Biblica Analytica

גָּרָב

ga.rav (H1618)

scab

3 verses 2 books OT 3 / NT 0
AI Word Study

# Garav (H1618): A Hebrew Word for Skin Disease The Hebrew word *garav* refers to a scab, a medical condition affecting the skin. Based on its lexical entry, this term appears three times in the biblical text, indicating it held specific significance in ancient Hebrew discourse about physical ailments and bodily conditions. The scab as a medical phenomenon would have been a recognizable affliction in the ancient world, representing a visible sign of skin damage or disease. The limited frequency of *garav's* occurrence—only three instances—suggests the biblical writers employed this term selectively rather than as a general or frequent reference. While the lexicon provides only the basic definition without specifying the exact contexts of these three occurrences, the word's specialized nature indicates it was used in contexts where precision about a particular type of skin condition mattered. This specificity aligns with broader biblical patterns of distinguishing between different physical afflictions when describing health conditions or ritual concerns. Without access to the full textual instances, we can note that the term represents the Hebrew vocabulary for describing observable physical symptoms. Its presence in the biblical lexicon reflects the ancient community's need to name and discuss concrete bodily conditions, whether in medical, ritual, or narrative contexts.

AI synthesis uses only provided lexicon data -- never training knowledge.

Leviticus 21:20

or hunchbacked, or a dwarf, or one who has a defect in his eye, or an itching disease, or scabs, or who has damaged testicles.

Leviticus 22:22

You shall not offer what is blind, is injured, is maimed, has a wart, is festering, or has a running sore to Yahweh, nor make an offering by fire of them on the altar to Yahweh.

Deuteronomy 28:27

Yahweh will strike you with the boils of Egypt, with the tumors, with the scurvy, and with the itch, of which you can not be healed.