The term "crook-backed" refers to a physical condition characterized by a curvature of the spine, often resulting in a hunched or stooped posture. In biblical times, physical deformities, including being crook-backed, were often viewed with a mixture of social stigma and religious significance. The condition is mentioned in the context of the Levitical laws concerning priestly qualifications.

Biblical References:

The primary biblical reference to being crook-backed is found in the book of Leviticus, where it is listed among the physical blemishes that disqualified a descendant of Aaron from serving as a priest in the tabernacle. Leviticus 21:18-20 states: "No man who has any defect may approach: no man who is blind, lame, disfigured, or deformed; no man with a broken foot or hand, or who is a hunchback or dwarf, or who has an eye defect, a festering rash, scabs, or a crushed testicle."

This passage is part of the Holiness Code, which outlines the standards of purity and perfection required for those who would serve in the priestly office. The physical perfection of the priests symbolized the holiness and perfection of God, whom they represented before the people.

Cultural and Religious Context:

In ancient Israel, physical deformities were often seen as a reflection of spiritual or moral imperfection. This perspective was not unique to Israel but was common in many ancient cultures. The exclusion of those with physical defects from priestly service was not necessarily a judgment on their spiritual state but rather a symbolic representation of the need for purity and wholeness in those who approached God on behalf of the people.

The requirement for physical perfection in the priesthood underscored the holiness of God and the need for those who served Him to be set apart in every way. It also pointed forward to the coming of Jesus Christ, the perfect High Priest, who would fulfill the law and offer Himself as the perfect sacrifice for sin.

Theological Implications:

From a theological standpoint, the mention of being crook-backed in the Levitical laws highlights the broader biblical theme of God's holiness and the separation between the divine and the human. It serves as a reminder of the fallen state of humanity and the need for redemption and restoration.

In the New Testament, Jesus' ministry often included healing those with physical deformities, demonstrating His compassion and power to restore. These acts of healing were signs of the coming Kingdom of God, where physical and spiritual wholeness would be fully realized.

The condition of being crook-backed, while a physical limitation, does not preclude individuals from experiencing God's grace and redemption. The New Testament emphasizes that in Christ, all believers, regardless of physical condition, are made whole and are part of the royal priesthood (1 Peter 2:9).

Conclusion:

The biblical mention of being crook-backed serves as a reminder of the high standards of holiness required in the service of God and the ultimate fulfillment of these standards in Jesus Christ. It also reflects the broader biblical narrative of redemption and the hope of restoration for all creation.CROOK-BACKED

krook'-bakt (gibben; kurtos): A disqualification for the priesthood (Leviticus 21:20); was probably an angular curvature of the spine, usually the result of tubercular caries of the vertebrae. It was by no means uncommon in ancient Egypt, where I have found a considerable number of spines affected with this disease. Some Talmudic authorities explain it as meaning "very dark colored," but this is unlikely.

The woman bound by the spirit of infirmity and unable to lift herself (Luke 13:11-17) was affected with senile kyphosis, a chronic bone disease often found among aged men (and more frequently women) whose lives have been spent in agricultural labor. In these the vertebrae become altered in shape so that it is impossible to straighten the back. Some rabbinical authorities believed all deformities to be due to Satan, and to this our Lord seems to have alluded in his rebuke to those who caviled at His healing on the Sabbath. I have found this condition in some Egyptian skeletons, and have seen it in a Palestinian fellah. A skeleton affected with a similar curvature was found buried under the threshold of a house at Gezer, where she had evidently been offered as a foundation sacrifice.

Alex. Macalister

1384. gibben -- crookbacked, humpbacked
... 1383, 1384. gibben. 1385 . crookbacked, humpbacked. Transliteration: gibben
Phonetic Spelling: (gib-bane') Short Definition: hunchback. ... crookbacked. ...
/hebrew/1384.htm - 6k

Naparima and Montserrat
... Crook-backed, round-shouldered, his only dress a ragged shirt and ragged pair of
drawers, he had evidently thriven upon the forest life for many a year. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/kingsley/at last/chapter x naparima and montserrat.htm

Whether There Can be any Suitable Cause for the Sacraments of the ...
... He is rejected, too, if he have a swelling either in front or behind [Vulg.: 'if
he be crook-backed']: by which is signified too much love of earthly things ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/aquinas/summa theologica/whether there can be any 2.htm

Crookbacked (1 Occurrence)
... Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia CROOK-BACKED. krook ... Alex. Macalister.
Multi-Version Concordance Crookbacked (1 Occurrence). Leviticus ...
/c/crookbacked.htm - 8k

Crook-backed (1 Occurrence)
Crook-backed. Crookbacked, Crook-backed. Crooked . Int. Standard Bible
Encyclopedia CROOK-BACKED. ... Crookbacked, Crook-backed. Crooked . Reference Bible.
/c/crook-backed.htm - 8k

Crooked (31 Occurrences)

/c/crooked.htm - 17k

Overspread (2 Occurrences)
... Leviticus 21:20 or crook-backed, or a dwarf, or that hath a blemish in his eye,
or is scurvy, or scabbed, or hath his stones broken; (See JPS). ...
/o/overspread.htm - 7k

Dwarfed (3 Occurrences)
... Leviticus 21:20 or crook-backed, or a dwarf, or that hath his eye overspread,
or is scabbed, or scurvy, or hath his stones crushed; (See NIV). ...
/d/dwarfed.htm - 7k

Crocus (1 Occurrence)

/c/crocus.htm - 7k

Scurvy (3 Occurrences)
... Leviticus 21:20 Or crookbacked, or a dwarf, or that hath a blemish in his eye, or
be scurvy, or scabbed, or hath his stones broken; (KJV JPS ASV WBS YLT). ...
/s/scurvy.htm - 8k

Scabbed (3 Occurrences)
... Leviticus 21:20 Or crookbacked, or a dwarf, or that hath a blemish in his eye, or
be scurvy, or scabbed, or hath his stones broken; (KJV JPS ASV WBS YLT). ...
/s/scabbed.htm - 9k

Crushed (199 Occurrences)
... Leviticus 21:20 or crook-backed, or a dwarf, or that hath a blemish in his eye,
or is scurvy, or scabbed, or hath his stones broken; (See JPS NAS RSV). ...
/c/crushed.htm - 37k

Blemish (71 Occurrences)
... Leviticus 21:20 Or crookbacked, or a dwarf, or that hath a blemish in his eye, or
be scurvy, or scabbed, or hath his stones broken; (KJV ASV WBS). ...
/b/blemish.htm - 31k

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