### 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.