Bible Encyclopedia: Leg

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International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

LEG

(1) shoq, Aramaic shoq;

(2) kara`, dual kera`ayim;

(3) reghel; skelos; the King James Version translates also shobhel, and tse`adhah, with "leg," but mistakenly):

(1) The first Hebrew word (shoq) denotes the upper leg, and is therefore synonymous with THIGH (which see). It expresses metaphorically the muscular strength, and the pride of the runner. "He taketh no pleasure in the legs of a man" (Psalm 147:10). "His legs are as pillars of marble, set upon sockets of fine gold" (Songs 5:15). If the legs have lost their strength as in the lame or the Beri-beri patient, they become a metaphor for anything useless, inefficient or disappointing: "The legs of the lame hang loose; so is a parable in the mouth of fools" (Proverbs 26:7). The Aramaic form is found in the description of the image of Nebuchadnezzar, "its legs of iron" (Daniel 2:33).

(2) Kara`, dual kera`ayim, the "leg," "respecting the legs," mentioned as a portion of the paschal lamb (Exodus 12:9), or, usually, in connection with the head and the inwards, as a sacrificial portion (Exodus 29:17 Leviticus 1:9, 13 Amos 3:12). The word designates also the legs of leaping insects of the orthopterous family, locusts, etc., which were permitted as food to the Israelites (Leviticus 11:21). (3) Reghel, literally, "foot" (which see), found in this sense only once: "He (Goliath) had greaves of brass upon his legs" (1 Samuel 17:6).

Two passages of wrong translation in the King James Version have been corrected by the Revised Version (British and American). The virgin daughter of Babylon is addressed: "Make bare the leg, uncover the thigh" (Isaiah 47:2), the Revised Version (British and American) renders: "Strip off the train (shobhel), uncover the leg," the idea being that the gentle maid, who has been brought up in affluence and luxury, will have to don the attire of a slave girl and do menial work, for which her former garments are unsuited. The other passage is in Isaiah 3:20, where the King James Version reads: "the bonnets, and the ornaments of the legs," the Revised Version (British and American) corrects: "the headtires (ts`adhah), and the ankle chains."

In the New Testament the word "leg" is found only in connection with the breaking of the legs of the persons crucified with the Saviour (John 19:31, 32, 33). We know from Roman and Greek authors that this was done as a coup de grace to shorten the miseries of criminals condemned to die on the cross. The practice bore the technical name of skelokopia, Latin crurifragium. The verb skelokopein ("to break the legs"), is found in the apocryphal Gospel of Peter (1 Peter 4:14), where it is distinctly stated that the legs of Jesus were not broken, that His sufferings on the cross might be extended, while the two malefactors crucified with Him were mercifully dispatched in this way. The crurifragium consisted of some strokes with a heavy club or mallet, which always materially hastened the death of the sufferer, and often caused it almost immediately.

Edersheim, in LTJM, II, 613, suggests that the breaking of legs was an additional punishment, and that it was always followed by a coup de grace, the perforatio or percussio sub alas, a stroke with sword or lance into the side. This, however, is not borne out by any classical information which is known to me, and is contradicted by the statement of the evangelist that Jesus received the percussio, while the malefactors endured the crurifragium. Compare on this subject, especially for parallels from classical authors, Sepp, Das Leben Jesu, VII, 441, and Keim, Jesus von Nazara (English translation), VI, 253, note 3.

H. L. E. Luering

Greek

4628. skelos -- the leg (from the hip down)
... the leg (from the hip down). Part of Speech: Noun, Neuter Transliteration: skelos
Phonetic Spelling: (skel'-os) Short Definition: the leg Definition: the leg ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4628.htm - 6k

1951. epilego -- to call or name, to choose
... to call or name, to choose. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: epilego Phonetic
Spelling: (ep-ee-leg'-om-ahee) Short Definition: I call, choose for myself ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1951.htm - 6k

4816. sullego -- to collect
... to collect. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: sullego Phonetic Spelling:
(sool-leg'-o) Short Definition: I collect, gather Definition: I collect, gather. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4816.htm - 6k

3003. legion -- a legion
... a legion. Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine; Noun, Masculine Transliteration: legion
Phonetic Spelling: (leg-eh-ohn') Short Definition: a legion, very large number ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/3003.htm - 6k

3004. lego -- to say
... to say. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: lego Phonetic Spelling: (leg'-o) Short
Definition: I say, speak Definition: (denoting speech in progress), (a) I ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/3004.htm - 11k

1586. eklego -- to select
... to select. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: eklego Phonetic Spelling:
(ek-leg'-om-ahee) Short Definition: I choose, elect Definition: I pick out for myself ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1586.htm - 8k

Strong's Hebrew

7785. shoq -- a leg
... 7784, 7785. shoq. 7786 . a leg. Transliteration: shoq Phonetic Spelling:
(shoke) Short Definition: thigh. ... hip, leg, shoulder, thigh. ...
/hebrew/7785.htm - 6k

8243. shaq -- (lower) leg
... shaq. 8244 . (lower) leg. Transliteration: shaq Phonetic Spelling: (shawk) Short
Definition: legs. ... leg. (Aramaic) corresponding to showq; the leg -- leg. ...
/hebrew/8243.htm - 6k

3767. kera -- a leg
... a leg. Transliteration: kera Phonetic Spelling: (kaw-raw') Short Definition: legs.
Word Origin from kara Definition a leg NASB Word Usage legs (9). leg. ...
/hebrew/3767.htm - 6k

7640. shobel -- flowing skirt, train
... leg. From an unused root meaning to flow; a lady's train (as trailing after
her) -- leg. 7639, 7640. shobel. 7641 . Strong's Numbers.
/hebrew/7640.htm - 5k

7272. regel -- foot
... X be able to endure, X according as, X after, X coming, X follow, ((broken-))foot((-
ed, -stool)), X great toe, X haunt, X journey, leg, + piss, + possession ...
/hebrew/7272.htm - 6k

6388. peleg -- a channel, canal
... 6387, 6388. peleg. 6389 . a channel, canal. Transliteration: peleg Phonetic
Spelling: (peh'-leg) Short Definition: streams. Word ...
/hebrew/6388.htm - 6k

7950. sheleg -- snow
... 7949, 7950. sheleg. 7951 . snow. Transliteration: sheleg Phonetic Spelling:
(sheh'-leg) Short Definition: snow. Word Origin from ...
/hebrew/7950.htm - 6k

657. ephes -- a ceasing
... ie An end (especially of the earth); often used adverb, no further; also (like
pa'al) the ankle (in the dual), as being the extremity of the leg or foot ...
/hebrew/657.htm - 6k

6389. Peleg -- a son of Eber
... 6388, 6389. Peleg. 6390 . a son of Eber. Transliteration: Peleg Phonetic
Spelling: (peh'-leg) Short Definition: Peleg. Word Origin ...
/hebrew/6389.htm - 6k

3225. yamin -- right hand
... From yaman; the right hand or side (leg, eye) of a person or other object (as the
stronger and more dexterous); locally, the south -- + left-handed, right (hand ...
/hebrew/3225.htm - 6k

Library

His Military Life --He is Wounded at the Siege of Pampeluna --His ...
... They decided that the leg should be broken again, that the bones, which had knit
badly, might be properly reset; for they had not been properly set in the ...
/.../loyola/the autobiography of st ignatius/chapter i his military lifehe.htm

Gender, 46, 47
... Cp. also -. ten pros thanaton (hodon) Eus. HE2.23. ouk eis makran Philo Leg. ad
C.4. ep' eutheias Philo QOPL1. epi xenes (choras or ges) Philo Leg. ad C.3. ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/conybeare/a grammar of septuagint greek/gender 46 47.htm

A Book of Modern Social Inquiry Has a Shape that is Somewhat ...
... The hospital, by necessity, may send a man home with one leg less: but it will
not (in a creative rapture) send him home with one leg extra. ...
/.../chesterton/whats wrong with the world/chapter 1 a book of.htm

Wesley's Advice to Travelers
... As we came into the city, a stone flew-out of the pavement and struck my mare
upon the leg with such violence that she dropped down at once. ...
/.../wesley/the journal of john wesley/wesleys advice to travelers.htm

Breakfast with Mr. Whitefield
... have peace.". Wednesday, 18."Riding through the Borough, all my mare's feet
flew up, and she fell with my leg under her. A gentleman ...
/.../wesley/the journal of john wesley/breakfast with mr whitefield.htm

After These Remarks of Celsus, which we have done Our Best to ...
... Might you not, then, take Epictetus, who, when his master was twisting
his leg, said, smiling and. unmoved, You will break my leg ...
/.../origen/origen against celsus/chapter liii after these remarks.htm

Cast Your Eye Round the Room in which You Sit...
... pole, partly to trifle with like a cigarette, partly to kill with like a club of
a giant; it is a crutch and a cudgel; an elongated finger and an extra leg. ...
/.../chesterton/whats wrong with the world/chapter 17 cast your eye.htm

A Supplementary Chapter to the Bible in Spain
... that as soon as I parted with her she fell into her old pranks, refusing to be shod
or saddled"rushing up against walls and scarifying the leg of her rider ...
/.../a supplementary chapter to the.htm

When Lord Morley Said that the House of Lords must be Either ...
... says, "Tompkins likes five holes in his shirt, but I must say, give me the good
old four holes." Nobody says, "This washerwoman rips up the left leg of my ...
/.../chesterton/whats wrong with the world/chapter 43 when lord morley.htm

How we Don't Get In, and How we Do.
... And then in that quiet way for which he was famous, he said, "How many legs would
a sheep have if you called its tail a leg?" As he expected, they promptly ...
/.../gordon/quiet talks on johns gospel/how we dont get in.htm

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary

1. (n.) A limb or member of an animal used for supporting the body, and in running, climbing, and swimming; esp., that part of the limb between the knee and foot.

2. (n.) That which resembles a leg in form or use; especially, any long and slender support on which any object rests; as, the leg of a table; the leg of a pair of compasses or dividers.

3. (n.) The part of any article of clothing which covers the leg; as, the leg of a stocking or of a pair of trousers.

4. (n.) A bow, esp. in the phrase to make a leg; probably from drawing the leg backward in bowing.

5. (n.) A disreputable sporting character; a blackleg.

6. (n.) The course and distance made by a vessel on one tack or between tacks.

7. (n.) An extension of the boiler downward, in the form of a narrow space between vertical plates, sometimes nearly surrounding the furnace and ash pit, and serving to support the boiler; -- called also water leg.

8. (n.) The case containing the lower part of the belt which carries the buckets.

9. (n.) A fielder whose position is on the outside, a little in rear of the batter.

10. (v. t.) To use as a leg, with it as object

11. (v. t.) To bow.

12. (v. t.) To run.

Thesaurus

Leg (24 Occurrences)
... 2. (n.) That which resembles a leg in form or use; especially, any long and slender
support on which any object rests; as, the leg of a table; the leg of a ...
/l/leg.htm - 19k

Leg-muscles (4 Occurrences)
Leg-muscles. Legitimately, Leg-muscles. Legs . Multi-Version
Concordance Leg-muscles (4 Occurrences). Joshua 11:6 And ...
/l/leg-muscles.htm - 7k

Leg-chains (1 Occurrence)
Leg-chains. Legalizing, Leg-chains. Legends . Multi-Version
Concordance Leg-chains (1 Occurrence). Numbers 31:50 And ...
/l/leg-chains.htm - 6k

Damaged (44 Occurrences)
... Genesis 32:25 But when the man saw that he was not able to overcome Jacob, he gave
him a blow in the hollow part of his leg, so that his leg was damaged. (BBE). ...
/d/damaged.htm - 20k

War-carriages (76 Occurrences)
... 6 And the Lord said to Joshua, Have no fear of them: for tomorrow at this time I
will give them all up dead before Israel; you are to have the leg-muscles of ...
/w/war-carriages.htm - 31k

Knee (12 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary 1. (n.) In man, the joint in the middle part of the leg.
2. (n.) The joint, or region of the joint, between the thigh and leg. ...
/k/knee.htm - 12k

Limb (5 Occurrences)
... and twigs; a large branch. 2. (n.) An arm or a leg of a human being; a
leg, arm, or wing of an animal. 3. (n.) A thing or person ...
/l/limb.htm - 8k

Redundance (11 Occurrences)
... and the fat which is covering the inwards, and the redundance on the liver, and
the two kidneys, and the fat which 'is' on them, and the right leg, for it 'is ...
/r/redundance.htm - 10k

Muscle (1 Occurrence)
... Genesis 32:32 For this reason the children of Israel, even today, never take that
muscle in the hollow of the leg as food, because the hollow of Jacob's leg...
/m/muscle.htm - 7k

Pestle (1 Occurrence)
... 2. (n.) A constable's or bailiff's staff; -- so called from its shape. 3. (n.) The
leg and leg bone of an animal, especially of a pig; as, a pestle of pork. ...
/p/pestle.htm - 7k

Bible Concordance

Leg (24 Occurrences)

Revelation 19:16 And on his robe and on his leg is a name, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.
(BBE)

Genesis 24:2 And Abraham said to his chief servant, the manager of all his property, Come now, put your hand under my leg:
(BBE)

Genesis 24:9 And the servant put his hand under Abraham's leg, and gave him his oath about this thing.
(BBE)

Genesis 32:25 But when the man saw that he was not able to overcome Jacob, he gave him a blow in the hollow part of his leg, so that his leg was damaged.
(BBE)

Genesis 32:31 And while he was going past Peniel, the sun came up. And he went with unequal steps because of his damaged leg.
(BBE)

Genesis 32:32 For this reason the children of Israel, even today, never take that muscle in the hollow of the leg as food, because the hollow of Jacob's leg was touched.
(BBE)

Genesis 47:29 And the time of his death came near, and he sent for his son Joseph and said to him, If now I am dear to you, put your hand under my leg and take an oath that you will not put me to rest in Egypt;
(BBE)

Exodus 29:22 Then take the fat of the sheep, the fat tail, the fat covering the insides, and the fat joining the liver and the two kidneys with the fat round them, and the right leg; for by the offering of this sheep they are to be marked out as priests:
(BBE YLT)

Exodus 29:27 So you are to make holy the breast of the sheep which is waved and the leg which is lifted up on high, that is, of the sheep which is offered for Aaron and his sons;
(BBE YLT)

Leviticus 7:32 And the right leg you are to give to the priest for an offering to be lifted up out of what is given for your peace-offerings.
(BBE YLT)

Leviticus 7:33 That man, among the sons of Aaron, by whom the blood of the peace-offering and the fat are offered, is to have the right leg for his part.
(BBE YLT)

Leviticus 7:34 For the breast which is waved and the right leg which is lifted up on high I have taken from the children of Israel, from their peace-offerings, and have given them to Aaron the priest and to his sons as their right for ever from the children of Israel.
(BBE YLT)

Leviticus 8:25 And he took the fat, and the fat tail, and the fat on the inside parts, and the fat on the liver, and the two kidneys with their fat, and the right leg;
(BBE YLT)

Leviticus 8:26 And out of the basket of unleavened bread which was before the Lord he took one unleavened cake, and one cake of bread with oil on it, and one thin cake, and put them on the fat and on the right leg:
(BBE YLT)

Leviticus 9:21 And Aaron took the breasts and the right leg, waving them for a wave offering before the Lord, as Moses gave orders.
(BBE YLT)

Leviticus 10:15 Let them take the breast which is waved and the leg which is lifted up on high, with the fat of the burned offering, to be waved for a wave offering before the Lord; and this will be for you and for your sons with you, for a right for ever, as the Lord has given orders.
(BBE YLT)

Numbers 6:19 And the priest will take the cooked leg of the sheep and one unleavened cake and one thin cake out of the basket, and put them on the hands of the separate one after his hair has been cut,
(BBE)

Numbers 18:18 Their flesh is to be yours; like the breast of the wave offering and the right leg, it is to be yours.
(BBE YLT)

Deuteronomy 18:3 And this is to be the priests' right: those who make an offering of a sheep or an ox are to give to the priest the top part of the leg and the two sides of the head and the stomach.
(BBE YLT)

1 Samuel 9:24 And the cook took up the leg with the fat tail on it, and put it before Saul. And Samuel said, This is the part which has been kept for you: take it as your part of the feast; because it has been kept for you till the right time came and till the guests were present. So that day Saul took food with Samuel.
(BBE YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Isaiah 47:2 Take the millstones, and grind meal; remove your veil, strip off the train, uncover the leg, pass through the rivers.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Ezekiel 24:4 And get the bits together, the fat tail, every good part, the leg and the top part of it: make it full of the best bones.
(BBE NIV)

Ezekiel 34:21 Because you have been pushing with side and leg, pushing the diseased with your horns till they were sent away in every direction;
(BBE)

Amos 3:12 Thus says Yahweh: "As the shepherd rescues out of the mouth of the lion two legs, or a piece of an ear, so shall the children of Israel be rescued who sit in Samaria on the corner of a couch, and on the silken cushions of a bed."
(Root in WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Subtopics

Leg

Related Terms

Leg-muscles (4 Occurrences)

Leg-chains (1 Occurrence)

Damaged (44 Occurrences)

War-carriages (76 Occurrences)

Knee (12 Occurrences)

Limb (5 Occurrences)

Redundance (11 Occurrences)

Muscle (1 Occurrence)

Pestle (1 Occurrence)