מֻרְאָה (mur.ah)
mur.ah
crop
H:N-FQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-F
Word Overview
The Hebrew noun mur’ah refers specifically to the crop or craw of a bird, an anatomical part of the digestive system. In the context of the Old Testament, it is not a common term and appears only once in the entire Bible, found in Leviticus 1:16.
This single occurrence takes place within the detailed instructions for offering a bird as a burnt sacrifice. The text commands that the crop be removed and cast aside with the feathers, separating this internal organ from the rest of the body before the remainder is burned on the altar. This specific physical detail highlights the thoroughness required in ritual purification.
While the word itself carries no complex theological symbolism beyond its literal meaning, its presence in Leviticus underscores the precision involved in ancient Israelite worship. The removal of the mur’ah signifies a complete preparation of the offering, ensuring that every part of the bird is handled according to divine instruction before it reaches the altar.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word mur’ah refers to the crop or craw of a bird, a small pouch used for storing food before digestion. It appears only once in the Hebrew Bible, in Leviticus 1:16, where it is part of the instructions for preparing a burnt offering. The text commands that this specific organ be removed along with the feathers and cast aside near the altar.
This detail highlights the thoroughness required in ancient worship. Every part of the animal was handled with care, ensuring nothing was left out of the ritual process. For believers today, this precision reminds us that God values attention to detail and complete devotion in how we approach Him. It reflects a heart that seeks to honor divine instructions fully, without cutting corners or leaving things undone.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- craw/ its1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- מֻרְאָת֖/וֹ1×
Key Verses
-
Leviticus 1:16
and he shall take away its crop and its feathers, and cast it beside the altar on the east part, in the place of the ashes.
This is the only occurrence of the word in Scripture, specifying the removal of the bird's crop as part of the burnt offering preparation.