← H2075 H2077 →

זָבַח

𐤆𐤁𐤇

zâbach

H2076 verb

SILEX Entry

Root זבח to slaughter (for sacrifice), to offer (as a ritual act)

Definition

To slaughter or kill (specifically an animal) for the purpose of ritual sacrifice; by extension, to offer, present, or perform a sacrificial rite. Used both for the physical act of cutting the animal's throat and for conducting the prescribed offering within Israelite worship.

Semantic Range

to kill or slaughter for ritual sacrifice, to make or present an offering, to engage in a sacrificial rite, to hold a communal feast involving sacrifice

Root / Etymology

From the root זבח, which carries the sense of slaughtering—primarily for sacrificial purposes. The verb derives directly from this root and refers to the specific ritual method of slaughter used in offerings.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the Hebrew Bible, זָבַח occurs primarily in texts detailing sacrificial rituals, especially within the Torah (e.g., Leviticus, Deuteronomy) and historical books. The verb marks a distinction between ordinary killing/slaughtering (e.g., שָׁחַט, shachat, used for general butchering) and slaughter performed as an act of ritual devotion or fulfillment of a vow. During the monarchic and first Temple periods, זָבַח is closely associated with the centralized place of worship and the sacrificial system integral to Israelite religion. In some post-exilic or Deuteronomistic texts, there is an emphasis on proper location and intent when 'zavach' is performed, reflecting changing attitudes toward sacrificial practices. Later, in post-biblical Hebrew, the term may take on a broader or more symbolic sense. English translations frequently render the term as 'sacrifice,' 'offer,' or 'slaughter (for sacrifice),' but often the nuance of ritual and communal significance is lost or flattened in translation.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a primitive root; to slaughter an animal (usually in sacrifice); kill, offer, (do) sacrifice, slay.

Bantu Hebrew

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

+ Add Bantu Hebrew Word

Root Family

זבח (z-b-ḥ) — to slaughter for sacrifice, to offer ritually

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H2077 זֶבַח in the slaughter-sacrifice
H2078 זֶבַח and like Sacrifice
H4196 מִזְבֵּחַ on the sacrifice-altar

Word Forms

49 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H2076-24 וַ/יִּזְבַּ֨ח vayizebach HC/Vqw3ms and he sacrificed and he slaughtered-for-sacrifice 15
H2076-09 לִ/זְבֹּ֖חַ lizebocha HR/Vqc to sacrifice to slaughter for sacrifice 14
H2076-26 וַֽ/יִּזְבְּח֞וּ vayizebechu HC/Vqw3mp and they sacrificed they slaughtered for sacrifice 13
H2076-11 מְזַבְּחִ֖ים mezabechim HVprmpa sacrificing those slaughtering-for-sacrifice 9
H2076-47 זֹבֵ֜חַ zovecha HVqrmsa sacrifices the slaughtering-one 7
H2076-49 זֹבְחִים֮ zovechim HVqrmpa sacrificing slaughtering ones 6
H2076-14 תִזְבַּ֥ח tizebach HVqi2ms you shall sacrifice you will slaughter-for-sacrifice 5
H2076-34 וְ/זָבַחְתָּ֣ vezavacheta HC/Vqq2ms and you shall sacrifice and you shall slaughter-for-sacrifice 4
H2076-39 יִזְבְּח֥וּ yizebechu HVqi3mp they sacrifice they will slaughter-for-sacrifice 4
H2076-18 תִזְבְּח֛וּ tizebechu HVqi2mp you offer you will slaughter-for-sacrifice 3

Occurrences in Scripture

134 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H2076-24 Genesis 31:54 וַ/יִּזְבַּ֨ח vayizebach HC/Vqw3ms offered and he slaughtered-for-sacrifice
H2076-24 Genesis 46:1 וַ/יִּזְבַּ֣ח vayizebach HC/Vqw3ms and offered and he slaughtered-for-sacrifice
H2076-30 Exodus 3:18 וְ/נִזְבְּחָ֖ה venizebechah HC/Vqh1cp and let us sacrifice and let us slaughter for sacrifice
H2076-30 Exodus 5:3 וְ/נִזְבְּחָה֙ venizebechah HC/Vqh1cp and sacrifice and let us slaughter for sacrifice
H2076-13 Exodus 5:8 נִזְבְּחָ֥ה nizebechah HVqh1cp and sacrifice let us slaughter-for-sacrifice
H2076-13 Exodus 5:17 נִזְבְּחָ֥ה nizebechah HVqh1cp and sacrifice let us slaughter-for-sacrifice
H2076-31 Exodus 8:4 וְ/יִזְבְּח֖וּ veyizebechu HC/Vqj3mp that they may sacrifice and may they slaughter-for-sacrifice
H2076-46 Exodus 8:21 זִבְח֥וּ zivechu HVqv2mp sacrifice Slaughter for sacrifice!
H2076-12 Exodus 8:22 נִזְבַּ֖ח nizebach HVqi1cp we would sacrifice we will slaughter for sacrifice
H2076-12 Exodus 8:22 נִזְבַּ֞ח nizebach-2 HVqi1cp we sacrifice we will slaughter for sacrifice
← H2075 Hebrew Lexicon H2077 →