Lexical Summary murah: Rebellion, disobedience Original Word: מֻרְאָה Strong's Exhaustive Concordance crop Apparently feminine passive causative participle of ra'ah; something conspicuous, i.e. The craw of a bird (from its prominence) -- crop. see HEBREW ra'ah NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom the same as meri Definition crop or alimentary canal NASB Translation crop (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs [מֻרְאָה] noun feminine crop or alimentary canal, of bird, compare Di-Ry (on form compare LagBN 81); — וְהֵסִיר אֶתמֻֿרְאָתוֺ בְּנֹצָתָהּ Leviticus 1:16. מֹרָא see מוֺרָא below ירא. מְרֹאדַךְ see מְרֹדַךְ below מַרְאֶה, מַרְאָה see ראה מֹרְאָה see מדה participle feminine מְראוֺן see שִׁמְרוֺן. מָרֵאשָׁה see מָרֵשָׁה. [מְרַאֲשׁוֺת] see ראשׁ Topical Lexicon Meaning and Context The only time the word appears in Scripture, Leviticus 1:16, it denotes the crop of a turtledove or young pigeon brought as a burnt offering. The crop is the pouch in a bird’s throat where partially digested food collects. In Israel’s sacrificial system this specific part, together with its contents, was removed before the remainder of the bird was placed on the altar. Cultic Function in the Burnt Offering Leviticus 1:14-17 outlines the procedure for those whose resources limited them to a bird rather than a larger animal. After wringing off the bird’s head and sprinkling its blood on the altar’s side, the priest was to “remove the crop with its contents and throw it to the east side of the altar, to the place of ashes” (Leviticus 1:16). 1. Prevention of Defilement: The crop held undigested material that would render the offering unclean if burned. Its removal preserved the purity of the sacrifice. Historical and Socio-Religious Background Bird offerings democratized worship. Doves and pigeons were plentiful and inexpensive (see Luke 2:24 for their use at Jesus’ dedication). By addressing even the removal of a bird’s crop, the Law affirmed that no sacrifice, however small, was beneath detailed divine concern. The designated disposal site, east of the altar, stood nearest the entrance to the courtyard, making removal swift and keeping the altar area clean. Symbolic and Theological Implications 1. Inner Cleansing: The crop symbolizes hidden, internal defilement. True worship involves the heart’s inner recesses as much as outward form. Connections within the Old Testament • Comparable Purity Measures: When larger animals were offered, the priest washed viscera and shanks (Leviticus 1:9). The crop’s disposal parallels that washing. Foreshadowing of the Gospel The bird offering prefigures Christ, the perfect sacrifice. Though wholly pure, He bore humanity’s uncleanness outside the gate (Hebrews 13:11-12). The crop’s removal anticipates the complete eradication of sin’s defilement through His atonement. As the bird’s body ascended in smoke, so the risen Christ ascended to the Father, accepted without blemish. Ministry and Devotional Applications • Self-Examination: Worship leaders and congregants should remove “the crop” of unconfessed sin before approaching the altar of prayer and praise (1 John 1:9). Summary Though mentioned only once, מֻרְאָה highlights God’s concern for both the purity and the accessibility of worship. Its removal in the avian burnt offering teaches that inner defilement must be cast away, that even modest sacrifices matter, and that wholehearted dedication is the believer’s reasonable service, all finding ultimate fulfillment in the perfect sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Forms and Transliterations מֻרְאָת֖וֹ מראתו mur’āṯōw mur·’ā·ṯōw muraToLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Leviticus 1:16 HEB: וְהֵסִ֥יר אֶת־ מֻרְאָת֖וֹ בְּנֹצָתָ֑הּ וְהִשְׁלִ֨יךְ NAS: He shall also take away its crop with its feathers KJV: And he shall pluck away his crop with his feathers, INT: take crop feathers and cast 1 Occurrence |
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