---
title: עֶרְוָה — nakedness · The Tanakh dictionary
description: עֶרְוָה (6172), a word of Biblical Hebrew, used 54 times: nakedness. BDB 1906: n.f. nakedness, pudenda Pi. With 2 verses in Hebrew, word for word and JPS 1917.
---

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# עֶרְוָה

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«עֶרְוָה» in the Tanakh dictionary: **nakedness** — how often it is used, MACULA's glosses, its meanings in the printed dictionaries and why they were chosen, and 2 verses in layers.

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**Used:** 54 times · **Key:** 6172 · **BDB:** עֶרְוָה

### Glosses

the.nakedness (23); nakedness (22); \[the\].nakedness (4)

### Meaning (OSHB)

nakedness [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1506/6172/#m1)

### Meaning (BDB 1906)

n.f. nakedness, pudenda Pi. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1506/6172/#m2)

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**The whole BDB entry:** n.f. nakedness, pudenda;—abs. ע׳ Ex 28:42 Lv 18:6; usually cstr. עֶרְוַת Gn 9:22 +, sf. עֶרְוָתְֽךָ Ex 20:23 (Ginsb), Lv 18:10; עֶרְוָתֵךְ Is 47:3 +; -תוֹ Lv 20:17, -תָהּ 18:7 +; sf. 3 fpl. עֶרְוָתָן v 9, 10;— pudenda, of man, רָאָה ע׳ implying shameful exposure Gn 9:22, 23 (J); mostly of woman: fig. of Jerus. (c. רָאָה) La 1:8; Ez 16:37; usually c. גלה: lit. תִּגָּלֶה ע׳ i.e. be exposed to view Ex 20:23 (Ginsb; van d. H. v 26; E), so, as shameful punishment, fig. of Egypt Is 20:4 (gloss according to Du Che Di-Kit), Bab. 47:3, of Jerus. Ez 16:37; 23:10, 29 (עֶרְוַת זְנוּנַיִךְ; all three obj. of act. vb.); chiefly euphem. for cohabit., גִּלָּה ע׳ Lv 18:6 + (v. גלה Pi. 1 a); fig. of Jerus. (vb. pass.) Ez 16:36; רָאָה ע׳ in same meaning Lv 20:17(×2) (H; of both sexes); ע׳ also 18:8, 10, 16 (H); כִּסָּה ע׳ cover nakedness Gn 9:23 (J), Ex 28:42 (P; בְּשַׂר ע׳), Ho 2:11 (fig. of Isr.), Ez 16:8 (of Jerus.); reviling words are לְבֹשֶׁת ע׳ אִמֶּ֑ךָ 1 S 20:30 (cf. DoughtyArab. Deserta i. 269). עֶרְוַת דָּבָר nakedness of a thing, i.e. prob. indecency, improper behaviour Dt 23:15; 24:1 (v. Dr). fig. ע׳ הָאָרֶץ Gn 42:9, 12 (E), i.e. its exposed, undefended parts (Arabic عَوْرَةٌ).

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Why these entries: BDB: headword, part of speech agrees, 24 of its verses cited, 1 words shared with the glosses, lists its Strong's number (6 candidates); OSHB: headword, part of speech agrees, 1 words shared with the BDB entry, 1 with the glosses (6 candidates)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every English meaning of «עֶרְוָה» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1506/6172/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.

### In the verses

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[Leviticus 18:8](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/torah/LEV.18.8/)

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עֶרְוַ֥ת אֵֽשֶׁת־אָבִ֖יךָ לֹ֣א תְגַלֵּ֑ה עֶרְוַ֥ת אָבִ֖יךָ הִֽוא׃ס

*Word for word:* the.nakedness of.the.wife your.father your not you.will.uncover \[is\].the.nakedness your.father your it

*JPS 1917:* The nakedness of thy father's wife shalt thou not uncover: it is thy father's nakedness.

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[Leviticus 18:12](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/torah/LEV.18.12/)

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עֶרְוַ֥ת אֲחוֹת־אָבִ֖יךָ לֹ֣א תְגַלֵּ֑ה שְׁאֵ֥ר אָבִ֖יךָ הִֽוא׃ס

*Word for word:* the.nakedness of.the.sister your.father your not you.will.uncover \[is\].a.relative your.father your she

*JPS 1917:* Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy father's sister: she is thy father's near kinswoman.

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