← H3576 H3578 →

כָּזָב

𐤊𐤆𐤁

kâzâb

H3577 noun

SILEX Entry

Root כזב to lie, to be false, to deceive

Definition

Falsehood or intentional untruth; deliberate deception or misrepresentation of reality. In broader use, it can denote anything that is not reliable or does not correspond to actuality, encompassing lying, deception, and acts or words devoid of truth. Sometimes used figuratively for worthless or impotent things, including idols, understood as things that promise but cannot deliver.

Semantic Range

falsehood, lie, deceptive thing, deception, delusion, unreality, idol (as something powerless or false), worthless thing, unfaithfulness

Root / Etymology

From the root כָּזַב (k-z-b), meaning 'to lie' or 'to be false.' כָּזָב is the nominal form derived from this root, denoting 'falsehood' or 'deceit.' The root connotes the act of making a statement or representation known to be untrue, or the condition of being false.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the Hebrew Bible, כָּזָב occurs primarily as a synonym for 'lie' or 'falsehood.' Its use can express the concept of an outright spoken untruth (as in a verbal lie), but extends to anything deceptive or unreliable, including deceptive behavior or vain hope. In some poetic and prophetic texts (cf. Isaiah 44:20; Jeremiah 16:19), כָּזָב is applied to idols, emphasizing their inability to manifest power or truth—hence 'falsehoods' or 'delusions.' In contrast to אֱמֶת (ʾemet, 'truth, reliability'), כָּזָב marks the opposite pole: what is untrustworthy, deceptive, or illusory. English translations sometimes narrow its meaning to 'lying' or 'lie,' but the word has a broader semantic field, including concepts of emptiness, unreliability, or deception beyond mere false speech. Over time, the term's core association with verbal untruth expands to denote unreliable or futile objects or hopes. Not to be confused with שֶׁקֶר (sheqer), another Hebrew term for 'lie,' which overlaps in meaning but can emphasize specific, wrongful speech in legal contexts. In later Jewish tradition (e.g., post-biblical Hebrew and Aramaic), כָּזָב retains its association with false statements and deception, consistently contrasted with truth.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from כָּזַב; falsehood; literally (untruth) or figuratively (idol); deceitful, false, leasing, + liar, lie, lying.

Bantu Hebrew

No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.

+ Add Bantu Hebrew Word

Root Family

כזב (k-z-b) — to lie, to be false, to deceive

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H3538 כְּדַב deceitful
H3576 כָּזַב I falsely-declare
H3578 כֹּזְבָא Kozeba
H3579 כֹּזְבִי She-who-deceives
H3580 כְּזִיב Deception-Place

Word Forms

4 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H3577-01 כָּזָ֔ב kazav HNcmsa lie falsehood 11
H3577-03 כָזָ֛ב khazav HNcmsa lies falsehood 9
H3577-02 כְּזָבִֽים kezavim HNcmpa lies deceptions 8
H3577-04 כִּזְבֵי/הֶ֔ם kizeveyhem HNcmpc/Sp3mp their lies their falsehoods 1

Occurrences in Scripture

29 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H3577-03 Isaiah 28:15 כָזָ֛ב khazav HNcmsa lies falsehood
H3577-03 Isaiah 28:17 כָזָ֔ב khazav HNcmsa of lies falsehood
H3577-01 Ezekiel 13:6 כָּזָ֔ב kazav HNcmsa lie falsehood
H3577-01 Ezekiel 13:7 כָּזָ֖ב kazav HNcmsa lying falsehood
H3577-01 Ezekiel 13:8 כָּזָ֑ב kazav HNcmsa lies falsehood
H3577-01 Ezekiel 13:9 כָּזָב֒ kazav HNcmsa lie falsehood
H3577-03 Ezekiel 13:19 כָזָֽב khazav HNcmsa lies falsehood
H3577-01 Ezekiel 21:34 כָּזָ֑ב kazav HNcmsa lie falsehood
H3577-01 Ezekiel 22:28 כָּזָ֑ב kazav HNcmsa lies falsehood
H3577-02 Hosea 7:13 כְּזָבִֽים kezavim HNcmpa lies deceptions
← H3576 Hebrew Lexicon H3578 →