### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew word **shᵉchîyn**, represented by `{{H7822}}`, refers to an **inflammation**, **ulcer**, **boil**, or **botch**. Derived from a root meaning "to burn," it denotes a severe and often painful skin affliction. It appears **13 times** across **12 unique verses**, primarily in contexts of sickness, divine judgment, and ritual law.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
In biblical narratives, `{{H7822}}` is used to describe significant afflictions. It is a key feature of the sixth plague upon Egypt, where it is described as a **boil** breaking forth with blains on both people and animals [[Exodus 9:9-10]]. The affliction was so severe that the Egyptian magicians could not stand before Moses [[Exodus 9:11]]. It is also listed among the curses for disobedience, with the LORD promising to smite the unfaithful with the unhealable "botch of Egypt" ([[Deuteronomy 28:27]], [[Deuteronomy 28:35]]). Job was famously smitten with "sore **boils**" from head to toe [[Job 2:7]]. In Leviticus, the term is used in a diagnostic capacity to distinguish between a common **boil** and the **plague** of leprosy [[Leviticus 13:18-23]].
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related words help clarify the context and meaning of this affliction:
* `{{H76}}` **'ăbaʻbuʻâh** (blains): Described as an **inflammatory pustule**, this word appears alongside `{{H7822}}` to detail the plague of boils in Egypt, which was a "boil breaking forth with **blains**" [[Exodus 9:9]].
* `{{H5061}}` **negaʻ** (plague, sore): This term for an infliction or **plague** is used to identify when a boil is a sign of leprosy, a "plague of leprosy broken out of the **boil**" [[Leviticus 13:20]].
* `{{H7495}}` **râphâʼ** (heal, cure): This word stands in contrast to the affliction of the boil. While the curses in Deuteronomy warn of a botch that cannot be **healed** ([[Deuteronomy 28:27]], [[Deuteronomy 28:35]]), Leviticus discusses the diagnosis of a **boil** that has already been **healed** [[Leviticus 13:18]].
### Theological Significance
The theological weight of `{{H7822}}` is demonstrated in its various applications.
* **Instrument of Divine Judgment:** The **boil** is frequently used as a direct manifestation of God's power and judgment, both as a plague against Egypt [[Exodus 9:11]] and as a curse for covenant unfaithfulness [[Deuteronomy 28:27]].
* **Marker for Purity Laws:** Within Levitical law, the presence and appearance of a **boil** are critical for priests to determine a person's ritual cleanliness or uncleanness, showing its importance in Israel's religious life [[Leviticus 13:23]].
* **Test of Faithfulness:** In Job's case, the "sore **boils**" serve not as punishment but as a severe trial of faith, permitted by God to test his servant [[Job 2:7]].
* **Occasion for Healing:** The story of King Hezekiah's recovery from a **boil** after applying a lump of figs at Isaiah's command shows that this affliction could also be an occasion for divine healing and deliverance ([[2 Kings 20:7]], [[Isaiah 38:21]]).
### Summary
In summary, `{{H7822}}` is more than a term for a physical ailment. As a **boil** or **botch**, it serves as a powerful symbol in scripture. It represents divine judgment, a tool for testing the righteous, and a critical factor in ritual purity laws. Its usage illustrates the profound connection between physical condition and spiritual state in the biblical worldview, demonstrating God's authority over both affliction and healing.
TRV