Lexical Summary ratsa: To be pleased with, to accept favorably, to delight in Original Word: רָצַע Strong's Exhaustive Concordance bore A primitive root; to pierce -- bore. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origina prim. root Definition to bore, pierce NASB Translation pierce (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs רָצַע verb bore, pierce (Late Hebrew = Biblical Hebrew; Arabic  stab violently); — Qal Perfect3masculine singular consecutive ׳וְר Exodus 21:6 (E) he shall pierce his ear (accusative, ב instrumental). Topical Lexicon Root Idea and Image The verb רָצַע depicts the decisive act of piercing or boring through with an awl. Its lone verbal occurrence (Exodus 21:6) concerns the servant’s ear, marking permanent, voluntary servitude. The action is deliberate, public, and irreversible, combining physical alteration with covenantal meaning. Biblical Context: Exodus 21:6 “Then his master shall bring him before the judges. He shall take him to the door or doorpost and pierce his ear with an awl, and he will serve him for life.” (Exodus 21:6) The setting is the Sinai legislation that regulated servitude in Israel. A Hebrew slave, having completed six years of service, could choose freedom (Exodus 21:2). Should he instead love his master and household, he declared that love before God (“the judges”) and submitted to ear-boring. The doorpost—threshold of the household—became the site of covenantal sealing, linking the servant forever to the master’s house. Ancient Near Eastern Background Voluntary lifelong servitude was not unique to Israel, yet the Torah’s regulation stands apart: Other cultures branded slaves on the face or hand; Israel’s law aimed at devotion, not degradation. Theological Significance 1. Covenant Love: The servant loves his master (Exodus 21:5). The boring ritual externalizes inward affection—echoing the covenant ideal of willing submission (Psalm 119:32). Christological Foreshadowing Psalm 40:6 (LXX, Hebrews 10:5) applies the pierced-ear motif to Messiah: “Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, but a body You prepared for Me.” The Servant of the Lord perfectly hears and obeys, embracing voluntary submission even to death (Philippians 2:6–8). Just as the Hebrew slave embraced lifelong service out of love, Jesus “took the form of a servant,” forever identifying with His people. The doorpost of Calvary becomes the place where the perfect Servant is fastened, sealing a new covenant. New Testament Echoes Though רָצַע itself is absent from Greek Scripture, its theology resurfaces: Ministry Applications 1. Voluntary Surrender: Believers are invited to present their bodies “as living sacrifices” (Romans 12:1), embracing a willing, lifelong hearing of Christ’s word. Related Old Testament Parallels • Deuteronomy 15:16–17 repeats the instruction, adding the piercing of the female servant’s ear, underlining gender-inclusive opportunity for covenant devotion. Together, these passages reveal a consistent ethic: life-long service is valid only when freely chosen from love. Summary רָצַע captures a singular yet profound moment: an ear is pierced, a declaration is made, and a servant enters permanent, loving bondage. The image radiates through Scripture—illuminating covenant loyalty in Israel, prefiguring the obedience of Christ, and calling every believer to the joyful freedom found in voluntary, whole-hearted servitude to the Lord. Forms and Transliterations וְרָצַ֨ע ורצע veraTza wə·rā·ṣa‘ wərāṣa‘Links Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Exodus 21:6 HEB: אֶל־ הַמְּזוּזָ֑ה וְרָצַ֨ע אֲדֹנָ֤יו אֶת־ NAS: And his master shall pierce his ear KJV: and his master shall bore his ear INT: about the doorpost shall pierce and his master his ear 1 Occurrence |
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