Blemish

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (1915)

blem’-ish:

(1) mum, me’um; momos: This word signifies no particular skin disease, as has been supposed; but is used generally for any and all disfiguring affections of the skin, such as eczema, herpes, scabies, etc., even for scratches and scars, as in Le 24:19,20; and thence for moral defects, as in Eph 5:27. The existence of a blemish in a person of priestly descent prevented him from the execution of the priestly office; similarly an animal fit for sacrifice was to be without blemish. In the New Testament Christ is presented as the antitype of a pure and ritually acceptable sacrifice "as a lamb without blemish and without spot" (Heb 9:14; 1Pe 1:19), and the disciples are admonished to be blameless, "without blemish" (Eph 5:27). Rarely the word is used to designate a reprobate person (2Pe 2:13).

(2) Blemish in the eye, tebhallul (from a root balal, "to overflow"; Arabic balla, balal, "to moisten"), cataract, white spots in the eye (Le 21:20).