מִסְפַּחַת
𐤌𐤎𐤐𐤇𐤕
miçpachath
H4556 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A patch or spot characterized by a spreading skin eruption, specifically a scab or incrustation that forms as part of a disease affecting the skin. The term denotes an external manifestation of uncleanness or infection, particularly in contexts of skin afflictions described in Levitical laws.
Semantic Range
patch; spreading incrustation; scab; adherent spot or crust on the skin; superficial skin affliction as defined in ritual purity laws
Root / Etymology
From the root סָפַח (safach), which means 'to attach, join, add, associate with.' The noun form מִסְפַּחַת is derived via the mem-prefix form (mi-), commonly used to indicate an instrument or result of action, hence 'that which is added/spread on.' The exact formation suggests a focus on the external, spreading nature of the skin affliction rather than mere adhesion.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In biblical usage, מִסְפַּחַת occurs solely in Leviticus, where it refers to a type of skin condition addressed in ritual purity laws. It is distinguished from other terms such as צָרַעַת (tzaraʿat, often translated 'leprosy') and בַּהֶרֶת (baheret, 'bright spot'). While צָרַעַת denotes a broader category of serious skin diseases or afflictions (not limited to modern leprosy), מִסְפַּחַת refers more narrowly to a secondary or superficial manifestation, specifically a scab or crust that develops as part of the skin ailment. Rabbinic discussions clarify that מִסְפַּחַת is a lesser form or an outgrowth of the primary affliction, helping to determine ritual status of uncleanness or cleanness. Later translations and interpretations sometimes render this as 'scall' or 'scab,' but the nuance of a spreading patch is integral to the original Hebrew context. The word is nearly unique to priestly codes, indicating its technical nature within Temple-era ritual law.English translations often flatten the term to 'scab,' but this may miss the association with spreading or being 'joined' to the skin in distinctive ways. The usage is strictly non-moral and clinical in context, lacking connotations of sin, and pertains only to ritual and communal life within Israelite society.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from סָפַח; scruf (as spreading over the surface); scab.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
ספח (s-p-ḥ) — to add, join, attach, associate
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H4555 | מִסְפָּחָה | the attached veils |
| H4939 | מִשְׂפָּח | devastating slaughter |
| H5596 | סָפַח | from attaching oneself |
| H5597 | סַפַּחַת | spreading skin-affliction |
| H5599 | סָפִיחַ | self-added growth |
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H4556-01 |
הַ/מִּסְפַּ֨חַת֙ | hamisepachat | HTd/Ncfsa |
the scab | the spreading skin-attachment | 2 |
H4556-02 |
מִסְפַּ֣חַת | misepachat | HNcfsa |
scab | spreading skin incrustation | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
3 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H4556-02 |
Leviticus 13:6 | מִסְפַּ֣חַת | misepachat | HNcfsa |
scab | spreading skin incrustation |
H4556-01 |
Leviticus 13:7 | הַ/מִּסְפַּ֨חַת֙ | hamisepachat | HTd/Ncfsa |
the scab | the spreading skin-attachment |
H4556-01 |
Leviticus 13:8 | הַ/מִּסְפַּ֖חַת | hamisepachat | HTd/Ncfsa |
the scab | the spreading skin-attachment |