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שְׁחִין

𐤔𐤇𐤉𐤍

shᵉchîyn

H7822 noun

SILEX Entry

Root שחן to be hot, to burn, to inflame (root level; reconstructed)

Definition

A localized, inflamed skin lesion, often characterized by swelling, redness, pain, and sometimes suppuration (discharge of pus); specifically, a severe form of ulcerative skin disease referred to as a 'boil.' In various contexts, it may denote a range of acute skin afflictions, particularly those considered disfiguring or ritually defiling.

Semantic Range

boil, inflamed sore, ulcer, acute skin inflammation, lesion with suppuration

Root / Etymology

From the root שחן (šḥn), which is not attested elsewhere in Biblical Hebrew with a clear meaning but is likely related to burning, inflammation, or heat based on comparisons with cognate Semitic languages (see Akkadian šehēnu, 'to be hot'). The noun שְׁחִין (shᵉchîyn) is a nominal formation that points to a physical manifestation, such as a burning or inflamed sore. The precise verbal root is uncertain and not otherwise used in the Hebrew Bible.

Historical & Contextual Notes

שְׁחִין denotes an acute, inflamed skin condition considered both physically afflicting and ritually polluting within the Israelite context. It appears in narratives where it is described as a severe punishment or sign from the divine (notably in the plague of Egypt, Exodus 9:9–11, and as a personal affliction in Job 2:7). Such boils rendered an individual ritually impure (see Leviticus 13:18–23, where priestly regulations discuss diagnosis and ritual handling). The term may overlap with other skin ailments described in priestly legislation but is distinguished by its acute and ulcerative character. English translations often use 'boil,' 'ulcer,' or 'inflamed spot,' but these may not fully capture the medical or ritual dimensions implied in ancient Israelite usage. Later post-biblical and Rabbinic literature occasionally reinterpret שְׁחִין in connection with more general skin afflictions, and Greek translations in the Septuagint use words such as ἕλκος (helkos, 'ulcer, sore'). There is no evidence that the word refers to leprosy (צָרַעַת, tsara‘at), which is a broader term for a range of skin diseases.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from an unused root probably meaning to burn; inflammation, i.e. an ulcer; boil, botch.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

שחן (š-ḥ-n) — to be hot, to burn, to inflame

Word Forms

5 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H7822-03 הַ/שְּׁחִ֑ין hashechin HTd/Ncmsa the boils the inflamed boil 6
H7822-02 בִּ/שְׁחִ֤ין bishechin HR/Ncmsc with a boil in inflamed boil of 3
H7822-05 שְׁחִין֙ shechin HNcmsa boils inflamed boil 2
H7822-01 בַּ/שְּׁחִ֥ין bashechin HRd/Ncmsa in the boil in the burning boil 1
H7822-04 לִ/שְׁחִ֥ין lishechin HR/Ncmsa boils to a burning boil 1

Occurrences in Scripture

13 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H7822-04 Exodus 9:9 לִ/שְׁחִ֥ין lishechin HR/Ncmsa boils to a burning boil
H7822-05 Exodus 9:10 שְׁחִין֙ shechin HNcmsa boils inflamed boil
H7822-03 Exodus 9:11 הַ/שְּׁחִ֑ין hashechin HTd/Ncmsa the boils the inflamed boil
H7822-03 Exodus 9:11 הַ/שְּׁחִ֔ין hashechin-2 HTd/Ncmsa the boils the inflamed boil
H7822-05 Leviticus 13:18 שְׁחִ֑ין shechin HNcmsa a boil inflamed boil
H7822-03 Leviticus 13:19 הַ/שְּׁחִין֙ hashechin HTd/Ncmsa of the boil the inflamed boil
H7822-01 Leviticus 13:20 בַּ/שְּׁחִ֥ין bashechin HRd/Ncmsa in the boil in the burning boil
H7822-03 Leviticus 13:23 הַ/שְּׁחִ֖ין hashechin HTd/Ncmsa of the boil the inflamed boil
H7822-02 Deuteronomy 28:27 בִּ/שְׁחִ֤ין bishechin HR/Ncmsc with the boils in inflamed boil of
H7822-02 Deuteronomy 28:35 בִּ/שְׁחִ֣ין bishechin HR/Ncmsa with a boil in inflamed boil of
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