### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew word **piççêach**, represented by `{{H6455}}`, is defined as **lame**. It appears **14 times** across **13 unique verses** in the Bible. This term specifically denotes a physical disability of being unable to walk correctly, a condition that carries significant social, ritual, and prophetic meaning in scripture.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
In biblical narratives, `{{H6455}}` is used to describe both human and animal conditions. It identifies individuals with this disability, such as Mephibosheth, who was **lame** on both his feet [[2 Samuel 9:13]]. The term is also used in a legal and ritual context, where being **lame** is considered a blemish that disqualifies a man from priestly duties [[Leviticus 21:18]] and an animal from being a suitable sacrifice [[Deuteronomy 15:21]]. In a taunt against David, the Jebusites suggest that even the **lame** and the blind could defend Jerusalem from him [[2 Samuel 5:6]]. Conversely, in prophetic passages, the restoration of the **lame** is a sign of God's redemptive power, as when the **lame** man is prophesied to leap like a hart [[Isaiah 35:6]].
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related words help to frame the meaning of being **lame**:
* `{{H5787}}` **ʻivvêr** (blind): This word for **blind** is frequently paired with **lame**. They are mentioned together as those excluded from the house [[2 Samuel 5:8]], disqualified from the priesthood [[Leviticus 21:18]], and gathered by God in His promised restoration [[Jeremiah 31:8]].
* `{{H3971}}` **mʼûwm** (blemish): Lameness is explicitly defined as a **blemish**. This classification is the reason a **lame** man cannot approach the altar [[Leviticus 21:18]] and a **lame** animal is an unacceptable sacrifice [[Deuteronomy 15:21]].
* `{{H1801}}` **dâlag** (to spring; leap): This action is presented as the divine remedy for being **lame**. The ultimate sign of restoration is when the **lame** man will **leap** [[Isaiah 35:6]], an act that directly reverses his physical condition.
* `{{H483}}` **ʼillêm** (dumb): In a key prophecy of renewal, the healing of the **lame** is directly associated with the restoration of the **dumb**, whose tongues will sing [[Isaiah 35:6]], indicating a complete reversal of physical afflictions.
### Theological Significance
The theological weight of `{{H6455}}` is multifaceted, representing a journey from exclusion to redemption.
* **Ritual Unfitness:** The condition of being **lame** serves as a powerful symbol of having a **blemish** `{{H3971}}`, which under the Law made both people and animals unfit for sacred purposes ([[Leviticus 21:18]], [[Malachi 1:8]]). Offering a **lame** animal was considered an **evil** `{{H7451}}` act.
* **Human Weakness and Scorn:** The **lame** are depicted as symbols of helplessness and are objects of scorn, as when the Jebusites mockingly use them as a sufficient defense against David's army [[2 Samuel 5:6]].
* **A Sign of Divine Restoration:** In stark contrast to its use in legal and social exclusion, God's compassion and power are demonstrated through his specific promise to heal and gather the **lame** [[Jeremiah 31:8]]. Job expresses a righteous ideal in claiming, "feet was I to the **lame**" [[Job 29:15]].
* **A Reversal of Fortune:** The imagery of the **lame** taking the prey in a moment of victory suggests a divine principle where God empowers the weak and reverses human expectations of strength [[Isaiah 33:23]].
### Summary
In summary, `{{H6455}}` is far more than a simple medical descriptor. It functions as a significant theological marker for concepts of blemish, exclusion, and human frailty. While it signifies unfitness for ritual service and can be a mark of social scorn, its most profound use is in the context of prophecy, where the healing of the **lame** becomes a powerful emblem of God's ultimate restorative and redemptive work for His people.
TRV