Bible Word Study
קֵרֵחַ
qêrêach · bald (on the back of the head)
קֵרֵחַ
bald (on the back of the head)
Definition
The Hebrew noun קֵרֵחַ (qêrêach) specifically describes a person who is bald, particularly on the back of the head. This precise physical condition is the focus of its two biblical occurrences. In Leviticus 13:40, it is used in the context of the priestly purity laws, describing a natural state of baldness that is not considered ritually unclean. In 2 Kings 2:23, the term is used mockingly by a group of youths to insult the prophet Elisha, highlighting his baldness as a point of derision.
Biblical Usage
This word is used only twice in the Old Testament, in two distinct contexts. Its first use is in the legal, ritual context of the Levitical law (Leviticus 13:40), where it neutrally describes a physical condition. Its second, more famous use is in a narrative of prophetic confrontation and insult (2 Kings 2:23), where the youths' cry, 'Go up, you baldhead!' uses the term as a taunt against Elisha's authority and person.
Etymology
The noun קֵרֵחַ (qêrêach) is derived from the root verb קָרַח (qārach, H7139), which means 'to shave' or 'to make bald.' This root connection emphasizes the state of having a shaved or hairless scalp. The noun form specifies the resultant condition of being a bald person.
Semantic Range
While the word itself describes a physical trait, its usage in 2 Kings 2:23 carries significant theological weight. The youths' insult of Elisha as a 'baldhead' was not merely a comment on appearance but a direct challenge to his prophetic authority and the God he represented. Their subsequent judgment underscores the serious biblical principle of honoring God's anointed messengers. The contrast between the neutral use in Leviticus and the charged narrative in 2 Kings shows how a physical description can be weaponized in a spiritual conflict. In ancient Near Eastern culture, baldness could be associated with mourning, disease, or shame. While Leviticus 13 treats natural baldness as clean, the insult in 2 Kings 2:23 likely intended to mock Elisha, possibly implying he was ritually unclean, cursed, or lacking in virility and dignity. The severity of the youths' punishment highlights that their taunt was a profound cultural and religious affront, not just childish teasing. גִּבֵּחַ (gibbêach, H1372) — also means 'bald,' but specifically on the forehead or front of the head, creating a distinction from קֵרֵחַ's focus on the back.
Word Details
How this works
Definitions are from the Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (BDB, 1906, public domain). Concordance and morphology data are from the OSHB (Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible).
Full methodology & sources →References
- Abbott-Smith, G. (1921) A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament. Edinburgh: T&T Clark. [Public Domain]
- Brown, F., Driver, S.R. and Briggs, C.A. (1906) A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament. Oxford: Clarendon Press. [Public Domain]
- Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Tyndale Brief lexicon of Extended Strongs for Greek (TBESG). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
- Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Translators Formatted full LSJ (TFLSJ). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
- Thayer, J.H. (1889) A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament. [Public Domain]
- Gesenius, W. (1846) Gesenius' Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon to the Old Testament. [Public Domain]
- Dodson, J. (2010) Greek Lexicon. Biblical Humanities. [CC0]