צְרוּעָה
𐤑𐤓𐤅𐤏𐤄
Tseruah
H6871 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Feminine passive participle meaning 'afflicted with a skin disease' (traditionally rendered 'leprous'), commonly used to describe a female individual affected by such a condition. In its proper noun form, used as a personal name, most likely referencing an individual (Tseruah/Zeruah) whose name was derived from the adjective, possibly denoting an association with illness, stigma, or a metaphorical sense.
Semantic Range
afflicted with a skin disease (female), ritually impure woman, personal name (Tseruah/Zeruah); used as a designation for women with required exclusion from the camp or social/religious assembly, proper noun for a female individual in a genealogical context
Root / Etymology
From the root צָרַע (tsara‘), meaning 'to be afflicted with a skin disease' (traditionally translated as 'to be leprous'). צְרוּעָה is the feminine passive participle form, indicating a female person who is afflicted.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In the Hebrew Bible, צְרוּעָה is attested both as a descriptive term for a woman suffering from a severe skin disease (the specifics of which are debated, but traditionally rendered as 'leprosy', although modern scholarship recognizes the term 'tsara‘at' denotes a spectrum of skin and surface afflictions, not necessarily Hansen's disease). As a proper noun, it appears as the name of Zuriah (Zeruah), mother of Jeroboam I (1 Kings 11:26), probably reflecting a theophoric or descriptive naming practice rather than being a literal diagnostic statement. The term's association with ritual impurity is significant in priestly and purity contexts. In post-biblical traditions and translations, the term was often equated anachronistically with 'leprosy' in the medical sense, but the biblical concept is broader and culturally distinct.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
feminine passive participle of צָרַע; leprous; Tseruah, an Israelitess; Zeruah.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
צרע (ṣ-r-ʿ) — to afflict with a skin disease, to strike with tsara‘at
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H6879 | צָרַע | the skin-diseased one |
| H6880 | צִרְעָה | the hornet |
| H6881 | צׇרְעָה | from Tsorʻâh |
| H6882 | צׇרְעִי | the Tsorahite |
| H6883 | צָרַעַת | the struck-affliction |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H6871-01 |
צְרוּעָה֙ | tseruah | HNp |
was Zeruah | skin-diseased woman | Tseruah | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H6871-01 |
1 Kings 11:26 | צְרוּעָה֙ | tseruah | HNp |
was Zeruah | skin-diseased woman | Tseruah |