Hebrew word · H6867

צָרֶ֫בֶת

tzarevet

scar

Burning, searing, scorching. Related to the verb 'be scorched' (Ezek 20:47 [Heb 21:3], 'every face will be scorched'). The same form names a scar or inflamed spot on the skin (Lev 13:23, 28).

Appears 3 times in 3 verses of the Hebrew Old Testament. ·

What it means

scab, scar of a sore

Abridged from Brown, Driver and Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (1906), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

In depth

From the study of Proverbs 16:27

Range of meaning

Burning, searing, scorching. Related to the verb 'be scorched' (Ezek 20:47 [Heb 21:3], 'every face will be scorched'). The same form names a scar or inflamed spot on the skin (Lev 13:23, 28).

Against the English

'Scorching' (BSB, WEB, ESV, NIV) and 'burning' (KJV, YLT) are accurate. NLT's 'destructive blaze' brings out the result. None can easily carry the hint, from Leviticus, of a burn that leaves a scar.

Used elsewhere in the period

The word is very rare; outside this verse it appears only in Leviticus 13 and Ezekiel 20:47. The link to scarring in Leviticus is real, but whether the proverb's author meant that overtone can't be proven.

Where it appears

Leviticus · 2

  1. Leviticus 13:23 צָרֶ֥בֶת [is] [the] scar of

    But if the spot remains unchanged and does not spread, it is only the scar from the boil, and the priest shall pronounce him clean.

  2. Leviticus 13:28 צָרֶ֥בֶת [is] [the] scar of

    But if the spot is unchanged and has not spread on the skin but has faded, it is a swelling from the burn, and the priest is to pronounce him clean; for it is only the scar from the burn.

Proverbs · 1

  1. Proverbs 16:27 צָרָֽבֶת׃ scorching

    A worthless man digs up evil, and his speech is like a scorching fire.

    Here: A rare word for burning that sears. In Leviticus 13:23, 28 the same form means the scar left by an inflamed sore. The fire of his speech burns, and the burn may leave a lasting mark.

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.