Disfigurement, in the biblical context, often refers to physical deformity or alteration that affects the appearance of an individual. The Bible addresses disfigurement in various ways, reflecting cultural, religious, and spiritual dimensions.

Old Testament Context

In the Old Testament, physical perfection was often associated with ritual purity and suitability for service, particularly in the priesthood. Leviticus 21:17-23 outlines specific physical requirements for priests, stating that no man with a defect may approach to offer the food of his God. This passage lists various physical disfigurements, such as blindness, lameness, or having a limb too long, which would disqualify a descendant of Aaron from priestly duties. The emphasis on physical wholeness symbolized the holiness and perfection required in the service of God.

Leviticus 21:18 states, "No man who has any defect may approach—no man who is blind, lame, disfigured, or deformed." This reflects the importance of physical integrity in the context of worship and service, though it does not imply a lack of worth or dignity for those with disfigurements.

New Testament Context

In the New Testament, the focus shifts from physical attributes to spiritual qualities. Jesus Christ's ministry emphasized healing and restoration, often addressing physical disfigurements as a demonstration of divine compassion and power. The healing of the man with a withered hand (Matthew 12:10-13) and the restoration of sight to the blind (John 9:1-7) illustrate Jesus' authority over physical ailments and His concern for the afflicted.

The New Testament also highlights the inner transformation over outward appearance. In 2 Corinthians 4:16 , Paul writes, "Therefore we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, yet our inner self is being renewed day by day." This passage underscores the Christian belief in the renewal of the inner person, regardless of physical condition.

Spiritual Symbolism

Disfigurement can also carry symbolic meaning in Scripture. Isaiah 52:14 prophetically describes the suffering servant, "Just as many were appalled at Him—His appearance was disfigured beyond that of any man, and His form was marred beyond human likeness." This passage is often interpreted as a reference to the suffering and crucifixion of Jesus Christ, whose physical disfigurement is seen as part of His redemptive work for humanity.

Cultural and Ethical Considerations

The biblical treatment of disfigurement reflects broader cultural and ethical considerations. While physical perfection was valued in certain religious contexts, the overarching biblical narrative affirms the inherent dignity and worth of every individual, regardless of physical appearance. The emphasis on spiritual wholeness and the transformative power of God's love and grace is central to the Christian understanding of human value.

In summary, disfigurement in the Bible is addressed through laws, narratives, and teachings that highlight both the physical and spiritual dimensions of human existence. The biblical message affirms the dignity of all individuals and emphasizes the transformative power of God's love and grace.1. (n.) Act of disfiguring, or state of being disfigured; deformity.

2. (n.) That which disfigures; a defacement; a blot.

153. aischuno -- to dishonor, make ashamed
... be ashamed. From aischos (disfigurement, ie Disgrace); to feel shame (for
oneself) -- be ashamed. (aischunestho) -- 1 Occurrence. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/153.htm - 6k4893b. mishchath -- disfigurement (of face)
... 4893a, 4893b. mishchath. 4894 . disfigurement (of face). Transliteration:
mishchath Short Definition: marred. Word Origin from shachath ...
/hebrew/4893b.htm - 5k

4893. mishchath -- corruption (ceremonial)
... corruption, marred Or moshchath {mosh-khawth'}; from shachath; disfigurement --
corruption, marred. see HEBREW shachath. 4892, 4893. mishchath. 4893a . ...
/hebrew/4893.htm - 5k

The Manich??ans are Reduced to the Choice of a Tortuous, or Curved ...
... Again, if the line of junction was a curved one, the region of light must
also have had the disfigurement of a curve to answer it. ...
/.../chapter 26 name manichaeans are.htm

Papal Tombs.
... Its last disfigurement, by Innocent X. and Borromini in 1644, concealed whatever
was left standing of the old building, and made it impossible for us to study ...
/.../lanciani/pagan and christian rome/chapter v papal tombs.htm

Lix. What was Learned in God's House. Isaiah vi.
... Must we not pray for a watch to be set on our lips? If there could be a physical
effect caused, as there is a moral, would not there be a sad disfigurement? ...
//christianbookshelf.org/champness/broken bread/lix what was learned in.htm

Of one who was Lately Cured of a Disease in his Eye at the Relics ...
... on a sudden, about the sixth hour of the same, touching his eye, he found it and
the eyelid as sound as if there never had been any disfigurement or tumour on ...
/.../bede/bedes ecclesiastical history of england/chap xxxii of one who.htm

Faustus States his Objections to the Morality of the Law and the ...
... of the other. It is plain, as I have said, that these observances are not
the law, but a disfigurement of the law. If we condemn ...
/.../faustus states his objections to.htm

Let that which was Then Said by Our Lord be the General Maxim for ...
... make up the sum of beauty? The disfigurement of the mutilated part mars
the grace of the part untouched. The Gospel implies that he ...
/.../gregory/gregory of nyssa dogmatic treatises etc/chapter xvii let that which.htm

Help, Lord, the Souls which Thou Hast Made
... woe. 4. Oh, by their patience of delay, Their hope amid their pain, Their
sacred zeal to burn away Disfigurement and stain. 5. Oh ...
/.../various/the st gregory hymnal and catholic choir book/no 113 help lord the.htm

Whether the Burial Service Profits the Dead?
... For the sake of the living, lest their eyes be revolted by the disfigurement of
the corpse, and their bodies be infected by the stench, and this as regards the ...
/.../aquinas/summa theologica/whether the burial service profits.htm

Chapter Iii Precious Answers to Prayer
... On this account, the uncertainty of their answering in our case, and the disfigurement
of the rooms, led me to give up this plan also. But what was to be done? ...
/.../muller/answers to prayer/chapter iii precious answers to.htm

Jesus, the Great Object of Astonishment.
... to mar His countenance. Sin is a sad disfigurement to faces which in early
childhood were surpassingly attractive. Passion, if it ...
//christianbookshelf.org/spurgeon/till he come/jesus the great object of.htm

Disfigurement (1 Occurrence)
... Multi-Version Concordance Disfigurement (1 Occurrence). Leviticus 24:19 If anyone
injures his neighbor; as he has done, so shall it be done to him: (See RSV). ...
/d/disfigurement.htm - 6k

Leprosy (51 Occurrences)
... and visible sign of the innermost spiritual corruption; a meet emblem in its small
beginnings, its gradual spread, its internal disfigurement, its dissolution ...
/l/leprosy.htm - 37k

Weed (3 Occurrences)
... 5. (n.) Any plant growing in cultivated ground to the injury of the crop or desired
vegetation, or to the disfigurement of the place; an unsightly, useless, or ...
/w/weed.htm - 8k

Disfigure (3 Occurrences)
... to deface; to deform. 2. (n.) Disfigurement; deformity. Multi-Version
Concordance Disfigure (3 Occurrences). Matthew 6:16 "Moreover ...
/d/disfigure.htm - 7k

Disfigured (4 Occurrences)

/d/disfigured.htm - 7k

Mar (7 Occurrences)
... 3. (v.) To spoil; to ruin. 4. (n.) A mark or blemish made by bruising, scratching,
or the like; a disfigurement. Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia. MAR. ...
/m/mar.htm - 9k

Mourn (87 Occurrences)
... 1) by weeping (Genesis 35:8, marg.; Luke 7:38, etc.); (2) by loud lamentation (Ruth
1:9; 1 Samuel 6:19; 2 Samuel 3:31); (3) by the disfigurement of the person ...
/m/mourn.htm - 38k

Scar (3 Occurrences)
... an animal, made by a wound or ulcer, and remaining after the wound or ulcer is healed;
a cicatrix; a mark left by a previous injury; a blemish; a disfigurement...
/s/scar.htm - 8k

Sprinkling (48 Occurrences)
... In Isaiah 52:15 "sprinkle" is a doubtful rendering. There is no apparent connection
between bodily disfigurement and national purification. ...
/s/sprinkling.htm - 29k

Sprinkle (37 Occurrences)
... In Isaiah 52:15 "sprinkle" is a doubtful rendering. There is no apparent connection
between bodily disfigurement and national purification. ...
/s/sprinkle.htm - 26k

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