### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew word **shachaph**, represented by `{{H7828}}`, is defined as the gull or cuckoo. It is derived from an unused root meaning to peel or emaciate, suggesting a connection to thinness. This specific term appears just **2 times** across **2 unique verses** in scripture.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
The use of `{{H7828}}` is highly specific. It appears exclusively in two nearly identical lists of unclean birds that the Israelites were forbidden to eat under the Mosaic Law. In both [[Leviticus 11:16]] and [[Deuteronomy 14:15]], the **cuckow** is named among other fowl such as the owl, the night hawk, and the hawk, establishing its status as ritually impure.
### Related Words & Concepts
The context of `{{H7828}}` places it alongside other specific terms for birds:
* `{{H1323}}` **bath** (daughter) and `{{H3284}}` **yaʻănâh** (the ostrich): Used together, these words denote the **owl** [[Leviticus 11:16]]. `{{H3284}}` is believed to come from the bird's answering cry and often appears in descriptions of desolate places [[Isaiah 34:13]].
* `{{H8464}}` **tachmâç** (night hawk): This word describes a species of unclean bird, possibly named for its violence. It is listed directly before **shachaph** in both [[Deuteronomy 14:15]] and [[Leviticus 11:16]].
* `{{H5322}}` **nêts** (hawk): This term, meaning hawk, is noted for its flashing speed. It appears immediately after **shachaph** in the lists of unclean birds [[Deuteronomy 14:15]].
* `{{H4327}}` **mîyn** (kind): This word means a sort or species and is used to categorize the hawk, indicating that all varieties of that bird are included in the prohibition. It is frequently used in the creation account to describe animals created "after his **kind**" [[Genesis 1:24]].
### Theological Significance
The theological weight of `{{H7828}}` is tied to its role in the dietary regulations of the Old Testament.
* **Defining Purity:** The primary significance of **shachaph** is its inclusion in the list of unclean birds, which served as a practical application of the laws of purity for the Israelites [[Leviticus 11:16]].
* **Association with the Unfit:** Being listed with the **night hawk** `{{H8464}}` and the **hawk** `{{H5322}}` places it in a category of creatures deemed unfit for consumption by God's people.
* **Categorical Order:** The mention of the hawk "after his **kind**" `{{H4327}}` in the same verse points to the broader biblical theme of God's structured and ordered creation, where distinctions and categories are foundational [[Genesis 1:21]].
### Summary
In summary, `{{H7828}}` **shachaph** is a highly specific term for the gull or cuckoo, derived from a root word suggesting thinness. It appears only twice, in the parallel lists of unclean animals in Leviticus and Deuteronomy. While its usage is limited, it plays a distinct role in defining the boundaries of ritual purity for the Israelite community, serving as one example in a divine system of categorization that separated the clean from the unclean.
TRV