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זָבַח

𐤆𐤁𐤇

zâbach

H2076 verb

SILEX Entry

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.

Translation Consistency

primary "sacrifice" 45 occurrences

SILEX emphasizes ritual killing/offering; "sacrifice" naturally and broadly captures both the act of killing an animal for worship and the offering/ceremony aspect. It is more appropriate and less graphic than "slaughter," fits the typical theological context, and yields natural English forms for all inflections.

Alternatives (5 occurrences):
"slaughter-for-sacrifice" (4x) "sacrificers of" (1x)

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 recorded for this word yet.

Root Family

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

Root זבח to slaughter (for sacrifice), to offer (as a ritual act)
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 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H2076-24 וַ/יִּזְבַּ֖ח vayizebach HC/Vqw3ms and he sacrificed and he slaughtered-for-sacrifice and he sacrificed 15
H2076-09 לִ/זְבֹּ֣חַ lizebocha HR/Vqc to sacrifice to slaughter for sacrifice to sacrifice 14
H2076-26 וַ/יִּזְבְּח֥וּ vayizebechu HC/Vqw3mp and they sacrificed they slaughtered for sacrifice and they sacrificed 13
H2076-11 מְזַבְּחִ֖ים mezabechim HVprmpa sacrificing those slaughtering-for-sacrifice those sacrificing 9
H2076-47 זֹבֵ֣חַ zovecha HVqrmsa sacrifices the slaughtering-one the sacrificing one 7
H2076-49 זֹבְחִ֥ים zovechim HVqrmpa sacrificing slaughtering ones sacrificing ones 6
H2076-14 תִּזְבַּ֣ח tizebach HVqi2ms you shall sacrifice you will slaughter-for-sacrifice you will sacrifice 5
H2076-34 וְ/זָבַחְתָּ֞ vezavacheta HC/Vqq2ms and you shall sacrifice and you shall slaughter-for-sacrifice and you shall slaughter-for-sacrifice 4
H2076-39 יִזְבְּח֗וּ yizebechu HVqi3mp they sacrifice they will slaughter-for-sacrifice they will sacrifice 4
H2076-16 תִזְבָּֽחוּ tizebachu HVqi2mp you shall sacrifice you will slaughter-for-sacrifice you (pl) will sacrifice 3

Occurrences in Scripture

134 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H2076-24 Genesis 31:54 וַ/יִּזְבַּ֨ח vayizebach HC/Vqw3ms offered and he slaughtered-for-sacrifice and he sacrificed
H2076-24 Genesis 46:1 וַ/יִּזְבַּ֣ח vayizebach HC/Vqw3ms and offered and he slaughtered-for-sacrifice and he sacrificed
H2076-30 Exodus 3:18 וְ/נִזְבְּחָ֖ה venizebechah HC/Vqh1cp and let us sacrifice and let us slaughter for sacrifice and let us sacrifice
H2076-30 Exodus 5:3 וְ/נִזְבְּחָה֙ venizebechah HC/Vqh1cp and sacrifice and let us slaughter for sacrifice and let us sacrifice
H2076-13 Exodus 5:8 נִזְבְּחָ֥ה nizebechah HVqh1cp and sacrifice let us slaughter-for-sacrifice let us sacrifice
H2076-13 Exodus 5:17 נִזְבְּחָ֥ה nizebechah HVqh1cp and sacrifice let us slaughter-for-sacrifice let us sacrifice
H2076-31 Exodus 8:4 וְ/יִזְבְּח֖וּ veyizebechu HC/Vqj3mp that they may sacrifice and may they slaughter-for-sacrifice and may they sacrifice
H2076-46 Exodus 8:21 זִבְח֥וּ zivechu HVqv2mp sacrifice Slaughter for sacrifice! Sacrifice!
H2076-12 Exodus 8:22 נִזְבַּ֖ח nizebach HVqi1cp we would sacrifice we will slaughter for sacrifice we will slaughter for sacrifice
H2076-12 Exodus 8:22 נִזְבַּ֞ח nizebach-2 HVqi1cp we sacrifice we will slaughter for sacrifice we will slaughter for sacrifice
H2076-33 Exodus 8:23 וְ/זָבַ֨חְנוּ֙ vezavachenu HC/Vqq1cp and sacrifice and we slaughtered for sacrifice and we will sacrifice
H2076-20 Exodus 8:24 וּ/זְבַחְתֶּ֞ם uzevachetem HC/Vqq2mp that you may sacrifice and you slaughtered-for-sacrifice and you will slaughter for sacrifice
H2076-09 Exodus 8:25 לִ/זְבֹּ֖חַ lizebocha HR/Vqc to sacrifice to slaughter for sacrifice to sacrifice
H2076-47 Exodus 13:15 זֹבֵ֜חַ zovecha HVqrmsa sacrifice the slaughtering-one the sacrificing one
H2076-34 Exodus 20:24 וְ/זָבַחְתָּ֣ vezavacheta HC/Vqq2ms and you shall sacrifice and you shall slaughter-for-sacrifice and you shall sacrifice
H2076-47 Exodus 22:19 זֹבֵ֥חַ zovecha HVqrmsa sacrifices the slaughtering-one the sacrificing one
H2076-14 Exodus 23:18 תִזְבַּ֥ח tizebach HVqi2ms shall you sacrifice you will slaughter-for-sacrifice you will sacrifice
H2076-26 Exodus 24:5 וַֽ/יִּזְבְּח֞וּ vayizebechu HC/Vqw3mp and they sacrificed they slaughtered for sacrifice and they sacrificed
H2076-26 Exodus 32:8 וַ/יִּזְבְּחוּ vayizebechu HC/Vqw3mp and have sacrificed they slaughtered for sacrifice and they sacrificed
H2076-35 Exodus 34:15 וְ/זָבְחוּ֙ vezavechu HC/Vqq3cp and they sacrifice and they slaughtered-for-sacrifice and they sacrificed
H2076-09 Leviticus 9:4 לִ/זְבֹּ֨חַ֙ lizebocha HR/Vqc to sacrifice to slaughter for sacrifice to sacrifice
H2076-49 Leviticus 17:5 זֹבְחִים֮ zovechim HVqrmpa are sacrificing slaughtering ones sacrificing
H2076-35 Leviticus 17:5 וְ/זָ֨בְח֜וּ vezavechu HC/Vqq3cp and they shall sacrifice and they slaughtered-for-sacrifice and they sacrificed
H2076-39 Leviticus 17:7 יִזְבְּח֥וּ yizebechu HVqi3mp they shall sacrifice they will slaughter-for-sacrifice they will sacrifice
H2076-18 Leviticus 19:5 תִזְבְּח֛וּ tizebechu HVqi2mp you offer you will slaughter-for-sacrifice you (plural) will sacrifice
H2076-17 Leviticus 19:5 תִּזְבָּחֻֽ/הוּ tizebachuhu HVqi2mp/Sp3ms you shall offer it you shall slaughter him for sacrifice you shall offer it as a sacrifice
H2076-18 Leviticus 22:29 תִזְבְּח֥וּ tizebechu HVqi2mp you sacrifice you will slaughter-for-sacrifice you (plural) will sacrifice
H2076-16 Leviticus 22:29 תִּזְבָּֽחוּ tizebachu HVqi2mp you shall sacrifice it you will slaughter-for-sacrifice you (pl) will sacrifice
H2076-24 Numbers 22:40 וַ/יִּזְבַּ֥ח vayizebach HC/Vqw3ms and he sacrificed and he slaughtered-for-sacrifice and he sacrificed
H2076-14 Deuteronomy 12:15 תִּזְבַּ֣ח tizebach HVqi2ms you may slaughter you will slaughter-for-sacrifice you may slaughter-for-sacrifice
H2076-34 Deuteronomy 12:21 וְ/זָבַחְתָּ֞ vezavacheta HC/Vqq2ms then you shall sacrifice and you shall slaughter-for-sacrifice and you shall slaughter-for-sacrifice
H2076-15 Deuteronomy 15:21 תִזְבָּחֶ֔/נּוּ tizebachenu HVqi2ms/Sp3ms you shall sacrifice it you will sacrificially slaughter him you will sacrifice it
H2076-34 Deuteronomy 16:2 וְ/זָבַ֥חְתָּ vezavacheta HC/Vqq2ms and you shall sacrifice and you shall slaughter-for-sacrifice and you shall sacrifice
H2076-14 Deuteronomy 16:4 תִּזְבַּ֥ח tizebach HVqi2ms you sacrifice you will slaughter-for-sacrifice you will sacrifice
H2076-09 Deuteronomy 16:5 לִ/זְבֹּ֣חַ lizebocha HR/Vqc to sacrifice to slaughter for sacrifice to sacrifice
H2076-14 Deuteronomy 16:6 תִּזְבַּ֥ח tizebach HVqi2ms you shall sacrifice you will slaughter-for-sacrifice you will sacrifice
H2076-14 Deuteronomy 17:1 תִזְבַּח֩ tizebach HVqi2ms you shall sacrifice you will slaughter-for-sacrifice you will sacrifice
H2076-48 Deuteronomy 18:3 זֹבְחֵ֥י zovechey HVqrmpc those sacrificing sacrificial slaughterers of sacrificers of
H2076-34 Deuteronomy 27:7 וְ/זָבַחְתָּ֥ vezavacheta HC/Vqq2ms and you shall sacrifice and you shall slaughter-for-sacrifice and you shall slaughter-for-sacrifice
H2076-39 Deuteronomy 32:17 יִזְבְּח֗וּ yizebechu HVqi3mp They sacrificed they will slaughter-for-sacrifice they sacrificed
H2076-39 Deuteronomy 33:19 יִזְבְּח֣וּ yizebechu HVqi3mp they shall offer they will slaughter-for-sacrifice they will sacrifice
H2076-26 Joshua 8:31 וַֽ/יִּזְבְּח֖וּ vayizebechu HC/Vqw3mp and they sacrificed they slaughtered for sacrifice and they sacrificed
H2076-26 Judges 2:5 וַ/יִּזְבְּחוּ vayizebechu HC/Vqw3mp they sacrificed they slaughtered for sacrifice and they sacrificed
H2076-09 Judges 16:23 לִ/זְבֹּ֧חַ lizebocha HR/Vqc to offer to slaughter for sacrifice to sacrifice
H2076-29 1 Samuel 1:3 וְ/לִ/זְבֹּ֛חַ velizebocha HC/R/Vqc and to sacrifice and to slaughter-for-sacrifice and to slaughter-for-sacrifice
H2076-24 1 Samuel 1:4 וַ/יִּזְבַּ֖ח vayizebach HC/Vqw3ms and he sacrificed and he slaughtered-for-sacrifice and he sacrificed
H2076-09 1 Samuel 1:21 לִ/זְבֹּ֧חַ lizebocha HR/Vqc to offer to slaughter for sacrifice to sacrifice
H2076-47 1 Samuel 2:13 זֹבֵ֣חַ zovecha HVqrmsa offering the slaughtering-one sacrificing
H2076-06 1 Samuel 2:15 הַ/זֹּבֵ֔חַ hazovecha HTd/Vqrmsa who sacrificed the sacrificing one the sacrificing one
H2076-09 1 Samuel 2:19 לִ/זְבֹּ֖חַ lizebocha HR/Vqc to offer to slaughter for sacrifice to sacrifice
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