גָּזֵל
𐤂𐤆𐤋
gâzêl
H1498 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Robbery, violent seizure or act of taking by force; refers to items or property obtained through violent means or unjust acquisition. While typically denoting the act or result of violent theft, in some contexts it can refer more generally to extorted or illicitly acquired goods.
Semantic Range
robbery, violent seizure, plunder, forcibly taken goods, thing taken by violence, unjust acquisition
Root / Etymology
From the root גזל, which means 'to seize, rob, take by force.' גָּזֵל is a substantive noun form denoting the act or objects taken by such forceful means. The term directly reflects the meaning of its root with a focus on the result or object of the action.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In biblical usage, גָּזֵל is consistently used to denote property or goods obtained through violent or unjust means, distinguishing it from more general theft (as with גנב 'to steal') which may imply stealth rather than violence. The word is most commonly found in legalistic contexts, especially in prescriptive or prohibitive sections such as in Leviticus and Ezekiel, where restitution and justice are discussed. The semantic distinction between גָּזֵל and related words sharpens the focus on violence: גֵּזֶל (also denoting theft) may overlap but sometimes has a broader or idiomatic use. English translations often use 'robbery,' 'plunder,' or 'violence,' but these sometimes miss the word's particular sense of forcible, unjust appropriation. In later texts, such as Second Temple literature, related terms may take on more abstract connotations (e.g., symbolic violence or social injustice), but the biblical usage centers on tangible acts of forceful deprivation. It is not used synonymously with terms for war spoils, which have their own technical vocabulary (e.g., שָלָל).
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from גָּזַל; robbery, or (concretely) plunder; robbery, thing taken away by violence.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
גזל (g-z-l) — to rob, seize by force, take violently
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H1469 | גּוֹזָל | his nestlings |
| H1497 | גָּזַל | he seized by force |
| H1499 | גֵּזֶל | forcible plunder |
| H1500 | גְּזֵלָה | forcible robbery |
Word Forms
3 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1498-01 |
גָזֵ֖ל | gazel | HNcmsa |
robbery | violent seizure | 2 |
H1498-03 |
בְ/גָזֵ֔ל | vegazel | HR/Ncmsa |
in-robbery | violent seizure | 1 |
H1498-02 |
וּ/בְ/גָזֵ֪ל | uvegazel | HC/R/Ncmsa |
or in robbery | and in violent seizure | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
4 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1498-03 |
Leviticus 5:21 | בְ/גָזֵ֔ל | vegazel | HR/Ncmsa |
in-robbery | violent seizure |
H1498-01 |
Isaiah 61:8 | גָזֵ֖ל | gazel | HNcmsa |
robbery | violent seizure |
H1498-01 |
Ezekiel 22:29 | גָּזֵ֑ל | gazel | HNcmsa |
robbery | violent seizure |
H1498-02 |
Psalms 62:11 | וּ/בְ/גָזֵ֪ל | uvegazel | HC/R/Ncmsa |
or in robbery | and in violent seizure |