קַעֲקַע
an incision or gash
Definition
The Hebrew noun קַעֲקַע (qaʻăqaʻ) refers to a deliberate incision or gash made in the skin. It specifically denotes a type of cut or marking, likely involving a pattern or series of cuts, as implied by its reduplicated form. In its sole biblical occurrence in Leviticus 19:28, it is used in a prohibition against making such marks on the body for the dead. The word carries a sense of a permanent, ritualistic scarification.
Biblical Usage
This word is used only once in the Old Testament, in Leviticus 19:28. It appears within a series of holiness laws given to Israel, specifically in a verse forbidding certain mourning practices: 'You shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor tattoo any marks (qaʻăqaʻ) on you.' Its usage is strictly in a legal, prohibitive context concerning ritual purity and distinguishing Israel from surrounding pagan nations.
Etymology
The noun קַעֲקַע is derived from the root קוֹעַ (qôaʻ, H6970), which means 'to cut off' or 'to chop.' The reduplicated form (a repetition of the sound) likely intensifies the meaning, suggesting repeated cutting or a pattern of incisions. It is related to the concept of cutting or engraving, connecting it physically to the act of marking the skin.
Semantic Range
This word is theologically significant as it highlights the biblical principle of the body as belonging to God and the call for Israel to be distinct in worship and practice. The prohibition against קַעֲקַע in Leviticus 19:28 separates Israelite mourning rituals from pagan customs that involved cutting the body to appease or commune with spirits of the dead. It underscores holiness as being set apart physically and spiritually, and it informs broader biblical themes of the body as a temple (1 Corinthians 6:19) and warnings against practices associated with idolatry.
In the ancient Near Eastern cultural context, making cuts or tattoos (qaʻăqaʻ) on the body was a common pagan mourning ritual to honor the dead or to invoke the protection of deities. Such practices were believed to establish a connection with the spiritual realm or to display grief and loyalty. God's command forbidding this practice was a direct counter-cultural mandate for Israel, designed to break association with idolatrous worship and to establish a distinct identity based on trust in Yahweh alone.
גָּדַד (gādad, H1413) — to cut or incise oneself, specifically in mourning rituals (e.g., Jeremiah 16:6).
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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