### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew word **ʻakbâr**, represented by `{{H5909}}`, refers to a **mouse**. It appears **6 times** in **6 unique verses** in the Bible. The term is defined as a **mouse**, with a name likely derived from the secondary sense of attacking or nibbling. It is consistently associated with concepts of impurity, plague, and things forbidden by God.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
In the biblical narrative, `{{H5909}}` appears in several significant contexts. It is legally defined as an unclean animal in the Torah, listed among the "creeping things that creep upon the earth" [[Leviticus 11:29]]. In the historical account of the Philistines, **mice** are depicted as a destructive plague that "mar the land," leading them to create golden images of the animals as a trespass offering to the God of Israel ([[1 Samuel 6:5]], [[1 Samuel 6:4]]). The word is also used in a prophetic context to condemn those who eat the **mouse** along with other abominations, marking them for divine consumption [[Isaiah 66:17]].
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related words clarify the context and status of the `{{H5909}}` **mouse**:
* `{{H2386}}` **chăzîyr** (a hog; boar, swine): This word appears alongside **mouse** as a forbidden food, the consumption of which is a detestable act that brings judgment [[Isaiah 66:17]].
* `{{H2467}}` **chôled** (a weasel): Listed immediately before the **mouse** in the list of unclean creeping things, establishing their shared status of impurity [[Leviticus 11:29]].
* `{{H8318}}` **sherets** (a swarm, i.e. active mass of minute animals; creep(-ing thing)): This is the general classification for creatures like the **mouse** that are deemed unclean in Leviticus [[Leviticus 11:29]]. Its verbal root is `{{H8317}}` **shârats** (to wriggle... swarm or abound).
* `{{H8263}}` **sheqets** (filth... an idolatrous object; abominable(-tion)): This term defines the nature of the **mouse** when consumed as food, grouping it with other forbidden things considered an abomination [[Isaiah 66:17]].
### Theological Significance
The theological weight of `{{H5909}}` is tied to its role in judgment and purity laws.
* **Instrument of Divine Judgment:** In the book of Samuel, **mice** are not merely pests but a plague sent by the God of Israel upon the Philistines. The requirement of a "trespass offering" of golden **mice** demonstrates that these creatures were agents of divine punishment for desecrating the Ark of the LORD [[1 Samuel 6:4-5]].
* **Marker of Ritual Uncleanness:** The inclusion of the **mouse** in Leviticus establishes a clear boundary between what is clean and unclean for Israel. It is classified among the "creeping things" that make a person unclean, violating the sacred order God established [[Leviticus 11:29]].
* **Symbol of Apostasy:** In Isaiah, eating a **mouse** is presented as an act of deliberate rebellion and impurity, associated with forbidden rituals. It is a sign of those who reject God's law and will consequently face His judgment [[Isaiah 66:17]].
### Summary
In summary, `{{H5909}}` is more than just a small rodent. It serves as a potent symbol of that which is unclean, destructive, and forbidden. From its classification in Levitical law to its role as a divine plague upon the Philistines and its use as a marker of apostasy in Isaiah, the **mouse** consistently represents a violation of divine order. Its presence in scripture illustrates the tangible ways in which God’s laws of holiness and judgment were understood and applied.
TRV