מֻרְאָה
something conspicuous, i.e. the craw of abird (from its prominence)
Definition
The Hebrew noun מֻרְאָה (murʼâh) refers to a conspicuous or prominent part of a bird, specifically the crop or craw. This is the pouch-like part of a bird's esophagus where food is stored before digestion, which would have been visibly noticeable when handling a bird. The word appears only once in the Old Testament, in the context of ritual sacrifice in Leviticus 1:16, where it is to be removed and discarded with the bird's feathers. Its meaning is derived from the idea of something that is 'seen' or 'conspicuous,' directly relating to its physical prominence.
Biblical Usage
This word is used only once in the entire Old Testament, in Leviticus 1:16, within the detailed instructions for the burnt offering of a bird (turtledove or pigeon). The priest is commanded to remove the crop along with its contents (feathers) and cast it beside the altar on the east side, in the place of the ashes. Its usage is strictly confined to this specific cultic, priestly procedure, highlighting a step in preparing the sacrificial animal.
Etymology
מֻרְאָה is a feminine noun derived as the passive participle of the root רָאָה (rāʼâ, H7200), meaning 'to see.' It carries the sense of 'that which is shown' or 'that which is made visible/ conspicuous.' The form is a Hophal (passive causative) participle, literally meaning 'something caused to be seen.' This etymology perfectly fits the physical description of the bird's crop as a prominent, visible organ.
Semantic Range
While the word itself refers to a mundane anatomical part, its single use in Leviticus 1:16 carries theological weight within the system of ritual purity and proper worship. The meticulous instruction to remove and discard the crop (a part associated with undigested food and impurity) emphasizes God's holiness and the need for complete consecration in sacrifice. It teaches that even the smallest details matter when approaching a holy God, and nothing unclean or common can be part of the offering that ascends to Him. Understanding this detail enriches the reading of Levitical law by highlighting the thoroughness required for atonement.
In the ancient Israelite sacrificial system, the handling of animal parts held symbolic meaning. The crop of a bird contained undigested food and was considered unclean or unsuitable for the altar fire, which was to receive only the choice, pure parts of the offering. Discarding it to the place of ashes (a designated area for refuse east of the altar) was a practical and symbolic act of separation between the holy and the common, the acceptable and the unacceptable. This reflects a cultural understanding of ritual purity that governed all aspects of worship.
קֹרֶב (qorev, H7130) — This is the general term for the inner parts or entrails of a sacrificial animal, which were typically washed and offered on the altar, unlike the discarded crop.
Word Details
How this works
Hebrew definitions are from Brown-Driver-Briggs (1906) and Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (1890), both public domain. BDB was groundbreaking for its era but reflects 19th-century assumptions about Semitic etymology. Modern scholarship (HALOT, DCH) has revised many entries. Use these definitions as a starting point for exploration, not as the final word on a term's meaning in context.
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