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.
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.
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.
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.
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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