### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew word **qâtsaʻ**, represented by `{{H7106}}`, is a primitive root with a dual meaning. It can signify **to strip off** or **scrape**, but by implication, it also refers to segregating an **angle** or a **corner**. This word appears only **2 times** in **2 unique verses**, with each instance highlighting a different facet of its definition.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
The two uses of `{{H7106}}` illustrate its distinct applications. In Leviticus, it is part of a ritual purification process. A house with a persistent plague must be **scraped** within, and the resulting dust poured into an unclean place outside the city [[Leviticus 14:41]]. Here, the word denotes a physical action of removal to achieve ritual cleanness. In contrast, Ezekiel's vision of the new temple uses the word to describe architecture. It refers to the four **corners** of the outer court, which were all of a single measure, emphasizing order and divine design [[Ezekiel 46:22]].
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related words help clarify the contexts in which `{{H7106}}` is used:
* `{{H7096}}` **qâtsâh** (scrape (off)): This primitive root means to cut or scrape off. It appears alongside `{{H7106}}` in [[Leviticus 14:41]], where the dust that they **scrape** off must be disposed of, directly linking the action to its result.
* `{{H4740}}` **maqtsôwaʻ** (corner, turning): Derived from `{{H7106}}`, this word specifically means an angle or recess. It is used in [[Ezekiel 46:22]] to identify the four **corners** of the court, reinforcing the architectural sense of `{{H7106}}` in that passage.
* `{{H2931}}` **ṭâmêʼ** (unclean): This term, meaning foul in a religious sense, is central to the Leviticus passage. The dust from the scraped house is cast into an **unclean** place, underscoring that the purpose of the scraping is to remove defilement [[Leviticus 14:41]].
### Theological Significance
The theological weight of `{{H7106}}` lies in its connection to purity and divine order.
* **Ritual Purification:** The act of scraping a house is not merely structural maintenance but a required step for cleansing a defiled space. It represents a deliberate and physical separation of the unclean from the clean, restoring a dwelling to a state acceptable for God's people [[Leviticus 14:41]].
* **Sacred Architecture:** In Ezekiel's vision, the precisely defined **corners** of the court signify the perfection and completeness of God's design. The uniformity of the four corners being of **one** measure `{{H259}}` points to a divinely established order for sacred space [[Ezekiel 46:22]].
* **Defining Boundaries:** Whether by scraping away defilement or by defining an architectural corner, the word is used in actions that establish or restore boundaries between the holy and the profane, the clean and the unclean.
### Summary
In summary, `{{H7106}}` is a specific term whose dual meaning is applied in two significant contexts. It describes both the action of scraping to purify a home from uncleanness and the structural reality of a corner that defines a sacred court. In both cases, **qâtsaʻ** is used to describe a process of segregation—either removing what is impure or defining the boundaries of what is holy—thereby establishing a space according to its divinely intended state.
TRV