Lexical Summary
qaaqa: Tattoo, incision
Original Word:קַעֲקַע
Part of Speech:Noun Masculine
Transliteration:qa`aqa`
Pronunciation:kah-ah-kah
Phonetic Spelling:(kah-ak-ah')
KJV: + mark
Word Origin:[from the same asH6970 (קוַֹע - Koa)]
1. an incision or gash
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
mark
From the same asQowa'; an incision or gash -- + mark.
see HEBREWQowa'
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom an unused word
Definitionan incision, imprint, tattoo
NASB Translationtattoo* (1).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
;
Leviticus 19:28 (H), see (RS
Semitic i. 316; 2nd ed. 324).
(√ of following; compare Arabic
be deep, of well,
come to bottom of well, vessel, alsomake welldeep; II.hollow out (Dozy);
deep, of well, bowl; Nabataeanhollow orcarve out (SachauSB Ak, 1896, 1057); Syriac
,calyx, acorn-cup, well; Bondi60 compare Egyptianma-qaa-r,bottom part of oven).
Topical Lexicon
Canonical ContextLeviticus 19:28 stands within a larger holiness code that stresses distinctive behavior for the covenant community. The verse commands, “You must not make any cuts in your bodies for the dead or tattoo yourselves; I am the LORD”. By nesting the prohibition between instructions about hair, blood, and occult practices, Moses links bodily markings with the wider call to be separate from pagan ritual and mourning customs.
Historical Background
• Ancient Near Eastern peoples—particularly in Canaan, Egypt, and Mesopotamia—used incisions and inked markings to identify allegiance to deities, mourn the dead, invoke protection, or signify enslavement.
• Funerary lacerations were believed to placate ancestral spirits. Israel’s neighbors also marked devotees with the symbols of their gods, blending religion, identity, and skin art.
• Leviticus forbids Israel to borrow such practices, reinforcing the distinction between covenantal worship and pagan rites. The body itself was to reflect Yahweh’s ownership, not a pantheon’s.
Theological Themes
Holiness: Israel’s skin was not a blank canvas for self-expression but a testimony to divine lordship. The ban on קַעֲקַע guards the sanctity of the body as created and redeemed property of God (compare1 Corinthians 6:19-20).
Identity: Covenantal signs such as circumcision were God-ordained; unauthorized markings competed with those signs.
Life over death: Cuts “for the dead” blurred lines between the living God and the cult of the deceased (Deuteronomy 14:1).
Authority of Scripture: The single occurrence nevertheless establishes a moral trajectory—God defines acceptable use of the body.
Cross-References
•Deuteronomy 14:1 – prohibits cutting for the dead.
•Isaiah 49:16 – “See, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands”, indicating God alone may mark His people.
•Revelation 3:12;Revelation 19:16 – divine inscriptions that belong to Christ’s prerogative.
•1 Corinthians 3:16;1 Corinthians 6:19 – the body as the temple of the Holy Spirit.
Ministry Implications
1. Discernment and Freedom: The New Testament does not repeat the prohibition verbatim, yet the principle of honoring God with the body persists. Believers weigh cultural meaning, motive, and testimony before adopting permanent markings.
2. Pastoral Care: Some come to faith already tattooed. Shepherding stresses grace and identity in Christ rather than external alteration.
3. Mission Contexts: In cultures where tattoos denote gang affiliation or occult ties, refusal can witness to new allegiance. Conversely, in settings where skin art is merely aesthetic, believers applyRomans 14 charity while still asking if a design glorifies God.
Questions for Reflection
• Does this potential marking conform to God’s ownership of my body?
• Will it serve or hinder the gospel among those I aim to reach?
• Am I motivated by faith or by pressure to conform to culture?
Forms and Transliterations
קַֽעֲקַ֔ע קעקע kaaKa qa‘ăqa‘ qa·‘ă·qa‘
Links
Interlinear Greek •
Interlinear Hebrew •
Strong's Numbers •
Englishman's Greek Concordance •
Englishman's Hebrew Concordance •
Parallel Texts
