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בֹּהֶרֶת

𐤁𐤄𐤓𐤕

bôhereth

H934 noun

SILEX Entry

Root בהר to shine, to be bright, to be clear

Definition

A patch or spot of abnormal whiteness appearing on the skin; a sharply demarcated, bright or shining whitish area. Used as a technical term in biblical priestly texts for identifying certain types of cutaneous manifestations, especially in the context of diagnosing skin disorders (commonly called 'leprosy' in translation, though the biblical term does not correspond directly to the modern medical condition). The term refers to the visible appearance of the affected area, specifically its luminous or shining quality against the surrounding skin.

Semantic Range

whitish spot on skin, bright/shining patch, visually prominent white marking, diagnostic indicator of skin disease

Root / Etymology

Root: בהר (b-h-r), meaning 'to shine, be bright.' בֹּהֶרֶת is a feminine noun derived from this root, referring particularly to an appearance that is conspicuously white or bright. The underlying sense is of 'shining' or 'whiteness' as manifest on the surface.

Historical & Contextual Notes

בֹּהֶרֶת appears primarily in priestly texts of Leviticus (notably Lev 13), where it forms part of a technical vocabulary related to skin and surface afflictions that render a person temporarily impure. The emphasis is on visual diagnosis—its brightness or paleness compared to surrounding skin is key to priestly assessment. The term is distinct from other descriptors for markings or sores on the body (e.g. שְׂאֵת, מִסְפָּחַת) and is not exclusively associated with any one skin disease in modern terms. In later rabbinic literature and translations, 'bohereth' became associated with forms of 'leprosy,' though this is a misnomer. English translations typically use 'bright spot,' but this may obscure the diagnostic and ritual purpose of the term as a distinct category recognized by priests. The meaning and significance of בֹּהֶרֶת is closely tied to ancient Israelite concepts of purity and impurity rather than pathology in the modern medical sense.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

feminine active participle of the same as בָּהִיר; a whitish spot on the skin; bright spot.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

בהר (b-h-r) — to shine, to be bright, to be clear

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H925 בָּהִיר radiant

Word Forms

7 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H934-04 בֶּהָרֹ֑ת beharot HNcfpa bright spots shining white patches 3
H934-06 בַהֶ֔רֶת vaheret HNcfsa a bright spot bright-white patch 2
H934-05 הַ/בַּהֶ֨רֶת֙ habaheret HTd/Ncfsa the bright spot the shining white patch 2
H934-03 בַּהֶרֶת֩ baheret HNcfsa a bright spot bright white patch 2
H934-02 בַּ/בֶּהֶ֨רֶת֙ babeheret HRd/Ncfsa in the bright spot shining white patch 1
H934-07 וְ/לַ/בֶּהָֽרֶת velabeharet HC/Rd/Ncfsa and for a bright spot shining white patch 1
H934-01 בַּ/בַּהֶ֗רֶת babaheret HRd/Ncfsa in the bright spot shining white patch 1

Occurrences in Scripture

12 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H934-06 Leviticus 13:2 בַהֶ֔רֶת vaheret HNcfsa a bright spot bright-white patch
H934-03 Leviticus 13:4 בַּהֶרֶת֩ baheret HNcfsa the bright spot bright white patch
H934-06 Leviticus 13:19 בַהֶ֖רֶת vaheret HNcfsa a spot bright-white patch
H934-05 Leviticus 13:23 הַ/בַּהֶ֨רֶת֙ habaheret HTd/Ncfsa the bright spot the shining white patch
H934-03 Leviticus 13:24 בַּהֶ֛רֶת baheret HNcfsa a bright spot bright white patch
H934-01 Leviticus 13:25 בַּ/בַּהֶ֗רֶת babaheret HRd/Ncfsa in the bright spot shining white patch
H934-02 Leviticus 13:26 בַּ/בֶּהֶ֨רֶת֙ babeheret HRd/Ncfsa in the bright spot shining white patch
H934-05 Leviticus 13:28 הַ/בַּהֶ֜רֶת habaheret HTd/Ncfsa the bright spot the shining white patch
H934-04 Leviticus 13:38 בֶּהָרֹ֑ת beharot HNcfpa bright spots shining white patches
H934-04 Leviticus 13:38 בֶּהָרֹ֖ת beharot-2 HNcfpa bright spots shining white patches
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