תְּנוּךְ (te.nukh)
te.nukh
lobe
H:N-MQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 7 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-M
Definition
Definition
Brown-Driver-Briggs
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The Hebrew word tenuch, translated as "lobe," appears exclusively in the Old Testament law regarding priestly ordination and ritual cleansing. In these passages, Moses or the priest applies blood and oil to the tip of the right ear, the thumb of the right hand, and the big toe of the right foot. This specific body part is not chosen randomly; it represents the sensory and active capacities of the human person.
For your faith life, this detail highlights how God cares about every aspect of who you are. The earlobe signifies what you hear and listen to, reminding us that our spiritual life begins with attentive listening to God’s voice. By marking these sensitive areas, the ritual pointed toward a complete dedication of one’s hearing, doing, and walking to the Lord.
While we no longer perform these ancient sacrifices, the principle remains: God desires your whole self. You can offer your ears to hear His word, your hands to serve others, and your feet to walk in His paths. This small anatomical detail invites you to consider how fully you are listening and responding to God in your daily life.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 7 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- [the] lobe of8×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- תְּנ֥וּךְ2×
- תְּנ֞וּךְ2×
- תְּנוּךְ֩1×
- תְּנ֨וּךְ1×
- תְּנ֤וּךְ1×
- תְּנ֛וּךְ1×
Key Verses
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Exodus 29:20
Then you shall kill the ram, and take some of its blood, and put it on the tip of the right ear of Aaron, and on the tip of the right ear of his sons, and on the thumb of their right hand, and on the big toe of their right foot; and sprinkle the blood around on the altar.
This verse establishes the foundational pattern for priestly consecration, marking the earlobe as the first point of contact for blood application.
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Leviticus 8:23
He killed it; and Moses took some of its blood, and put it on the tip of Aaron’s right ear, and on the thumb of his right hand, and on the great toe of his right foot.
Here the ritual is repeated for Aaron’s ordination, showing that the lobe’s sanctification was essential for entering holy service.
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Leviticus 14:14
The priest shall take some of the blood of the trespass offering, and the priest shall put it on the tip of the right ear of him who is to be cleansed, and on the thumb of his right hand, and on the big toe of his right foot.
The term appears in the cleansing ritual for leprosy, indicating that restoration to community required consecration of one's hearing and actions.