### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew word **yallepheth**, represented by `{{H3217}}`, is derived from an unused root that apparently means to stick or scrape. It defines a condition of scurf, tetter, or being **scabbed**. It appears **2 times** across **2 unique verses**, where it denotes a specific type of disqualifying physical blemish.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
In its biblical usage, `{{H3217}}` appears exclusively in the book of Leviticus within the context of laws governing ritual purity. It is listed among the physical imperfections that would disqualify a priest from the line of Aaron from approaching the altar to offer the bread of his God [[Leviticus 21:20]]. Similarly, it is named as a defect that renders an animal unacceptable for sacrifice. An animal that is blind, broken, or **scabbed** `{{H3217}}` is forbidden from being presented as an offering by fire to the LORD [[Leviticus 22:22]].
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related words appear alongside `{{H3217}}`, clarifying the scope of disqualifying blemishes:
* `{{H1618}}` **gârâb** (scurf (from itching); scab, scurvy): This word for a skin condition appears with **yallepheth** in both of its occurrences, highlighting a category of skin diseases that made a person or animal ceremonially unfit ([[Leviticus 21:20]], [[Leviticus 22:22]]).
* `{{H1384}}` **gibbên** (hunch-backed; crookbackt): This term for being **crookbackt** is listed with **scabbed** in the context of priestly requirements, showing that congenital or structural deformities were also disqualifying [[Leviticus 21:20]].
* `{{H5788}}` **ʻivvârôwn** (blindness; blind(-ness)): Listed as a defect for sacrificial animals, this word for **blindness** illustrates that sensory impairments, like skin diseases, rendered a sacrifice unacceptable [[Leviticus 22:22]].
### Theological Significance
The theological weight of `{{H3217}}` is tied directly to the concept of holiness in the Old Testament.
* **Ceremonial Perfection:** The presence of a blemish like being **scabbed** signified a lack of physical wholeness, which was a requirement for approaching the sacred space of the altar, both for the priest and the sacrifice.
* **The Standard for Offerings:** The prohibition against offering an animal with this defect underscores the principle that what is given to God must be perfect and without blemish, reflecting His own perfection [[Leviticus 22:22]].
* **Symbol of Unfitness:** By being included in lists of various defects—from being a dwarf `{{H1851}}` to having a blemish in the eye `{{H8400}}`—**yallepheth** helps establish the broader biblical principle that physical integrity was required for participation in the most sacred duties of the covenant community [[Leviticus 21:20]].
### Summary
In summary, `{{H3217}}` **yallepheth** is a precise term for being **scabbed**, used specifically within Levitical law. Its two occurrences firmly establish it as a blemish that disqualifies both priests and sacrificial animals from their sacred roles. The word is a key example of the Old Testament's emphasis on physical wholeness as a symbol of the purity and perfection required to draw near to a holy God.
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