Original Word: יָרָק
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: yaraq
Pronunciation: yah-rahk'
Phonetic Spelling: (yaw-rak')
KJV: X but, spit
NASB: spit
Word Origin: [a primitive root]

1. to spit

but, spit

A primitive root; to spit -- X but, spit.

Word Origin
a prim. root
Definition
to spit
NASB Translation
spit (2).

II. יָרַק verb spit (Ethiopic id.; according to Lag^{BN 200 II.} ירק is not separate √; compare יֵרָקֹן, and Arabic robigo) —

Qal Perfect and Infinitive absolute יָרֹק יָרַק בְּפָנֶיהָ Numbers 12:14; 3feminine singular consecutive וְיָ˜רְקָה בְּפָנָיו Deuteronomy 25:9; both, as token of contempt. compare רָקַק, רֹק.

Hebrew Concept and Ancient Near-Eastern Background

יָרָק denotes literal spittle employed as a culturally understood gesture of public contempt. In the broader Ancient Near-Eastern world, spitting in another’s face symbolized profound humiliation, roughly equivalent to branding someone as unclean or socially alienated.

Biblical Occurrences

1. Numbers 12:14 records the LORD’s reply to Moses about Miriam’s leprosy: “If her father had only spit in her face, would she not have been in disgrace for seven days? Let her be confined outside the camp for seven days, and after that she may be brought back.”
• The hypothetical “father’s spit” frames her skin disease as a worst-case social rebuke, underscoring the severity of challenging divinely appointed authority.
2. Numbers 12:14 repeats the term when the seven-day exclusion is prescribed.
3. Deuteronomy 25:9 institutes the levirate-marriage ceremony of public shaming: “Then his brother’s widow is to go up to him in the presence of the elders, remove his sandal from his foot, spit in his face, and declare, ‘This is what is done to a man who will not build up his brother’s house.’”

Cultural Meaning of Spitting

• An outward sign of disgrace: Being spat upon stripped an individual of social honor and placed them under communal reproach.
• A symbolic boundary: The expelled saliva marked the offended person as temporarily “outside” accepted fellowship, whether literally (Miriam outside the camp) or figuratively (the unwilling kinsman).
• A deterrent: The threat of public spitting provided powerful motivation to obey covenantal expectations—respecting prophetic leadership in Numbers and protecting family lineage in Deuteronomy.

Theological Significance of Shame and Restoration

In both texts, shame is not the final word. Miriam’s confinement anticipates restoration; the reluctant brother-in-law can still fulfill the duty before judgment falls. Divine discipline serves the redemptive aim of reconciling sinners to covenant faithfulness. Later prophetic literature taps the same imagery—“I did not hide My face from mocking and spitting” (Isaiah 50:6)—linking human contempt with the Suffering Servant who bears shame on behalf of the people.

Legal Application in Deuteronomy 25:9

Spitting becomes part of a formal judicial rite performed before elders. The widow’s act:
• Publicly exposes covenant neglect.
• Transfers disgrace from the vulnerable widow to the negligent man.
• Upholds corporate responsibility; the elders witness and ratify the verdict.

The ritual preserves family heritage and the promised land allotment, emphasizing community wholeness over individual convenience.

Messianic and New Testament Connections

Spitting reappears around Jesus Christ, both in contempt (Matthew 26:67; Mark 15:19) and paradoxically in healing (Mark 7:33; John 9:6). The cross absorbs the full measure of human scorn foreshadowed in יָרָק. Simultaneously, Christ’s use of His own saliva to restore sight testifies to authority that turns a symbol of shame into an instrument of grace.

Practical Ministry Reflections

• Confronting Sin: Christian leaders can learn from the biblical pattern that public sin sometimes warrants public rebuke, always aimed at repentance and restoration.
• Protecting the Vulnerable: Like the widow’s ceremony, the church must guard those lacking social power, ensuring covenant obligations are honored.
• Enduring Reproach: Believers facing ridicule for righteousness join a long line of saints, grounded in the assurance that Christ has borne ultimate shame.

Related Words and Passages

• רֹק (Job 17:6; Isaiah 50:6) – “spittle,” conceptually parallel.
• Leviticus 13–14 – quarantine laws provide the background for Miriam’s seven-day exclusion.
• Ruth 4:1-12 – a positive example of kinsman-redeemer duty, contrasting Deuteronomy 25:9.

Summary

יָרָק serves as a vivid emblem of disgrace that reinforces covenant fidelity, safeguards communal health, and anticipates the redemptive mission of the Messiah who converts shame into salvation.

וְיָרְקָ֖ה וירקה יָרַק֙ יָרֹ֤ק ירק veyareKah wə·yā·rə·qāh wəyārəqāh yā·raq yā·rōq yaRak yāraq yaRok yārōqInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts