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מֻרְאָה

𐤌𐤓𐤀𐤄

murʼâh

H4760 noun

SILEX Entry

Root ראה to see, appear, be visible

Definition

The anatomical pouch or crop of a bird, specifically referring to the expanded, prominent section of the esophagus where food is stored and softened before digestion. Used as a technical zoological term for the 'craw' or 'crop' in sacrificial and dietary contexts within the Hebrew Bible.

Semantic Range

the crop/craw of a bird (esophagus pouch); something prominent/anatomically conspicuous

Root / Etymology

From the root ראה (to see, appear, be visible), with the form indicating a feminine passive or resultative, suggesting 'that which is (made) visible/conspicuous.' The form מֻרְאָה derives not from a common action but from the sense of 'something that stands out' or is prominent, referring to the bird's crop as a visible anatomical feature.

Historical & Contextual Notes

מֻרְאָה appears in Levitical sacrificial descriptions (Leviticus 1:16) as the part of a bird offering that is removed before sacrifice. The selection of this term may reflect the prominence of the crop in particular bird species. In Israelite cultic practice, careful anatomical terminology was significant for ritual procedure; the term is technical rather than general, and is not used in metaphorical or extended senses. Later rabbinic tradition translates and discusses this term in relation to kosher slaughter, though broader biblical Hebrew does not use מֻרְאָה for conspicuousness in general or metaphorical ways. English translations narrowly render the term as 'crop' or 'craw,' accurately reflecting its biblical usage, though some older translations and commentaries occasionally used more general anatomical terms like 'innards.' Distinction should be made from other terms for internal organs (e.g., קֶרֶב, גֶּפֶן) since מֻרְאָה is restricted to the bird's crop.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

apparently feminine passive causative participle of רָאָה; something conspicuous, i.e. the craw of abird (from its prominence); crop.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

ראה (r-ʾ-h) — to see, appear, be visible

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H1254 בָּרָא and he saw
H3372 יָרֵא he sees
H4179 מוֹרִיָּה the Seen-of-Yah
H4758 מַרְאֶה in the appearance
H4759 מַרְאָה in the visible-manifestation

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H4760-01 מֻרְאָת֖/וֹ mureato HNcfsc/Sp3ms crop of it his prominent crop 1

Occurrences in Scripture

1 total occurrence

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H4760-01 Leviticus 1:16 מֻרְאָת֖/וֹ mureato HNcfsc/Sp3ms crop of it his prominent crop
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