רוּר
to slaver (with spittle), i.e. (by analogy) to emit afluid (ulcerous or natural)
Definition
The Hebrew verb רוּר (rûwr) describes the act of emitting a fluid, specifically referring to a bodily discharge. In its sole biblical occurrence, it is used in the context of a chronic genital discharge, likely from a disease or infection, as described in Leviticus 15:3. The term carries a sense of a continuous or abnormal flow, distinguishing it from normal, healthy bodily functions. While the KJV translates it simply as 'run,' the concept is more precise, relating to a state of ritual impurity under the Mosaic law.
Biblical Usage
This word is used only once in the entire Old Testament, in Leviticus 15:3, within the detailed laws concerning bodily discharges and ritual purity. It appears in a legal context, specifying a condition that renders an individual ceremonially unclean. There are no other patterns or variations in its usage across different books.
Etymology
רוּר (rûwr) is considered a primitive root in Hebrew. Its core meaning relates to flowing or emitting a liquid. Cognates in other Semitic languages support this sense of a fluid discharge. The meaning developed specifically to denote an abnormal, likely pathological, bodily flow in its biblical application.
Semantic Range
This word is significant for understanding the biblical concepts of holiness, purity, and separation. The condition it describes in Leviticus 15:3 created a state of ritual impurity, which had social and religious consequences, preventing participation in worship and requiring specific rites for restoration. It highlights how physical health and spiritual condition were intertwined in the Old Testament law, pointing to a need for wholeness before God. Understanding this Hebrew term enriches reading by clarifying the seriousness with which God viewed the sanctity of the community and the human body.
In ancient Israelite culture, any abnormal bodily discharge was not merely a medical issue but a religious one, governed by the purity laws. This cultural understanding is vastly different from a modern, purely clinical view of disease. Such conditions required isolation and ceremonial washing, reflecting a holistic view where physical states had direct spiritual and communal implications.
זָב (zāḇ, H2100) — A more common term for a flow or discharge, often used in the same chapter (Leviticus 15) for similar conditions, sometimes specifying a 'flux.'
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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