### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew word **chăbarburâh**, represented by `{{H2272}}`, refers to a **spot** or streak, like a line. The base definition suggests a marking "as on the tiger," but its single biblical appearance links it directly to the leopard. It appears only **1 time** in **1 unique verse**, yet it is used to convey a powerful metaphorical point about an unchangeable nature.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
The sole use of `{{H2272}}` is found in a rhetorical question posed by the prophet Jeremiah. In [[Jeremiah 13:23]], the Lord asks, "Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his **spots**?" This question is immediately followed by its application: "then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil." The **spot** of the leopard is presented as an immutable, defining characteristic, used in parallel with the Ethiopian's skin color to illustrate a nature that cannot be altered by its own will. The metaphor serves to emphasize how deeply ingrained the people's habit of doing evil `{{H7489}}` had become.
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related words from its context help illuminate the meaning of `{{H2272}}`:
* `{{H5246}}` **nâmêr** (leopard): This is the animal identified as having the unchangeable **spots**. The leopard is depicted elsewhere as a swift and fierce predator ([[Habakkuk 1:8]], [[Jeremiah 5:6]]) and also as a creature that will dwell peacefully with a kid in a future time of restoration [[Isaiah 11:6]].
* `{{H2015}}` **hâphak** (to change): This is the action that the verse declares impossible for the leopard to perform on its spots. The verb itself signifies a fundamental transformation, such as God turning mourning into dancing [[Jeremiah 31:13]] or a curse into a blessing [[Deuteronomy 23:5]], highlighting the profound nature of the change being discussed.
* `{{H7489}}` **râʻaʻ** (to make or be bad): This word describes the moral condition that has become as fixed as the leopard's spots. The people are "accustomed to **do evil**" [[Jeremiah 13:23]], a state contrasted with the command to "cease to **do evil**" [[Isaiah 1:16]] and the wisdom of those who are wise only in their capacity **to do evil** [[Jeremiah 4:22]].
### Theological Significance
The theological weight of `{{H2272}}` is tied directly to its metaphorical use in Jeremiah.
* **Symbol of an Ingrained Nature:** The leopard's **spot** functions as a powerful symbol for a characteristic that is inherent and seemingly permanent. It is used to illustrate a condition that has become second nature [[Jeremiah 13:23]].
* **The Human Inability to Self-Reform:** The impossibility of a leopard changing its spots is used to argue that those who are "accustomed to do evil" cannot simply decide **to do good** `{{H3190}}`. It illustrates the biblical concept of sin as a deeply rooted condition that cannot be overcome by human effort alone.
* **A Statement on Moral Fixedness:** By linking the inability to change one's **spots** with the inability to do good, the verse makes a profound statement about the consequences of persistent sin. The pattern of doing evil `{{H7489}}` becomes so established that it defines a person's character as unalterably as a physical marking.
### Summary
In summary, `{{H2272}}` is a word that, despite its single occurrence, provides a critical piece of biblical imagery. The **spot** of a leopard becomes more than a simple marking; it is a metaphor for the entrenched nature of sin. The rhetorical question in [[Jeremiah 13:23]] uses this image to confront its audience with their own spiritual condition, highlighting a human powerlessness to reverse a character that has become defined by evil.
TRV