical Summary

gibben: Hunchbacked

Original Word: גִּבֵּן
Part of Speech: Adjective
Transliteration: gibben
Pronunciation: ghib-BEN
Phonetic Spelling: (gib-bane')
KJV: crookbackt
NASB: hunchback
Word Origin: [from an unused root meaning to be arched or contracted]

1. hunch-backed

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

crookbacked

From an unused root meaning to be arched or contracted; hunch-backed -- crookbackt.

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
from an unused word
Definition
crookbacked, humpbacked
NASB Translation
hunchback (1).

Brown-Driver-Briggs

גִּבֵּן adjective crook-backed, hump-backed (compare Aramaic גְּבִין id., Late Hebrew גַּבָּן highlander; also Late Hebrew גבין, Aramaic גבינא, , all = brow (eye-brow, etc.); compare Arabic side of forehead), Leviticus 21:20.

Topical Lexicon

Biblical Occurrence

Leviticus 21:20 is the single appearance of the term, listing “a hunchback” among bodily conditions that barred a descendant of Aaron from approaching the altar.

Covenantal Context and Priesthood Purity

1. Leviticus 21:17-23 sets physical wholeness as a requirement for priestly ministry “to offer the food of his God” (21:21).
2. The requirement guarded the sanctuary’s symbolism: the priest, as mediator, mirrored the holiness and perfection of the God he served (Exodus 19:6; Hebrews 8:5).
3. Physical integrity also protected Israel from pagan notions that appeasing deities demanded conspicuous human suffering or deformity (contrast 1 Kings 18:28). Scripture presents Yahweh as the life-giver who receives unblemished service, not maimed sacrifice (Malachi 1:8).

Comparative Legislation

• Similar exclusions appear in Deuteronomy 23:1 and Leviticus 22:22-25 regarding sacrificial animals.
• Ancient Near Eastern cultures occasionally enlisted deformed clergy for magical purposes; the Torah counters this by associating holiness with wholeness, not superstition.

Compassionate Provision

Even while restricting altar service, the law preserves dignity and livelihood: “He may eat the most holy food of his God, as well as the holy food” (Leviticus 21:22). The priest with a curved spine shared covenant privileges though barred from public ritual, underscoring divine compassion (Psalm 103:13).

Typological and Theological Implications

1. Shadow of Perfection: The flawless priest foreshadows Jesus Christ, the sinless and unblemished High Priest (Hebrews 7:26-27; 1 Peter 1:19).
2. Reminder of the Fall: Bodily defects testify to creation’s groaning under sin (Romans 8:20-23). The hunchbacked priest symbolizes humanity bent under the curse awaiting redemption.
3. Anticipation of Restoration: Prophets envision a day when “no resident will say, ‘I am sick’” (Isaiah 33:24). Christ’s healing of “a woman who had been crippled by a spirit for eighteen years… bent over and could not straighten up” (Luke 13:11-13) previews that renewal.

Christological Fulfillment

Jesus’ embodiment of perfect priesthood fulfills the ceremonial symbolism and opens access for all believers, regardless of physical condition (Hebrews 10:19-22). In Him, exclusionary shadows yield to inclusive substance (Galatians 3:28).

Practical Ministry Application

• Dignity of the Disabled: While Old-Covenant ceremony highlighted perfection, New-Covenant community practices Christ-like welcome (James 2:1-4).
• Spiritual Wholeness: Physical criteria have passed, yet the call to moral and doctrinal integrity in leadership remains (1 Timothy 3:2).
• Pastoral Care: Like David’s kindness to Mephibosheth (2 Samuel 9:7), churches honor and integrate believers with disabilities, reflecting God’s heart.

Summary

The solitary mention of גִּבֵּן serves as a small but significant thread in the tapestry of Scripture: it underscores God’s holiness, anticipates the flawless priesthood of Christ, and, through compassionate allowances, reveals the character of the Lord who ultimately straightens every crooked back and heart in the age to come.

Forms and Transliterations

גִבֵּ֣ן גבן ḡib·bên gibBen ḡibbên

Englishman's Concordance

Leviticus 21:20
HEB: אֽוֹ־ גִבֵּ֣ן אוֹ־ דַ֔ק
NAS: or a hunchback or a dwarf,
KJV: Or crookbackt, or a dwarf,
INT: or A hunchback or A dwarf

1 Occurrence

Strong's Hebrew 1384
1 Occurrence

ḡib·bên — 1 Occ.