International Standard Bible Encyclopedia: Blemish

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International Standard Bible Encyclopedia: Blemish


Subjects in this Topic:

blem´ish:

(1) מוּם, mūm, מאוּם, me'ūm; μῶμος, mō̇moš: This word signifies no particular skin disease, as has been supposed; but is used generally for any and all disfiguring affections of the skin, such as eczema, herpes, scabies, etc., even for scratches and scars, as in , ; and thence for moral defects, as in . The existence of a blemish in a person of priestly descent prevented him from the execution of the priestly office; similarly an animal fit for sacrifice was to be without blemish. In the New Testament Christ is presented as the antitype of a pure and ritually acceptable sacrifice “as a lamb without blemish and without spot” (; ), and the disciples are admonished to be blameless, “without blemish” (). Rarely the word is used to designate a reprobate person ().

(2) Blemish in the eye, תּבלּל, tebhallul (from a root בּלל, bālal, “to overflow”; Arabic balla, balal, “to moisten”), cataract, white spots in the eye ().