Lexical Summary tsarebeth: Scorching, burning Original Word: צָרֶבֶת Strong's Exhaustive Concordance burning, inflammation From Tsaw'ar; conflagration (of fire or disease) -- burning, inflammation. see HEBREW Tsaw'ar NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom tsarab Definition scab, scar (of a sore) NASB Translation scar (2). Brown-Driver-Briggs [צָרָב] adjective burning, scorching (= * צַרָּב Thes and others); — כְּאֵשׁ צָרָ֑בֶת Proverbs 16:27 (simile of words.). צָרֶ֫בֶת noun feminine scab, scar, of a sore (literally a burning, scorching); — construct צָרֶבֶת הַשְּׁחִין הִוא Leviticus 13:23; הַמִּכְוָה הִוא ׳צ Leviticus 13:28. Topical Lexicon Overview Strong’s Hebrew 6867 (צָרֶבֶת) denotes the inflamed, blistering aftermath of a burn and, by extension, anything scorched or parched by intense heat. The term appears three times in Scripture: twice in the priestly instructions of Leviticus 13 and once in the wisdom saying of Proverbs 16. Though the contexts differ—one medical–ritual, the other moral–figurative—the common thread is the destructive potential of unchecked heat, whether in the flesh or in the tongue. Physical Context in the Levitical Code (Leviticus 13:23, 28) Leviticus devotes an entire chapter to diagnosing “defiling disease” (often translated leprosy) in skin, garments, and dwellings. Within that manual, צָרֶבֶת describes the crusted scab remaining after a burn. Medical and Social Significance In the ancient Near East, burns were common from cooking fires, metalworking, and warfare. Without antibiotics, infection could produce life-threatening conditions. The Mosaic instructions protected the entire community, demonstrating God’s concern for public health centuries before germ theory. Modern medical missions mirror this principle when they offer wound care alongside the gospel. Symbolic Usage in Wisdom Literature (Proverbs 16:27) “A worthless man digs up evil, and his speech is like a scorching fire” (Proverbs 16:27). Here צָרֶבֶת pictures the tongue as a blowtorch: words can sear reputations, relationships, and consciences. The same metaphor reappears in James 3:5-6, where the tongue is called “a fire, a world of iniquity.” Scripture consistently warns that heat without grace is destructive in any arena—bodily, relational, or spiritual. Theological Reflections 1. Holiness and Wholeness: God’s purity standards encompass body and soul. The skin checks of Leviticus anticipate the heart checks of the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5–7). Christological Foreshadowing The clean/unclean verdicts prepare for the Savior who “touched the leper” (Mark 1:41) and bore our infirmities (Isaiah 53:4). On the cross He endured the fiery wrath we deserved, so that all who trust Him are declared eternally clean. His resurrected body still bears scars, proving that redeemed wounds can become emblems of victory. Pastoral Application • Physical Care: Churches can embody Leviticus 13 by offering practical support to burn victims and others with visible injuries, thereby affirming their dignity in God’s image. Contemporary Ministry Insights 1. Trauma counseling may use the motif of burn scars to discuss emotional healing. Key Cross-References Leviticus 13 (entire chapter); James 3:5-6; Isaiah 42:3; Malachi 3:2-3; 1 Peter 1:7. Summary צָרֶבֶת reminds readers that whether on the skin or on the lips, uncontrolled heat harms. Yet the same Lord who instructed priests to pronounce the burned “clean” also sends His Spirit to tame tongues and to heal scarred hearts. Forms and Transliterations צָרֶ֥בֶת צָרָֽבֶת׃ צרבת צרבת׃ ṣā·rā·ḇeṯ ṣā·re·ḇeṯ ṣārāḇeṯ ṣāreḇeṯ tzaRavet tzaRevetLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Leviticus 13:23 HEB: לֹ֣א פָשָׂ֔תָה צָרֶ֥בֶת הַשְּׁחִ֖ין הִ֑וא NAS: and does not spread, it is [only] the scar of the boil; KJV: in his place, [and] spread not, it [is] a burning boil; INT: and does not spread is the scar of the boil he Leviticus 13:28 Proverbs 16:27 3 Occurrences |
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