### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew word **shᵉkôbeth**, represented by `{{H7903}}`, is a specific noun referring to a (sexual) **lie** or lying with someone. It appears **4 times** across **4 unique verses** in the Bible, exclusively within the context of prohibited sexual acts.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
In its biblical usage, `{{H7903}}` consistently delineates forbidden sexual relations. The book of Leviticus uses it to prohibit a man from **lie**(ing) with his neighbor's **wife** `{{H802}}` to **defile** `{{H2930}}` himself [[Leviticus 18:20]]. The term is also central to the prohibition against bestiality, forbidding a man to **lie** `{{H7903}}` with any **beast** `{{H929}}` [[Leviticus 18:23]]. This act is so severe that the prescribed punishment is death [[Leviticus 20:15]]. In Numbers, the word describes the act of unfaithfulness where a woman has **lain** `{{H7903}}` with a man other than her husband [[Numbers 5:20]].
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related words clarify the context and consequences of the actions described by `{{H7903}}`:
* `{{H2930}}` **ṭâmêʼ** (to be foul... defile): This verb is directly linked to `{{H7903}}` to describe the resulting state of contamination. A person is **defiled** by lying with a neighbor's wife [[Leviticus 18:20]] or a beast [[Leviticus 18:23]].
* `{{H7847}}` **sâṭâh** (to deviate from duty... go aside): This term establishes the context for marital infidelity, as when a wife has **gone aside** from her husband to be with another man [[Numbers 5:20]].
* `{{H8397}}` **tebel** (mixture... confusion): This noun explicitly defines the act of bestiality involving `{{H7903}}` as **confusion**, marking it as an unnatural and disordered act [[Leviticus 18:23]].
### Theological Significance
The theological weight of `{{H7903}}` is found in its role within biblical law and morality.
* **Defining Moral Boundaries:** The use of `{{H7903}}` helps establish clear legal and moral boundaries for sexual conduct, specifically forbidding adultery and bestiality.
* **Connection to Defilement:** The act of `{{H7903}}` in these contexts is not merely a physical transgression but one that causes a state of being **defiled** `{{H2930}}`, indicating a spiritual or ceremonial impurity [[Leviticus 18:20]].
* **Severity of Transgression:** The gravity of these prohibited acts is underscored by the consequences. Lying with a **beast** `{{H929}}` is a capital offense requiring the transgressor to be **put to death** `{{H2026}}` [[Leviticus 20:15]], demonstrating its severe standing in the legal code.
### Summary
In summary, `{{H7903}}` is not a general term but a precise legal word used to identify specific, prohibited sexual unions. Its appearances are consistently tied to the concepts of **defilement** `{{H2930}}`, relational transgression, and unnatural **confusion** `{{H8397}}`. The word illustrates how biblical law connects physical actions to states of moral purity and impurity, with severe consequences for violations.
TRV