Leg

Wilson's Dictionary of Bible Types

 Exodus 29:17 (c) This type probably teaches the lesson that the walk of the child of GOD, as well as his inward desires, feelings and thoughts must all be cleansed with the washing of water by the Word of GOD. All must be laid at the feet of the Lord in sacrificial service. The walk must be clean.

 Psalm 147:10 (c) Here is a figure of the walk of men in their business pursuits and their lives of pleasure. GOD takes no pleasure in that which is strictly human, but takes pleasure only in His Son and in those who walk with His Son.

 Proverbs 26:7 (c) By this we understand that the reason for the ungodly walk of the wicked is because their nature is sinful. All unsaved people walk in a crooked path because they have an uneven disposition and lack divine life.

 Song of Solomon 5:15 (b) In the world of sports the leg and its strength and power to endure are prime requisites for success. The prize fighter who wins is the one who can keep his legs strong and stiff to the end. The runner must have legs that will keep up the stride to the end of the race. In the Scripture before us, the legs are used as a type of the wonderful power, stability and endurance of our precious Lord. They are made of marble to show the beauty of this precious Saviour. And they are made of marble in order to show their strength and permanent power.

 Daniel 2:33 (a) These legs represent the Roman empire which was unusually strong and durable both in its civil power and its military might. The nation was upheld in its position as a world ruler by these two elements of strength.

 Amos 3:12 (a) This probably indicates that GOD, the Shepherd, will deliver His people so that they may walk with Him again, and listen to Him as they should.

Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible

LEG. 1. kÄ•râ‘ ayim , a fem. dual, in which form alone it appears (  Exodus 12:9 etc.). It denotes the legs from knee to ankle (Gesenius). 2 . regel (  1 Samuel 17:6 ), lit. ‘foot.’ 3 . shôq , the leg, apparently including the thigh, for which it stands in   Exodus 29:22;   Exodus 29:27 ,   Leviticus 7:32-34;   Leviticus 8:25 f.,   Leviticus 9:21;   Leviticus 10:14 f.,   Numbers 6:20; Num 18:18 ,   1 Samuel 9:24 , in all of which AV [Note: Authorized Version.] tr. [Note: translate or translation.] ‘shoulder,’ but RV [Note: Revised Version.] , correctly, ‘ thigh .’ In   Psalms 147:10 shôqç hâ-îsh may mean ‘foot-soldiers.’ The proverbial phrase ‘hip and thigh,’ is literally ‘leg upon thigh’ (  Judges 15:3 ), descriptive of the confusion of severed limbs. 4 , shôbel (  Isaiah 47:2 ) means ‘train’ (RV [Note: Revised Version.] , correctly, ‘strip off the train’). 5 . skelos (  John 19:31 ff.). To hasten the death of the crucified, it was customary to break their legs.

W. Ewing.

Vine's Expository Dictionary of NT Words

1: Σκέλος (Strong'S #4628 — Noun Neuter — skelos — skel'-os )

"the leg from the hip downwards," is used only of the breaking of the "legs" of the crucified malefactors, to hasten their death,  John 19:31-33 (a customary act, not carried out in the case of Christ, in fullfillment of   Exodus 12:46;  Numbers 9:12 ). The practice was known as skelokopia (from kopto, "to stike"), or, in Latin, crurifragium (from crus, "a leg," and frango, "to break").

King James Dictionary

LEG, n.

1. The limb of an animal, used in supporting the body and in walking and running properly, that part of the limb from the knee to the foot, but in a more general sense, the whole limb, including the thigh, the leg and the foot. 2. The long or slender support of any thing as the leg of a table.

To make a leg, to bow a phrase introduced probably by the practice of drawing the right leg backward. Little used.

To stand on one's own legs, to support one's self to trust to one's own strength or efforts without aid.

Holman Bible Dictionary

 Leviticus 7:32-34 Isaiah 47:2

Webster's Dictionary

(a.) Quick of perception; alert; sharp.

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

(1) שׁוק , shōḳ , Aramaic שׁק , shoḳ  ; (2) כּרע , kāra‛ , dual כּרעים , kerā‛ayim  ; (3) רגל , reghel  ; σκέλος , skélos  ; the King James Version translates also שׂבל , shōbhel , and צעדה , ce‛ādhāh , with "leg," but mistakenly): (1) The first Hebrew word ( shōḳ ) denotes the upper leg, and is therefore synonymous with Thigh (which see). It expresses metaphorically the muscular strength, and the pride of the runner. "He taketh no pleasure in the legs of a man" ( Psalm 147:10 ). "His legs are as pillars of marble, set upon sockets of fine gold" ( Song of Solomon 5:15 ). If the legs have lost their strength as in the lame or the Beri-beri patient, they become a metaphor for anything useless, inefficient or disappointing: "The legs of the lame hang loose; so is a parable in the mouth of fools" ( Proverbs 26:7 ). The Aramaic form is found in the description of the image of Nebuchadnezzar, "its legs of iron" ( Daniel 2:33 ). (2) Kāra‛ , dual kerā‛ayim , the "leg," "respecting the legs," mentioned as a portion of the paschal lamb ( Exodus 12:9 ), or, usually, in connection with the head and the inwards, as a sacrificial portion ( Exodus 29:17;  Leviticus 1:9 ,  Leviticus 1:13;  Amos 3:12 ). The word designates also the legs of leaping insects of the orthopterous family, locusts, etc., which were permitted as food to the Israelites ( Leviticus 11:21 ). (3) Reghel , literally, "foot" (which see), found in this sense only once: "He (Goliath) had greaves of brass upon his legs" ( 1 Samuel 17:6 ).

Two passages of wrong translation in the King James Version have been corrected by the Revised Version (British and American). The virgin daughter of Babylon is addressed: "Make bare the leg, uncover the thigh" ( Isaiah 47:2 ), the Revised Version (British and American) renders: "Strip off the train ( shōbhel ), uncover the leg," the idea being that the gentle maid, who has been brought up in affluence and luxury, will have to don the attire of a slave girl and do menial work, for which her former garments are unsuited. The other passage is in  Isaiah 3:20 , where the King James Version reads: "the bonnets, and the ornaments of the legs," the Revised Version (British and American) corrects: "the headtires ( ce‛ādhāh ), and the ankle chains."

In the New Testament the word "leg" is found only in connection with the breaking of the legs of the persons crucified with the Saviour ( John 19:31 ,  John 19:32 ,  John 19:33 ). We know from Roman and Greek authors that this was done as a coup de grace to shorten the miseries of criminals condemned to die on the cross. The practice bore the technical name of σκελοκοπία , skelokopı́a , Latin crurifragium . The verb σκελοποεῖν , skelokopeı́n ("to break the legs"), is found in the apocryphal Gospel of Peter ( 1 Peter 4:14 ), where it is distinctly stated that the legs of Jesus were not broken, that His sufferings on the cross might be extended, while the two malefactors crucified with Him were mercifully dispatched in this way. The crurifragium consisted of some strokes with a heavy club or mallet, which always materially hastened the death of the sufferer, and often caused it almost immediately.

Edersheim, in Ltjm , II, 613, suggests that the breaking of legs was an additional punishment, and that it was always followed by a coup de grace , the perforatio or percussio sub alas , a stroke with sword or lance into the side. This, however, is not borne out by any classical information which is known to me, and is contradicted by the statement of the evangelist that Jesus received the percussio, while the malefactors endured the crurifragium . Compare on this subject, especially for parallels from classical authors, Sepp, Das Leben Jesu , VII, 441, and Keim, Jesus von Nazara (English translation), VI, 253, note 3.

Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature

is the rendering of several words in the A.V. Usually the Heb. term is כָּרָע , Karla (only in the dual כְּרָעִיַם ), the lower limb or Shank of an animal ( Exodus 12:9;  Exodus 29:17;  Leviticus 1:9;  Leviticus 1:13;  Leviticus 4:11;  Leviticus 8:21;  Leviticus 9:14;  Amos 3:12) or a locust ( Leviticus 11:21); the Σκέλος of a man ( John 19:31-33). שֹׁוֹק , sh Ô k (Chald. שָׁק , Sh '''''Â''''' K'' of an image,  Daniel 2:33), is properly the shin or lower part of the leg, but used of the whole limb, e.g. of a person ( Deuteronomy 28:13;  Psalms 147:10;  Proverbs 26:7; "thigh,"  Isaiah 47:2; in the phrase "Hip [q.v.] and thigh,"  Judges 15:7; spoken also of the drawers or Leggins, Song of Solomon v. 15); also the "heave Shoulder" (q.v.) of the sacrifice ( Exodus 29:22, etc.;  1 Samuel 9:24). Once by an extension of רֶגֶל , re'gel ( 1 Samuel 17:6), properly a foot (as usually rendered). Elsewhere improperly for שֹׁבֶל , sho'bel, the train or trailing dress of a female ( Isaiah 47:2); and צְעָדָה , tseada', a step-chain for the feet, or perh. bracelet for the wrist ("ornament of the leg,"  Isaiah 3:20). (See Thigh).

Goliath's greaves for his legs doubtless extended from the knee to the foot ( 1 Samuel 17:6). (See Greaves). The bones of the legs of persons crucified were broken to hasten their death ( John 19:31). (See Crucifixion).