### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew word **qorchâh**, represented by `{{H7144}}`, means **baldness**. Derived from the root `{{H7139}}` (qârach), it appears 11 times across 11 unique verses. While its primary meaning is literal baldness, it is also used idiomatically to mean **utterly**, signifying total devastation.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
In biblical usage, `{{H7144}}` is consistently associated with mourning, judgment, and shame. It is a physical sign of deep distress, prophesied as a consequence of divine judgment upon cities and peoples [[Jeremiah 47:5]]. The Lord's judgment is depicted as a reversal of fortune, where "well set hair" is replaced by **baldness** [[Isaiah 3:24]]. This act is often coupled with other signs of grief, such as wearing sackcloth and weeping ([[Isaiah 22:12]], [[Ezekiel 7:18]]). In the law, however, making **baldness** for the dead was a prohibited mourning practice for the Israelites [[Deuteronomy 14:1]].
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related words illuminate the context of shame and sorrow surrounding `{{H7144}}`:
* `{{H7139}}` **qârach**: This is the primitive root verb meaning **to make (self) bald**. It is the action that results in the state of baldness, as seen in the command to "make thee bald" in an act of mourning for captive children [[Micah 1:16]].
* `{{H8242}}` **saq**: This word for **sackcloth** is frequently found alongside baldness as an external sign of grief and repentance. God declares he will bring up **sackcloth** upon all loins and **baldness** upon every head [[Amos 8:10]].
* `{{H60}}` **ʼêbel**: Meaning **lamentation** or **mourning**, this word describes the emotional state that baldness physically represents. Feasts are turned into **mourning** and songs into lamentation, culminating in the sign of **baldness** [[Amos 8:10]].
### Theological Significance
The theological weight of `{{H7144}}` is centered on its use as a powerful symbol.
* **Sign of Judgment and Humiliation:** Baldness is imposed as a mark of divine judgment, stripping away beauty and honor. Isaiah's prophecy against the daughters of Zion culminates in **baldness** and **burning** instead of beauty [[Isaiah 3:24]]. Nations like Moab are depicted with **baldness** on all their heads in a time of howling and weeping [[Isaiah 15:2]].
* **Expression of Intense Grief:** It is an outward manifestation of the deepest sorrow. Prophets call for **baldness** to signify extreme lamentation [[Micah 1:16]], and in Ezekiel's prophecy, people "make themselves **utterly** bald" while weeping with bitterness of heart [[Ezekiel 27:31]].
* **A Prohibited Practice:** The Law forbade the Israelites, and particularly the priests, from making **baldness** for the dead, setting their expressions of grief apart from those of other nations ([[Leviticus 21:5]], [[Deuteronomy 14:1]]).
### Summary
In summary, `{{H7144}}` is more than a physical description; it is a profound symbol of sorrow and divine judgment in the Old Testament. Its presence signifies a state of utter desolation and grief, whether imposed by God as a punishment or enacted by people in extreme mourning. From prophetic warnings to legal prohibitions, the concept of **baldness** illustrates how a physical condition can represent a state of profound spiritual and emotional devastation.
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