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זוּב

𐤆𐤅𐤁

zûwb

H2100 verb

SILEX Entry

Definition

To flow or ooze out, particularly of liquid from a source or body. Primarily denotes the act of continuous or chronic discharge of liquid, whether involuntary or as a symptom of disease. In medical or ritual contexts, refers to bodily discharges (especially of genital origin—seminal or menstrual), which render a person ritually impure. Figuratively, sometimes extended to describe a wasting away or draining condition.

Semantic Range

to flow or ooze (especially liquid), to have a persistent or abnormal bodily discharge, to be afflicted with a pathological flux, to waste away (figurative), to overflow (of water), to trickle or seep

Root / Etymology

Root: זוּב. The root conveys the basic idea of liquid seeping, running, or dripping from an opening. The verb is a primary, old Semitic root with cognates in other Northwest Semitic languages showing the notion of 'to flow' or 'drip.' The usage in Biblical Hebrew is consistent with this core idea, though it particularly marks out prolonged or unceasing flow rather than sudden gushes.

Historical & Contextual Notes

זוּב appears mostly in priestly and legal narratives relating to ritual purity, especially in Leviticus (Lev 15; cf. Lev 12:7). The term distinguishes the prolonged or abnormal flow from brief or normal bodily emissions, leading to ritual impurity for both men and women. It is predominantly used of genital effluence: for males, an abnormal emission (not semen) associated with illness; for females, unusual, extended menstrual or non-menstrual bleeding. By extension, the verb is occasionally applied in poetic texts to other types of continuous flow, such as water from a spring or other sources. The usual English translation 'to have an issue' does not fully capture the explicit medical and ritual context of the Hebrew. Later rabbinic tradition, developing after the Hebrew Bible, categorizes types of 'zav' impurity in further detail. The figurative sense—'to waste away, be drained'—is rare but arises from the physical wasting caused by loss of bodily fluids. The term is distinct from שׁפך ('pour out') and נזל ('trickle'), both of which have greater emphasis on intensity or directionality, while זוּב focuses on persistence and continuity of flow.

Translation Consistency

primary "flow" 33 occurrences

'Flow' is the most natural, versatile verb that captures the primary sense of זּוּב: a continuous or abnormal issuing of liquid (including bodily discharges) and movement of water. It is the most common render in the data and works for medical/ritual and figurative uses (draining/wasting) better than more technical alternatives like 'discharge.'

Alternatives (9 occurrences):
"flowing-one" (5x) "discharge" (1x) "who has a discharge" (1x) "gushed" (1x) "waste away" (1x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a primitive root; to flow freely (as water), i.e. (specifically) to have a (sexual) flux; figuratively, to waste away; also to overflow; flow, gush out, have a (running) issue, pine away, run.

Bantu Hebrew

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

Root Family

זוב (z-w-b) — to flow, to ooze, to drip, to trickle continuously

Root זוּב to flow, to ooze, to drip, to trickle continuously
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H2101 זוֹב his abnormal discharge

Word Forms

9 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H2100-08 זָבַ֥ת zavat HVqrfsc flowing flowing flowing 20
H2100-01 הַ/זָּ֖ב hazav HTd/Vqrmsa the one with discharge the discharging one the one who flows 9
H2100-07 זָ֣ב zav HVqrmsa a discharge flowing-one flowing-one 5
H2100-03 וַ/יָּזֻ֖בוּ vayazuvu HC/Vqw3mp and they gushed out and they kept flowing and they kept flowing 3
H2100-04 וְ/הַ/זָּב֙ vehazav HC/Td/Vqrmsa and-the-one-having-discharge and the one who oozes and the one who has a discharge 1
H2100-02 תָז֖וּב tazuv HVqi3fs she-flows she will ooze she flows 1
H2100-06 יָז֨וּבוּ֙ yazuvu HVqi3mp waste away they will ooze waste away 1
H2100-05 יָזוּב֩ yazuv HVqi3ms flows-out he will ooze flows 1
H2100-09 זֹבָ֖/הּ zovah HNcmsc/Sp3fs her discharge her flowing discharge her discharge 1

Occurrences in Scripture

42 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H2100-08 Exodus 3:8 זָבַ֥ת zavat HVqrfsc flowing with flowing flowing
H2100-08 Exodus 3:17 זָבַ֥ת zavat HVqrfsc flowing with flowing flowing
H2100-08 Exodus 13:5 זָבַ֥ת zavat HVqrfsc flowing flowing flowing
H2100-08 Exodus 33:3 זָבַ֥ת zavat HVqrfsc flowing flowing flowing
H2100-07 Leviticus 15:2 זָ֣ב zav HVqrmsa a discharge flowing-one flowing-one
H2100-01 Leviticus 15:4 הַ/זָּ֖ב hazav HTd/Vqrmsa the one with discharge the discharging one the one who flows
H2100-01 Leviticus 15:6 הַ/זָּ֑ב hazav HTd/Vqrmsa the one with discharge the discharging one the one who flows
H2100-01 Leviticus 15:7 הַ/זָּ֑ב hazav HTd/Vqrmsa the one with discharge the discharging one the one who flows
H2100-01 Leviticus 15:8 הַ/זָּ֖ב hazav HTd/Vqrmsa the one with discharge the discharging one the one who flows
H2100-01 Leviticus 15:9 הַ/זָּ֖ב hazav HTd/Vqrmsa the one with discharge the discharging one the one who flows
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