What does צָרַע (ṣāraʿ) mean in the Bible?
צָרַע (ṣāraʿ): Physical disease as divine punishment; leprosy marks covenant violation and ritual uncleanness requiring isolation.
Hebrew · H6879
צָרַע
To scourge , i.e. (intransitive and figurative) to be stricken with leprosy
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צָרַעH6879
Pronunciationṣāraʿ
What does צָרַע (ṣāraʿ) mean in the Bible?
צָרַע (ṣāraʿ): Physical disease as divine punishment; leprosy marks covenant violation and ritual uncleanness requiring isolation.
Full entry for צָרַע (H6879) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H6879?
The BSB source-word alignment has 20 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include a leper (2), leprous (2), with leprosy (2), . . . (1), [became] leprous (1).
Where does צָרַע (ṣāraʿ) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Exodus 4:6. Its strongest book concentrations include 2 Kings (6), Leviticus (5), 2 Chronicles (4), Numbers (3).
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders Ita leper2×2 Chronicles 26:21, 2 Chronicles 26:23
leprous2×2 Chronicles 26:20, 2 Chronicles 26:21
with leprosy2×2 Kings 7:3, 2 Kings 15:5
. . .1×Leviticus 13:45
[became] leprous1×Numbers 12:10
[but he was] a leper1×2 Kings 5:1
[he was] leprous1×2 Kings 5:27
[was] leprous1×Exodus 4:6
for the one afflicted with a skin disease1×Leviticus 14:2
has a skin disease1×Leviticus 22:4
is diseased1×Leviticus 13:44
lepers1×2 Kings 7:8
my leprosy1×2 Kings 5:11
or skin disease1×2 Samuel 3:29
she [was] leprous1×Numbers 12:10
the afflicted person1×Leviticus 14:3
with a skin disease1×Numbers 5:2
Show sample aligned rows
Exodus 4:6מְצֹרַ֥עַתto[was] leprousVerb - Pual - Participle - feminine singular constructLeviticus 13:44צָר֥וּעַtois diseasedVerb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - masculine singularLeviticus 13:45וְהַצָּר֜וּעַto. . .Conjunctive waw, Article | Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - masculine singularLeviticus 14:2הַמְּצֹרָ֔עtofor the one afflicted with a skin diseaseArticle | Verb - Pual - Participle - masculine singularLeviticus 14:3הַצָּרֽוּעַ׃tothe afflicted personArticle | Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - masculine singularLeviticus 22:4צָר֙וּעַ֙tohas a skin diseaseVerb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - masculine singularNumbers 5:2צָר֖וּעַtowith a skin diseaseVerb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - masculine singularNumbers 12:10מְצֹרַ֣עַתto[became] leprousVerb - Pual - Participle - feminine singular constructNumbers 12:10מְצֹרָֽעַת׃toshe [was] leprousVerb - Pual - Participle - feminine singular construct2 Samuel 3:29וּמְצֹרָ֞עtoor skin diseaseConjunctive waw | Verb - Pual - Participle - masculine singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned rowExodus 4:6
Aligned rows20
Books represented6
Exodus1Leviticus5Numbers32 Samuel12 Kings62 Chronicles4
Source forms
מְצֹרָע֙2xmə·ṣō·rā‘2 Kings 15:5, 2 Chronicles 26:20
הַמְּצֹרָ֔ע1xham·mə·ṣō·rā‘Leviticus 14:2
הַמְּצֹרָֽע׃1xham·mə·ṣō·rā‘2 Kings 5:11
הַֽמְצֹרָעִ֨ים1xham·ṣō·rā·‘îm2 Kings 7:8
הַצָּרֽוּעַ׃1xhaṣ·ṣā·rū·a‘Leviticus 14:3
וְהַצָּר֜וּעַ1xwə·haṣ·ṣā·rū·a‘Leviticus 13:45
וּמְצֹרָ֞ע1xū·mə·ṣō·rā‘2 Samuel 3:29
מְצוֹרָ֣ע1xmə·ṣō·w·rā‘2 Chronicles 26:23
Parsing patterns
Verb - Pual - Participle - masculine singular7x2 Kings 5:1, 2 Kings 5:27, 2 Kings 15:5, 2 Chronicles 26:20
Verb - Pual - Participle - feminine singular construct3xExodus 4:6, Numbers 12:10
Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - masculine singular3xLeviticus 13:44, Leviticus 22:4, Numbers 5:2
Article | Verb - Pual - Participle - masculine singular2xLeviticus 14:2, 2 Kings 5:11
Article | Verb - Pual - Participle - masculine plural1x2 Kings 7:8
Article | Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - masculine singular1xLeviticus 14:3
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Pual - Participle - masculine singular1x2 Samuel 3:29
Conjunctive waw, Article | Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - masculine singular1xLeviticus 13:45
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Physical disease as divine punishment; leprosy marks covenant violation and ritual uncleanness requiring isolation.
Strong'sH6879
Lexical occurrences20 versesWord forms2 forms14 referencesVerse guides0 guides
Study linkExodus 4:1-9Source Gloss
to scourge , i.e. (intransitive and figurative) to be stricken with leprosy
Extended definitionSource: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Physical disease as divine punishment; leprosy marks covenant violation and ritual uncleanness requiring isolation.
to scourge, i.e. (intransitive and figurative) to be stricken with leprosy BDB: be stricken with leprosy Usage: leper, leprous.
Grammatical Forms
How the stem changes the meaning of this verb across the biblical text.
This verb appears through different tense, voice, mood, or stem patterns. Those forms help readers see how the action is presented in context.
Form groups2Aligned forms14
Pualintensive passive — intensive action received by the subject11×
Participle passive2Chr 26:20 · 2Chr 26:21 · 2Chr 26:23 · 2Kgs 5:1 · 2Kgs 5:27 · 2Kgs 7:3 · 2Kgs 15:5 · Exod 4:6 · Num 12:1011×
Qalbasic active stem — the word in its most common, direct sense3×
Participle passiveLev 13:44 · Lev 22:4 · Num 5:23×
Selected Scripture Witness
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Biblical Witnesses
Moses' hand becomes leprous as a sign, demonstrating God's power
Showing 1 selected witness from 20 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
צָרַע is a primitive root - no further derivation.