In biblical literature, the term "spot" is often used both literally and metaphorically, appearing in various contexts throughout the Scriptures. It can denote a physical blemish, a moral failing, or a spiritual impurity. The concept of being "without spot" is significant in the biblical narrative, symbolizing purity, holiness, and the absence of sin.

Old Testament Usage

1. Physical Blemish: In the Old Testament, "spot" frequently refers to physical blemishes, particularly in the context of sacrificial offerings. The Law of Moses required that offerings be without spot or blemish, symbolizing perfection and purity. For instance, in Leviticus 1:3, it is stated, "If his offering is a burnt offering from the herd, he is to offer an unblemished male." This requirement underscores the importance of offering God the best and most perfect sacrifices.

2. Moral and Spiritual Impurity: The term is also used metaphorically to describe moral and spiritual corruption. In Deuteronomy 32:5, the Israelites are described as having "acted corruptly toward Him; to their shame they are no longer His children, but a warped and crooked generation." Here, the "spot" signifies their deviation from God's ways and their moral failings.

New Testament Usage

1. Christ as the Spotless Lamb: In the New Testament, the concept of being without spot is epitomized in Jesus Christ, who is described as the spotless Lamb of God. In 1 Peter 1:19, believers are reminded that they were redeemed "with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or spot." This imagery draws a direct connection to the Old Testament sacrificial system, highlighting Christ's role as the perfect and ultimate sacrifice for sin.

2. Call to Holiness: Believers are called to live lives that are "without spot" as a reflection of their sanctification and dedication to God. In Ephesians 5:27, Paul speaks of Christ's desire to present the church to Himself "in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but holy and blameless." This call to holiness is a recurring theme, urging Christians to strive for moral and spiritual purity.

3. Warnings Against False Teachers: The term is also used in the context of warnings against false teachers and immoral behavior within the church. In 2 Peter 2:13, false teachers are described as "blots and blemishes, reveling in their deceptions as they feast with you." Here, "spots" symbolize the corrupting influence of those who deviate from true doctrine and lead others astray.

Symbolism and Theological Implications

The use of "spot" in the Bible carries deep theological implications, emphasizing the need for purity and holiness in the life of believers. It serves as a reminder of the perfection required by God and the grace provided through Christ, who alone is without spot. The imagery of being "without spot" is a powerful call to live in a manner worthy of the calling received, reflecting the character of Christ in every aspect of life.1. (n.) A mark on a substance or body made by foreign matter; a blot; a place discolored.

2. (n.) A stain on character or reputation; something that soils purity; disgrace; reproach; fault; blemish.

3. (n.) A small part of a different color from the main part, or from the ground upon which it is; as, the spots of a leopard; the spots on a playing card.

4. (n.) A small extent of space; a place; any particular place.

5. (n.) A variety of the common domestic pigeon, so called from a spot on its head just above its beak.

6. (n.) A sciaenoid food fish (Liostomus xanthurus) of the Atlantic coast of the United States. It has a black spot behind the shoulders and fifteen oblique dark bars on the sides. Called also goody, Lafayette, masooka, and old wife.

7. (n.) The southern redfish, or red horse, which has a spot on each side at the base of the tail. See Redfish.

8. (n.) Commodities, as merchandise and cotton, sold for immediate delivery.

9. (v. t.) To make visible marks upon with some foreign matter; to discolor in or with spots; to stain; to cover with spots or figures; as, to spot a garment; to spot paper.

10. (v. t.) To mark or note so as to insure recognition; to recognize; to detect; as, to spot a criminal.

11. (v. t.) To stain; to blemish; to taint; to disgrace; to tarnish, as reputation; to asperse.

12. (v. i.) To become stained with spots.

FRECKLED SPOT

frek'-'-ld, (bohaq; Septuagint alphos, called in the Revised Version (British and American) "a tetter," and described as a bright shining spot (beharoth lebhenoth):

These white eruptions did not render the person so marked ceremonially unclean (Leviticus 13:39). This form of skin disease is described by Hippocrates as usually of no great importance and indicative of a sluggishness of body; it is probably some form of local psoriasis. There is a cognate modern Arabic word applied to a facial eczematous eruption. For other references to skin diseases, see LEPROSY.

SPOT; SPOTTED

spot, spot'-ed (mum; spilos): The Hebrew word is used to denote a blemish which mars the perfection of the face, as in Songs 4:7 Job 11:15. It is translated "blemish" in Leviticus 24:19, where it means an injury the result of violence, and is rendered "blot" in Proverbs 9:7, where it signifies "shame" or "disgrace." The "spotted" cattle of Genesis 30:32-39 are animals of variegated color (Tala'; compare Ezekiel 16:16, "decked with divers colors"; Joshua 9:5, "patched"). For chabharburah in Jeremiah 13:23, see LEOPARD. Spilos is used in the figurative sense of a stain of sin in 2 Peter 3:14, and similarly along with rhutis ("a wrinkle") in Ephesians 5:27. The "garment spotted (verb, spiloomai) by the flesh" of Jude 1:23 is, as Calvin has para-phrased it, anything that in any way savors of sin or temptation. The "spots" of Jude 1:12 the King James Version are spilades, "hidden (sunken) rocks" which are betrayed by the surf beating over them (as in Homer Od. iii.298), and are so rendered in the Revised Version (British and American). "Spot" in Leviticus 13 is referred to under FRECKLED SPOT; LEPROSY; TETTER.

"Without spot" in Numbers 19:2, etc., is tamim, a usual word for "perfect" (so the Revised Version margin); aspilos (the negative form of spilos) occurs in 1 Timothy 6:14 1 Peter 1:19; 2 Peter 3:14, with James 1:27 ("unspotted"). For the King James Version Hebrews 9:14 see BLEMISH.

Alex. Macalister

4696. spilos -- a spot, stain
... a spot, stain. Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine Transliteration: spilos Phonetic
Spelling: (spee'-los) Short Definition: a spot, fault Definition: a spot, fault ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4696.htm - 6k

784. aspilos -- spotless, unstained
... 784 (an adjective, derived from 1 "without" and 4696 , "spot, blemish") -- properly,
unspotted (unstained); (figuratively) and hence . ... without spot, unstained. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/784.htm - 7k

4695. spiloo -- to stain, defile
... to stain, defile. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: spiloo Phonetic Spelling:
(spee-lo'-o) Short Definition: I defile, spot Definition: I defile, spot, stain ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4695.htm - 6k

1327. diexodos -- to consider, reflect
... to consider, reflect. Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine Transliteration: diexodos Phonetic
Spelling: (dee-ex'-od-os) Short Definition: a public spot in a city ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1327.htm - 6k

299. amomos -- amomum (a fragrant plant of India)
... 299 (an adjective, derived from 1 "not" and 3470 , "blemish") -- properly, unblemished,
without spot or blot (blight); (figuratively) morally, spiritually ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/299.htm - 7k

4694. spilas -- a ledge of rock (over which the sea dashes), ie a ...
... spot. Of uncertain derivation; a ledge or reef of rock in the sea -- spot (by confusion
with spilos). see GREEK spilos. (spilades) -- 1 Occurrence. 4693, 4694 ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4694.htm - 6k

39. hagion -- holy place, sanctuary.
... Word Origin see hagios. holy place, sanctuary. Neuter of hagios; a sacred thing
(ie Spot) -- holiest (of all), holy place, sanctuary. see GREEK hagios. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/39.htm - 5k

847. autou -- there, here
... here, there. Genitive (ie Possessive) of autos, used as an adverb of location; properly,
belonging to the same spot, ie In this (or that) place -- (t-)here. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/847.htm - 6k

1404. drakon -- a dragon (a mythical monster)
... of . 1404 ("a dragon") was believed to have incredible insight, able to
spot prey in any hiding place.]. Word Origin from an alt. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1404.htm - 7k

5009. tameion -- an inner chamber
... cut); a dispensary or magazine, ie A chamber on the ground-floor or interior of
an Oriental house (generally used for storage or privacy, a spot for retirement ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/5009.htm - 6k

934. bahereth -- brightness, bright spot
... 933, 934. bahereth. 935 . brightness, bright spot. Transliteration: bahereth
Phonetic Spelling: (bo-heh'-reth) Short Definition: spot. ...
/hebrew/934.htm - 6k

2921. tala -- to patch, spot
... 2920, 2921. tala. 2922 . to patch, spot. Transliteration: tala Phonetic Spelling:
(taw-law') Short Definition: spotted. Word Origin a prim. ...
/hebrew/2921.htm - 6k

6479. pitslah -- a peeled spot or stripe
... 6478, 6479. pitslah. 6480 . a peeled spot or stripe. Transliteration: pitslah
Phonetic Spelling: (pets-aw-law') Short Definition: stripes. ...
/hebrew/6479.htm - 6k

4348. mikvah -- a burnt spot, scar of a burn
... 4347, 4348. mikvah. 4349 . a burnt spot, scar of a burn. Transliteration:
mikvah Phonetic Spelling: (mik-vaw') Short Definition: burn. ...
/hebrew/4348.htm - 6k

7144. qorchah -- baldness, bald spot
... 7143, 7144. qorchah or qorcha. 7145 . baldness, bald spot. Transliteration:
qorchah or qorcha Phonetic Spelling: (kor-khaw') Short Definition: baldness. ...
/hebrew/7144.htm - 6k

3971. mum -- blemish, defect
... Word Origin from an unused word Definition blemish, defect NASB Word Usage
defect (1), spot (1). blemish, blot, spot. Usually muwm ...
/hebrew/3971.htm - 6k

7146. qarachath -- baldness of head
... From qarach; a bald spot (on the back of the head); figuratively, a threadbare
spot (on the back side of the cloth) -- bald head, bare within. ...
/hebrew/7146.htm - 6k

933. bohaq -- tetter
... 1). freckled spot. From an unused root meaning to be pale; white scurf --
freckled spot. 932, 933. bohaq. 934 . Strong's Numbers.
/hebrew/933.htm - 5k

2272. chabarburah -- stripe, mark
... spot. By reduplication from chabar; a streak (like a line), as on the tiger -- spot.
see HEBREW chabar. 2271, 2272. chabarburah. 2273 . Strong's Numbers.
/hebrew/2272.htm - 6k

8549. tamim -- complete, sound
... defect (36). without blemish, complete, full, perfect, sincerely ity, sound,
without spot, undefiled,. From tamam; entire (literally ...
/hebrew/8549.htm - 6k

The Church Will be Without Spot and Wrinkle after the Resurrection ...
... Augustin to his holy brethren and fellow-bishops Eutropius and Paulus. (35.) The
Church Will Be Without Spot and Wrinkle After the Resurrection. ...
/.../augustine/anti-pelagian writings/35 the church will be.htm

Hallowed Spot. PM
... 249 Hallowed Spot. PM. The Place of Conversion. (249) There is a spot ... glory,
glory. 4 O sacred hour, O hallowed spot! Where love ...
//christianbookshelf.org/lorenz/the otterbein hymnal/249 hallowed spot p m.htm

August 10. "There is no Spot in Thee" (Song of Solomon iv. 7).
... AUGUST 10. "There is no spot in thee" (Song of Solomon iv. 7). "There is
no spot in thee" (Song of Solomon iv.7). The blessed Holy ...
/.../simpson/days of heaven upon earth /august 10 there is no.htm

"They have Corrupted Themselves; their Spot is not the Spot of his ...
... Sermon IV. "They have corrupted themselves; their spot is not the spot of his
children; they are a perverse and crooked generation.". Deut. ...
/.../binning/the works of the rev hugh binning/sermon iv they have corrupted.htm

Fragrant Spices from the Mountains of Myrrh. "Thou Art all Fair ...
... FRAGRANT SPICES FROM THE MOUNTAINS OF MYRRH."Thou art all fair, My love;
there is no spot in thee.""Song of Solomon iv. 7. FRAGRANT ...
/.../spurgeon/till he come/fragrant spices from the mountains.htm

Thou Art all Fair, My Love, There is no Spot in Thee.
... CHAPTER IV. 7. Thou art all fair, my love, there is no spot in thee. Until
the soul was wholly immersed in bitterness and crosses ...
//christianbookshelf.org/guyon/song of songs of solomon/7 thou art all fair.htm

Who May be Said to Walk Without Spot; Damnable and Venial Sins.
... Augustin to his holy brethren and fellow-bishops Eutropius and Paulus. Chapter
IX."(20.) Who May Be Said to Walk Without Spot; Damnable and Venial Sins. ...
/.../augustine/anti-pelagian writings/chapter ix 20 who may be.htm

We Come Next in the Order of Belief to the Holy Church. We have ...
... This is that holy Church which is without spot or wrinkle. ... But those Churches
are not without spot or wrinkle of unfaithfulness. ...
/.../39 we come next in.htm

Of Three Means in the which a Contemplative Prentice Should be ...
... And right as thou seest that if a foul spot be in thy bodily visage, the eyes of
the same visage may not see that spot nor wit where it is, without a mirror or ...
/.../anonymous/the cloud of unknowing/here beginneth the five and 2.htm

How Peter Told Paul.
... so they went down through the streets of Jerusalem, over the brook Kidron, arm in
arm, and Peter stopped and said, 'Look, Paul, this is the very spot where He ...
/.../gordon/quiet talks with world winners/how peter told paul.htm

Spot (42 Occurrences)
... particular place. 5. (n.) A variety of the common domestic pigeon, so called
from a spot on its head just above its beak. 6. (n.) A ...
/s/spot.htm - 24k

Spotted (9 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary 1. (imp. & pp) of Spot. 2. (a.) Marked with spots; as,
a spotted garment or character. Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia. SPOT; SPOTTED ...
/s/spotted.htm - 12k

Blot (23 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary. 1. (vt) To spot, stain, or bespatter, as with
ink. ... 8. (n.) A spot or stain, as of ink on paper; a blur. ...
/b/blot.htm - 16k

Stain (6 Occurrences)
... 1. (vt) To discolor by the application of foreign matter; to make foul; to spot;
as, to stain the hand with dye; armor stained with blood. ...
/s/stain.htm - 9k

Bright (85 Occurrences)
... Leviticus 13:2 "When a man shall have a rising in his body's skin, or a scab, or
a bright spot, and it becomes in the skin of his body the plague of leprosy ...
/b/bright.htm - 32k

Golgotha (4 Occurrences)
... The common name of the spot where Jesus was crucified. ... It is obvious from the
evangelists that it was some well-known spot outside the gate (Comp. ...
/g/golgotha.htm - 19k

Gethsemane (2 Occurrences)
... Very possibly (Luke 21:37; Luke 22:39) it was a spot where Jesus habitually
lodged when visiting Jerusalem. The owner-whom conjecture ...
/g/gethsemane.htm - 11k

Inflammation (6 Occurrences)
... Leviticus 13:23 and if in its place the bright spot stay -- it hath not spread --
it 'is' an inflammation of the ulcer; and the priest hath pronounced him clean ...
/i/inflammation.htm - 9k

Swelling (14 Occurrences)
... Leviticus 13:2 "When a man shall have a rising in his body's skin, or a scab, or
a bright spot, and it becomes in the skin of his body the plague of leprosy ...
/s/swelling.htm - 13k

Appears (38 Occurrences)
... Leviticus 13:4 And if the bright spot be white in the skin of his flesh, and the
appearance thereof be not deeper than the skin, and the hair thereof be not ...
/a/appears.htm - 17k

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