Hebrew word · H8571

תְּנוּךְ

tenukh

lobe

Some outer part of the ear. The word has no clear relatives in Hebrew and occurs only eight times, all in the same formula: Exod 29:20; Lev 8:23, 24; 14:14, 17, 25, 28. Suggested meanings are 'lobe', 'tip / top edge', or 'the middle cartilage ridge'.

Appears 8 times in 7 verses of the Hebrew Old Testament. ·

What it means

tip, lobe (of ear)

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 Leviticus 14:14

Range of meaning

Some outer part of the ear. The word has no clear relatives in Hebrew and occurs only eight times, all in the same formula: Exod 29:20; Lev 8:23, 24; 14:14, 17, 25, 28. Suggested meanings are 'lobe', 'tip / top edge', or 'the middle cartilage ridge'.

Against the English

BSB, NIV, ESV and NASB say 'lobe' or 'earlobe'. KJV, WEB and YLT say 'tip of the ear'. Both are guesses, since the anatomy is not certain.

Used elsewhere in the period

The LXX says 'lobos' (lobe). Rabbinic tradition (Sifra; Rashi on Exod 29:20) takes it as 'the middle ridge inside the ear', the firm cartilage. The Mishnah (Negaim 14:9) describes this daubing in the Second Temple period.

From the study of Leviticus 14:17

Range of meaning

Some outer part of the ear. The word appears only in the ordination rite (Exod 29:20; Lev 8:23–24) and in this purification rite (Lev 14:14, 17, 25, 28). Its exact meaning is uncertain: lobe, tip, or ridge.

Against the English

BSB, NIV: 'earlobe'. KJV, WEB: 'tip of the ear'. YLT: 'tip'. Rashi (on Exod 29:20) identifies it as 'the middle ridge inside the ear'.

Used elsewhere in the period

The Septuagint uses lobos, 'lobe'. Rabbinic tradition (Sifra; Rashi) prefers the middle cartilage.

Where it appears

Exodus · 2

  1. Exodus 29:20 תְּנוּךְ֩ תְּנ֨וּךְ [the] lobe of

    Slaughter the ram, take some of its blood, and put it on the right earlobes of Aaron and his sons, on the thumbs of their right hands, and on the big toes of their right feet. Splatter the remaining blood on all sides of the altar.

Leviticus · 6

  1. Leviticus 8:23 תְּנ֥וּךְ [the] lobe of

    Moses slaughtered the ram and took some of its blood and put it on Aaron’s right earlobe, on the thumb of his right hand, and on the big toe of his right foot.

  2. Leviticus 8:24 תְּנ֤וּךְ [the] lobe of

    Moses also presented Aaron’s sons and put some of the blood on their right earlobes, on the thumbs of their right hands, and on the big toes of their right feet. Then he splattered the blood on all sides of the altar.

  3. Leviticus 14:14 תְּנ֛וּךְ [the] lobe of

    The priest is to take some of the blood from the guilt offering and put it on the right earlobe of the one to be cleansed, on the thumb of his right hand, and on the big toe of his right foot.

    Here: A rare word that appears only in the ordination rite and this cleansing rite. It names some outer part of the ear. The Greek translation says 'lobe', English tradition often 'tip', and rabbinic tradition 'the middle ridge'.

  4. Leviticus 14:17 תְּנ֞וּךְ [the] lobe of

    And the priest is to put some of the oil remaining in his palm on the right earlobe of the one to be cleansed, on the thumb of his right hand, and on the big toe of his right foot, on top of the blood of the guilt offering.

    Here: A rare word used only for these daubing rites (Exod 29:20; Lev 8:23–24; 14:14, 17, 25, 28). It names some outer part of the ear, usually taken as the lobe. Jewish tradition took it to be the middle ridge of cartilage.

  5. Leviticus 14:25 תְּנ֥וּךְ [the] lobe of

    And after he slaughters the lamb for the guilt offering, the priest is to take some of the blood of the guilt offering and put it on the right earlobe of the one to be cleansed, on the thumb of his right hand, and on the big toe of his right foot.

  6. Leviticus 14:28 תְּנ֞וּךְ [the] lobe of

    The priest shall also put some of the oil in his palm on the right earlobe of the one to be cleansed, on the thumb of his right hand, and on the big toe of his right foot—on the same places as the blood of the guilt offering.

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