Itch
The Itch in Deuteronomy's Curses
The itch appears in Deuteronomy 28:27, within the lengthy catalog of curses that would befall Israel for covenant unfaithfulness. God warned that disobedience would bring "the boils of Egypt and with tumors, festering sores, and the itch, from which you cannot be cured." The placement of the itch alongside other severe skin diseases emphasizes its debilitating nature. The phrase "from which you cannot be cured" underscores the hopelessness of these conditions when understood as divine judgment.
Medical Identification
The Hebrew word cheres refers to what is most likely scabies, a parasitic skin disease caused by the mite Sarcoptes scabiei. This tiny parasite burrows into the skin, causing intense itching, rashes, and sometimes extensive crusting. Scabies was and remains very common in the Middle East, spreading easily through close physical contact. In the ancient world, without modern treatments to kill the parasite, the disease could persist indefinitely, making the description of an incurable itch painfully accurate.
Skin Disease and the Priesthood
Leviticus 21:20 lists skin conditions among the physical blemishes that disqualified a man from serving as a priest. While the precise term used there differs slightly, the principle is consistent: those with chronic skin diseases could not approach the altar to offer sacrifices. This regulation was not about personal worth but about the symbolic connection between physical wholeness and the holiness required to serve in God's presence. The priests were visible representatives of the covenant relationship, and their physical condition carried symbolic weight.
Skin Disease in Ancient Israel's Purity System
Skin diseases occupied a significant place in Israel's purity laws. Leviticus 13-14 contains detailed instructions for diagnosing and managing various skin conditions, with the priest serving as both spiritual guide and health inspector. These laws served practical purposes by controlling the spread of contagious diseases, while also carrying theological meaning about the separation between clean and unclean, holy and common.
The Curses as Covenant Consequences
The mention of the itch in Deuteronomy 28 must be understood within the larger framework of the covenant blessings and curses. God promised abundant health and prosperity for obedience (Deuteronomy 28:1-14) but warned of devastating consequences for rebellion (Deuteronomy 28:15-68). The diseases listed, including the itch, were not arbitrary punishments but represented the reversal of God's protective care. Just as God had delivered Israel from the diseases of Egypt (Deuteronomy 7:15), disobedience would expose them once again to those very afflictions.
Biblical Context
The itch is specifically mentioned in Deuteronomy 28:27 among the covenant curses for disobedience. Related passages include Leviticus 21:20 (priestly disqualifications), Leviticus 13-14 (skin disease regulations), and Deuteronomy 7:15 (God's promise of protection from Egyptian diseases for the obedient).
Theological Significance
The itch as a covenant curse illustrates the biblical principle that disobedience separates people from God's protective blessings. The connection between physical affliction and spiritual unfaithfulness runs throughout the Old Testament, not as a rigid cause-and-effect formula, but as a covenantal framework in which God's people experience the consequences of their choices. The incurability of the itch under divine judgment contrasts with God's healing power when his people repent.
Historical Background
Scabies has been documented in the ancient Near East for thousands of years. Egyptian medical papyri describe treatments for itching skin conditions, and the disease was well known throughout the Mediterranean world. In the crowded living conditions of ancient communities, skin parasites spread readily. Archaeological evidence of skin diseases has been found in ancient remains from Egypt and the Levant. The Hebrew purity laws in Leviticus represent one of the earliest systematic approaches to managing infectious skin conditions.