In the context of the Bible, the term "itch" is often associated with physical ailments and spiritual symbolism. The concept of itching appears in various passages, primarily in the Old Testament, where it is linked to divine judgment and the consequences of disobedience to God's commandments.

Biblical References:

1. Deuteronomy 28:27 · In this passage, the "itch" is mentioned as one of the curses that would befall the Israelites if they failed to obey the Lord's commands. The verse states: "The LORD will afflict you with the boils of Egypt and with tumors, festering sores, and the itch, from which you cannot be cured." Here, the itch is part of a series of physical afflictions that serve as a warning against disobedience and a call to remain faithful to God's covenant.

2. Leviticus 13:2-3 · While not directly mentioning "itch," this passage discusses skin diseases and the role of the priest in diagnosing such conditions. The priest's examination of skin ailments, including those that might cause itching, underscores the importance of ritual purity and the community's health. The text provides guidelines for identifying and managing skin diseases, reflecting the broader concern for holiness and cleanliness in the Israelite community.

3. 2 Timothy 4:3 · Although not referring to a physical itch, this New Testament verse uses the metaphor of "itching ears" to describe a spiritual condition. The apostle Paul warns Timothy: "For the time will come when men will not tolerate sound doctrine, but with itching ears, they will gather around themselves teachers to suit their own desires." This metaphorical use of "itch" highlights the human tendency to seek teachings that align with personal preferences rather than adhering to the truth of the Gospel.

Theological Significance:

The concept of itch in the Bible serves as a reminder of the consequences of sin and the importance of obedience to God. In the Old Testament, physical ailments like the itch are often depicted as manifestations of divine judgment, emphasizing the need for repentance and faithfulness. The laws concerning skin diseases in Leviticus illustrate the broader theme of purity and the community's responsibility to maintain holiness.

In the New Testament, the metaphor of "itching ears" warns against the dangers of false teachings and the temptation to deviate from sound doctrine. This serves as an admonition to remain steadfast in the truth of the Gospel and to resist the allure of teachings that cater to personal desires rather than God's revealed Word.

Overall, the biblical references to itch, whether literal or metaphorical, underscore the importance of spiritual vigilance, obedience, and the pursuit of holiness in the life of believers.1. (v. i.) To have an uneasy sensation in the skin, which inclines the person to scratch the part affected.

2. (v. i.) To have a constant desire or teasing uneasiness; to long for; as, itching ears.

3. (n.) An eruption of small, isolated, acuminated vesicles, produced by the entrance of a parasitic mite (the Sarcoptes scabei), and attended with itching. It is transmissible by contact.

4. (n.) Any itching eruption.

5. (n.) A sensation in the skin occasioned (or resembling that occasioned) by the itch eruption; -- called also scabies, psora, etc.

6. (n.) A constant irritating desire.

ITCH

(charec; psora): Only in Deuteronomy 28:27, where it probably refers to the parasitic skin disease of that name which is very common in Palestine. It is due to a small mite, Sarcoptes scabiei, which makes burrows in the skin and sometimes causes extensive crusts or scabs, attended with a severe itching. It is very easily communicated from person to person by contact, and can be cured only by destruction of the parasite. This disease disqualified its victims for the priesthood (Leviticus 21:20).

2833. knetho -- to scratch, itch
... to scratch, itch. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: knetho Phonetic Spelling:
(knay'-tho) Short Definition: I rub, tickle Definition: I rub, tickle, scratch ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2833.htm - 6k2775b. cheres -- (an eruptive disease) itch
... 2775a, 2775b. cheres. 2776 . (an eruptive disease) itch. Transliteration:
cheres Short Definition: itch. Word Origin from the same ...
/hebrew/2775b.htm - 5k

1618. garab -- an itch, a scab
... 1617, 1618. garab. 1619 . an itch, a scab. Transliteration: garab Phonetic
Spelling: (gaw-rawb') Short Definition: eczema. Word ...
/hebrew/1618.htm - 5k

2775. cherec -- the sun
... 2774, 2775. cherec. 2775a . the sun. Transliteration: cherec Phonetic
Spelling: (kheh'-res) Short Definition: itch. itch, sun Or ...
/hebrew/2775.htm - 5k

Labors in a New Field
... vengeance. Soon after we began our labors, I became afflicted with the
itch, which was then epidemic in that part of the country. ...
/.../cole/trials and triumphs of faith/chapter xi labors in a.htm

Book Nine the End of the Autobiography. ...
... eyes. Now was my soul free from the gnawing cares of seeking and getting,
of wallowing in the mire and scratching the itch of lust. ...
/.../augustine/confessions and enchiridion/book nine the end of.htm

The Eighth Commandment
... of theft. A man covets more than his own, and this itch of covetousness makes
him scratch what he can from another. Achan's covetous ...
/.../watson/the ten commandments/2 8 the eighth commandment.htm

It is Admitted, one May Hope, that Common Things are Never ...
... No man could say exactly how much his sexuality was colored by a clean love of beauty,
or by the mere boyish itch for irrevocable adventures, like running away ...
/.../chesterton/whats wrong with the world/chapter 13 it is admitted.htm

Victory.
... When you never care to refer to yourself in conversation or to record your own good
works, or to itch after commendation, when you can truly love to be unknown ...
/.../orr/food for the lambs or helps for young christians/victory.htm

"We have no Might. " 2 Chron. xx. 12
... gather the spoil. When shall we spoil our foes? When shall we loot the devil?
How one's fingers itch to take his goods! The time is ...
//christianbookshelf.org/champness/broken bread/xv we have no might.htm

Elucidations.
... I suspect the itch of our times, on this and like subjects, to be presumption (2
Corinthians 10:5) "against the obedience of Christ." As if our own concern for ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/clement/the stromata or miscellanies/elucidations 4.htm

And Yet, I Sinned Herein, O Lord God, the Creator and Disposer of ...
... a better choice, but from love of play, loving the pride of victory in my contests,
and to have my ears tickled with lying fables, that they might itch the more ...
/.../augustine/the confessions of saint augustine/chapter x and yet i.htm

O Lord, I am Thy Servant; I am Thy Servant...
... Now was my soul free from the biting cares of canvassing and getting, and
weltering in filth, and scratching off the itch of lust. ...
/.../augustine/the confessions of saint augustine/chapter i o lord i.htm

Wesley and the Character of a Methodist
... has attacked me without fear or wit; and hereby he has convinced his impartial readers
of one thing at least"that (as the vulgar say) his fingers itch to be ...
/.../wesley/the journal of john wesley/wesley and the character of.htm

Itch (11 Occurrences)
... 5. (n.) A sensation in the skin occasioned (or resembling that occasioned) by
the itch eruption; -- called also scabies, psora, etc. ...ITCH. ...
/i/itch.htm - 11k

Deeper (18 Occurrences)
... and behold, if its appearance is deeper than the skin, and the hair in it is yellow
and thin, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean: it is an itch, it is ...
/d/deeper.htm - 12k

Examine (48 Occurrences)
... and behold, if its appearance is deeper than the skin, and the hair in it is yellow
and thin, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean: it is an itch, it is ...
/e/examine.htm - 23k

Yellow (6 Occurrences)
... and behold, if its appearance is deeper than the skin, and the hair in it is yellow
and thin, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean: it is an itch, it is ...
/y/yellow.htm - 9k

Pronounce (47 Occurrences)
... and behold, if its appearance is deeper than the skin, and the hair in it is yellow
and thin, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean: it is an itch, it is ...
/p/pronounce.htm - 22k

Grown (77 Occurrences)
... Leviticus 13:32 On the seventh day the priest shall examine the plague; and behold,
if the itch hasn't spread, and there is no yellow hair in it, and the ...
/g/grown.htm - 30k

Itching (4 Occurrences)
... & vb. n.) of Itch. ... Leviticus 13:33 then he shall be shaved, but he shall not shave
the itch; and the priest shall shut him up who has the itch seven more days. ...
/i/itching.htm - 7k

Scab (7 Occurrences)
... from the diseased part. 2. (n.) The itch in man; also, the scurvy. 3. (n.)
The mange, esp. when it appears on sheep. 4. (n.) A disease ...
/s/scab.htm - 11k

Infection (24 Occurrences)
... and behold, if its appearance is deeper than the skin, and the hair in it is yellow
and thin, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean: it is an itch, it is ...
/i/infection.htm - 14k

Seventh (123 Occurrences)
... Leviticus 13:32 On the seventh day the priest shall examine the plague; and behold,
if the itch hasn't spread, and there is no yellow hair in it, and the ...
/s/seventh.htm - 41k

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