Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Yohanan bin-Dawidh <yohanan.bin.dawidh AT gmail.com>]

Hello Michael,

 

The term תועבה in a ritual sense means something that is "unclean" or "impure", and in a ethical sense means something that is "wicked". The word comes from the root תעב, which holds the meaning of "to abhor" or "to loathe".

 

In trying to understand this term properly, I look at the texts where this term is used, and one of the mest usages of the term is the fact that in Sefer B'reshit 43 that is was תועבה for the Misrayim to eat with 'Ibrim. In this situation it is an improper mixture between two different people, two different social classes, i.e. an improper or impure union of people.

 

Sincerely,

 

Yohanan bin-Dawidh