יֵרָקוֹן

יֵרָקוֹן

paleness, whether of persons (from fright), or of plants (from drought)

Definition

Yêrâqôwn refers to a state of paleness or sickly yellowing, describing both human and botanical conditions. In its primary botanical sense, it denotes the blight or mildew that causes crops to wither and turn yellow, as seen in the covenant curses of Deuteronomy 28:22 and Solomon's prayer in 1 Kings 8:37. When applied to people, it describes a pallor or paleness resulting from terror or extreme fear, vividly illustrated in Jeremiah 30:6 where men's faces grow pale like a woman in labor. Thus, the word bridges the physical decay of plants and the visceral human reaction to disaster.

Biblical Usage

This word is used exclusively in contexts of divine judgment or covenant curses, appearing six times across historical, prophetic, and wisdom literature. It describes agricultural blight (Deuteronomy 28:22; 1 Kings 8:37; 2 Chronicles 6:28; Amos 4:9; Haggai 2:17) as a direct consequence of Israel's disobedience. Its sole metaphorical use for human pallor is in Jeremiah 30:6, portraying the dread of the 'day of the Lord.' The pattern consistently links yêrâqôwn to God's disciplinary action on both land and people.

Etymology

Derived from the root יֶרֶק (yereq, H3418), meaning 'green' or 'green thing,' often referring to vegetation. The noun form yêrâqôwn essentially means 'a greenish-yellow condition,' highlighting a departure from healthy green to a sickly, pale hue. This development from a color of vitality to one of sickness or fear captures the word's core semantic range.

Semantic Range

Yêrâqôwn is theologically significant as a tangible sign of covenant curses. Its use underscores the biblical principle that human sin has direct consequences on the physical world (e.g., Hosea 4:1-3). The blight on crops represents God's withdrawal of blessing and a call to repentance, as explicitly stated in Haggai 2:17. Understanding this Hebrew term enriches reading by connecting agricultural imagery in the prophets to the larger framework of covenant faithfulness and divine judgment. In an agrarian society like ancient Israel, crop failure from blight (yêrâqôwn) was a direct threat to survival and a clear sign of divine displeasure. The paleness of human faces from terror was likely associated with the loss of blood or vitality, a visible marker of encountering overwhelming danger. This dual application made the word a powerful, concrete metaphor for comprehensive ruin—affecting both the food supply and the human spirit. שִׁדָּפוֹן (shiddāp̄ôn, H7711) — 'blight' or 'scorching,' often paired with yêrâqôwn (Deuteronomy 28:22) to describe total crop destruction. יֶרֶק (yereq, H3418) — the root meaning 'green' or 'herbage,' representing health, from which yêrâqôwn derives its sense of sickness.

Word Details