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בָּזָה

𐤁𐤆𐤄

bâzâh

H959 verb

SILEX Entry

Definition

To regard someone or something as insignificant or worthless; to hold in contempt, scorn, or treat with disdain. The verb conveys deeply negative judgment, expressing derision or lack of respect or value. Used both for internal attitudes and outward expressions of rejection, including contempt for persons, sacred things, covenantal relationships, or divine commands.

Semantic Range

to despise, to scorn, to treat with contempt, to hold in low esteem, to disregard as insignificant, to show disdain

Root / Etymology

Root בָּזָה (b-z-h). The root expresses the sense of holding in low estimation or treating something or someone as of no value or as contemptible. The verb בָּזָה is the basic stem (Qal), typically meaning 'to despise' or 'to scorn.'

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the Hebrew Bible, בָּזָה often signals a moral or social evaluation, characterizing the subject’s attitude toward another person, an institution, or even YHWH. For example, to 'despise' a brother (Gen 25:34, Esau regarding his birthright), the divine name (Mal 1:6), or covenantal obligations (2 Sam 12:9). The term appears in judgment contexts, where contempt for divine commandments results in consequences. Occasionally, it refers to outward social status ('despised and rejected by men,' Isa 53:3), but primarily it is an evaluative term of scorn rather than describing inherent worth. Later translations (e.g., certain English versions) sometimes render it as 'to think lightly' or 'to scorn,' which may dilute the original intensity of disdain. The verb does not carry the nuance of formal cursing or active hostility but rather of a deeply rooted sense of derogation or contempt. In post-biblical and later Hebrew, derivatives and related expressions continue the sense of disdain or low estimation, though developing further nuance in different eras.

Translation Consistency

primary "despise" 40 occurrences

Despise is the most common and natural English rendering for בָּזָה and covers the full SILEX range (contempt, scorn, treating as worthless). It fits both internal attitude and outward expression and matches the dominant P2 usages, making it the best single base verb for consistent rendering.

Alternatives (3 occurrences):
"despisers" (1x) "despisers of" (1x) "treat with contempt" (1x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a primitive root; to disesteem; despise, disdain, contemn(-ptible), [phrase] think to scorn, vile person.

Bantu Hebrew

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

Root Family

בזה (Bizeyoteyah) — to despise, to scorn, to hold in contempt

Root בזה to despise, to scorn, to treat as worthless
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H5240 נְמִבְזֶה despised one
H939 בּוּזָה despised thing
H960 בָּזֹה to a despised one
H963 בִּזָּיוֹן state of contempt
H964 בִּזְיוֹתְיָה Despisings-of-Yah

Word Forms

25 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H959-10 נִבְזֶ֔ה nivezeh HVNrmsa despised despised one despised one 7
H959-01 בָּזָ֨ה bazah HVqp3fs She despises he despised he despised 5
H959-22 בָזָ֨ה vazah HVqp3ms despised he despised he despised 3
H959-02 בָּזִ֥ית bazit HVqp2fs have-despised you despised you despised 2
H959-04 בָּז֖וּי bazuy HVqsmsa despised despised one despised 2
H959-06 בּוֹזֶ֥ה bozeh HVqrmsa despises one who despises one who despises 2
H959-12 תִבְזֶֽה tivezeh HVqi2ms despise you despise you will despise 2
H959-17 וַ/תִּ֥בֶז vativez HC/Vqw3fs and she despised and she despised and she despised 2
H959-18 וַ/יִּ֣בֶז vayivez HC/Vqw3ms and he disdained and he despised and he despised 2
H959-03 בָּזִ֣יתָ bazita HVqp2ms have you despised you despised you despised 1

Occurrences in Scripture

43 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H959-18 Genesis 25:34 וַ/יִּ֥בֶז vayivez HC/Vqw3ms despised and he despised and he despised
H959-01 Numbers 15:31 בָּזָ֔ה bazah HVqp3ms he has despised he despised he despised
H959-15 1 Samuel 2:30 וּ/בֹזַ֥/י uvozay HC/Vqrmpc/Sp1cs and those who despise Me and my despisers and my despisers
H959-21 1 Samuel 10:27 וַ/יִּבְזֻ֕/הוּ vayivezuhu HC/Vqw3mp/Sp3ms they despised him they despised him they despised him
H959-19 1 Samuel 17:42 וַ/יִּבְזֵ֑/הוּ vayivezehu HC/Vqw3ms/Sp3ms and disdained him and he despised him and he despised him
H959-17 2 Samuel 6:16 וַ/תִּ֥בֶז vativez HC/Vqw3fs and she despised and she despised and she despised
H959-03 2 Samuel 12:9 בָּזִ֣יתָ bazita HVqp2ms have you despised you despised you despised
H959-25 2 Samuel 12:10 בְזִתָ֔/נִי vezitani HVqp2ms/Sp1cs you have despised me you despised me you have despised me
H959-01 2 Kings 19:21 בָּזָ֨ה bazah HVqp3fs She despises he despised she despised
H959-01 Isaiah 37:22 בָּזָ֨ה bazah HVqp3fs has despised he despised has despised
H959-10 Isaiah 53:3 נִבְזֶה֙ nivezeh HVNrmsa despised despised one despised one
H959-10 Isaiah 53:3 נִבְזֶ֖ה nivezeh-2 HVNrmsa despised despised one despised one
H959-10 Jeremiah 22:28 נִבְזֶ֜ה nivezeh HVNrmsa despised despised one despised one
H959-04 Jeremiah 49:15 בָּז֖וּי bazuy HVqsmsa despised despised one despised one
H959-02 Ezekiel 16:59 בָּזִ֥ית bazit HVqp2fs have-despised you despised you despised
H959-01 Ezekiel 17:16 בָּזָה֙ bazah HVqp3ms despised he despised he despised
H959-13 Ezekiel 17:18 וּ/בָזָ֥ה uvazah HC/Vqp3ms and he despised and he despised and he despised
H959-01 Ezekiel 17:19 בָּזָ֔ה bazah HVqp3ms he despised he despised he despised
H959-02 Ezekiel 22:8 בָּזִ֑ית bazit HVqp2fs you have despised you despised you despised
H959-04 Obadiah 1:2 בָּז֥וּי bazuy HVqsmsa despised despised one despised
H959-08 Malachi 1:6 בּוֹזֵ֣י bozey HVqrmpc despisers-of despisers of despisers of
H959-23 Malachi 1:6 בָזִ֖ינוּ vazinu HVqp1cp we-despised we treated as worthless we despised
H959-10 Malachi 1:7 נִבְזֶ֥ה nivezeh HVNrmsa is despised despised one despised one
H959-10 Malachi 1:12 נִבְזֶ֥ה nivezeh HVNrmsa despised despised one despised
H959-11 Malachi 2:9 נִבְזִ֥ים nivezim HVNsmpa despised despised ones despised ones
H959-10 Psalms 15:4 נִבְזֶ֤ה nivezeh HVNrmsa despised despised one despised one
H959-14 Psalms 22:7 וּ/בְז֥וּי uvezuy HC/Vqsmsc and despised and despised one and despised
H959-22 Psalms 22:25 בָזָ֨ה vazah HVqp3ms despised he despised he despised
H959-12 Psalms 51:19 תִבְזֶֽה tivezeh HVqi2ms despise you despise you will despise
H959-22 Psalms 69:34 בָזָֽה vazah HVqp3ms despised he despised he despised
H959-12 Psalms 73:20 תִּבְזֶֽה tivezeh HVqi2ms you will despise you despise you will despise
H959-22 Psalms 102:18 בָ֝זָ֗ה vazah HVqp3ms despised he despised he despised
H959-24 Psalms 119:141 וְ/נִבְזֶ֑ה venivezeh HC/VNrmsa and-despised and being despised and despised
H959-07 Proverbs 14:2 בּוֹזֵֽ/הוּ bozehu HVqrmsc/Sp3ms despises Him the one despising him the one despising him
H959-06 Proverbs 15:20 בּוֹזֶ֥ה bozeh HVqrmsa despises one who despises one who despises
H959-06 Proverbs 19:16 בּוֹזֵ֖ה bozeh HVqrmsc he who despises one who despises one who despises
H959-05 Ecclesiastes 9:16 בְּזוּיָ֔ה bezuyah HVqsfsa is despised despised woman is despised
H959-09 Esther 1:17 לְ/הַבְז֥וֹת lehavezot HR/Vhc to despise to treat with contempt to treat with contempt
H959-18 Esther 3:6 וַ/יִּ֣בֶז vayivez HC/Vqw3ms and he disdained and he despised and he despised
H959-10 Daniel 11:21 נִבְזֶ֔ה nivezeh HVNrmsa despised despised one despised one
H959-20 Nehemiah 2:19 וַ/יִּבְז֖וּ vayivezu HC/Vqw3mp and they despised and they despised and they despised
H959-17 1 Chronicles 15:29 וַ/תִּ֥בֶז vativez HC/Vqw3fs and she despised and she despised and she despised
H959-16 2 Chronicles 36:16 וּ/בוֹזִ֣ים uvozim HC/Vqrmpa and despising and those who despise and those who despise
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