שְׁקַעֲרוּרָה (she.qa.ru.rah)
she.qa.ru.rah
hollow
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 sheqa‘arurah describes a physical depression or hollow space within a structure. It appears only once in the Hebrew Bible, specifically in Leviticus 14:37, where it refers to sunken areas found in the walls of a house.
This rare term is part of the priestly instructions for diagnosing ritual impurity caused by mold or mildew. The word highlights that contamination could settle into recesses and depressions rather than just sitting on flat surfaces. Its singular usage underscores the specific nature of these structural inspections, marking a precise physical characteristic that required careful examination.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word sheqa‘arurah describes a hidden depression or hollow space within a structure. In Leviticus, this term points to sunken areas in house walls where mold could settle out of plain sight. It reminds us that impurity often hides in recesses rather than sitting on flat surfaces.
For your faith, this suggests that spiritual health requires looking beyond the surface. Just as a priest inspected every hollow streak for contamination, you are invited to examine the hidden corners of your heart. God cares about what is concealed, not just what is visible to others.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- depressions1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- שְׁקַֽעֲרוּרֹת֙1×
Key Verses
-
Leviticus 14:37
He shall examine the plague; and behold, if the plague is in the walls of the house with hollow streaks, greenish or reddish, and it appears to be deeper than the wall,
This verse uses the term to describe sunken areas in walls where mold could hide, showing that contamination settles into recesses rather than just on flat surfaces.