← H2113 H2115 →

זוּר

𐤆𐤅𐤓

zûwr

H2114 adjective

SILEX Entry

Definition

To be or become a stranger, foreign or alien, to act as an outsider; by extension, to act in a way that deviates from what is considered familiar, familial, or sacred. This includes being a foreigner or outsider to a group, something that is profane (not part of the sacred, or ritually acceptable), or, in some contexts, to be adulterous or unfaithful, especially of a woman violating marriage norms. Semantic range extends from literal foreignness or estrangement, to figurative unfaithfulness or violation of established norms.

Semantic Range

to be a stranger, to become an outsider, to be foreign or alien, to act in a profane or unsanctioned manner, to adulterate, to estrange, to commit adultery, to participate inappropriately in ritual or social contexts, to deviate from accepted roles

Root / Etymology

Root: זוּר (zûwr). The root ז־ו־ר refers to being or becoming a stranger, outsider, or alien. The derived verb describes the action or state of becoming foreign or unfamiliar. The participle form is often used substantivally to mean 'stranger' or 'alien.'

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the Hebrew Bible, זוּר is used both as a verb ('to be/become a stranger or act as an outsider') and as an adjective or substantive ('strange, outsider'). In legal and ritual contexts, it often refers to non-Israelite individuals (e.g., 'foreigners' in Leviticus 22:25; Numbers 1:51), or to people unqualified to participate in sacred activities (e.g., non-priests entering sanctuary, Numbers 3:10). In wisdom and prophetic literature, it can denote a person acting contrary to expected social or covenantal norms, particularly in reference to sexual or religious fidelity (Proverbs 5:3, 'strange woman,' i.e., an adulterous or foreign woman). Over time, the term gained strong connotations of both literal and figurative outsider status, including ritual impurity, religious apostasy, and marital infidelity. This is distinct from related roots נכר (nokhrî, 'foreigner, alien') and גר (gēr, 'sojourner or resident alien'), which frequently denote legal or protected foreignness, whereas זוּר highlights estrangement or unsanctioned separation. English translations sometimes restrict the term to 'stranger' or 'alien,' but its use in Hebrew includes broader senses of estrangement, deviation from norm, and unauthorized participation.

Translation Consistency

primary "foreign" 46 occurrences

'Foreign' is the most frequent and natural rendering in the data and cleanly expresses the root’s primary sense of being an outsider/alien or unfamiliar. It covers literal foreignness, estrangement/alienation, and the figurative sense of being outside accepted/ritual norms (including unfaithfulness) while remaining a simple, consistent adjective for all forms.

Alternatives (4 occurrences):
"foreigners" (2x) "enemies" (1x) "strangers" (1x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a primitive root; to turn aside (especially for lodging); hence to be aforeigner, strange, profane; specifically (active participle) to commit adultery; (come from) another (man, place), fanner, go away, (e-) strange(-r, thing, woman).

Bantu Hebrew

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

Root Family

זור (zûwr) — to become strange, to be alien, to be estranged, to be foreign

Root זור to become strange, to be alien, to be estranged, to be foreign
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H2116 זוּרֶה the winnowed one
H2223 זַרְזִיר girded swift-beast of
H4204 מָזוֹר wound
H4205 מָזוֹר binding bandage

Word Forms

19 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H2114-16 זָרִ֑ים zarim HAampa strangers foreign ones foreign ones 25
H2114-13 זָ֤ר zar HAamsa stranger foreign one foreign one 20
H2114-14 זָרָ֖ה zarah HAafsa strange foreign foreign 8
H2114-09 וְ/הַ/זָּ֥ר vehazar HC/Td/Aamsa and the outsider and the foreign one and the foreign one 4
H2114-06 לְ/זָרִ֔ים lezarim HR/Aampa for strangers to foreign ones to foreign ones 2
H2114-08 נָזֹ֨רוּ֙ nazoru HVNp3cp they are estranged they have become estranged they have become foreign 2
H2114-10 וְ/זָ֥ר vezar HC/Aamsa and stranger and alien one and foreign one 2
H2114-17 זָר֑וֹת zarot HAafpa of strange women foreign women foreign women 2
H2114-18 זָ֥רוּ zaru HVqp3cp are estranged they became estranged they became estranged 2
H2114-01 בְּ/זָרִ֑ים bezarim HR/Aampa with foreign gods with foreign ones with foreign ones 1

Occurrences in Scripture

77 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H2114-10 Exodus 29:33 וְ/זָ֥ר vezar HC/Aamsa and stranger and alien one and foreign one
H2114-14 Exodus 30:9 זָרָ֖ה zarah HAafsa strange foreign foreign
H2114-13 Exodus 30:33 זָ֑ר zar HAamsa a stranger foreign one foreign one
H2114-14 Leviticus 10:1 זָרָ֔ה zarah HAafsa unauthorized foreign foreign
H2114-13 Leviticus 22:10 זָ֖ר zar HAamsa outsider foreign one foreign one
H2114-13 Leviticus 22:12 זָ֑ר zar HAamsa stranger foreign one foreign one
H2114-13 Leviticus 22:13 זָ֖ר zar HAamsa stranger foreign one foreign one
H2114-09 Numbers 1:51 וְ/הַ/זָּ֥ר vehazar HC/Td/Aamsa and the outsider and the foreign one and the foreign one
H2114-14 Numbers 3:4 זָרָ֜ה zarah HAafsa strange foreign foreign
H2114-09 Numbers 3:10 וְ/הַ/זָּ֥ר vehazar HC/Td/Aamsa and-the-outsider and the foreign one and the foreign one
H2114-09 Numbers 3:38 וְ/הַ/זָּ֥ר vehazar HC/Td/Aamsa and-the-stranger and the foreign one and the foreign one
H2114-13 Numbers 17:5 זָ֗ר zar HAamsa stranger foreign one foreign one
H2114-10 Numbers 18:4 וְ/זָ֖ר vezar HC/Aamsa and-stranger and alien one and foreign one
H2114-09 Numbers 18:7 וְ/הַ/זָּ֥ר vehazar HC/Td/Aamsa and the stranger and the foreign one and the foreign one
H2114-14 Numbers 26:61 זָרָ֖ה zarah HAafsa unauthorized foreign foreign
H2114-13 Deuteronomy 25:5 זָ֑ר zar HAamsa stranger foreign one foreign one
H2114-01 Deuteronomy 32:16 בְּ/זָרִ֑ים bezarim HR/Aampa with foreign gods with foreign ones with foreign ones
H2114-13 1 Kings 3:18 זָ֤ר zar HAamsa stranger foreign one foreign one
H2114-16 2 Kings 19:24 זָרִ֑ים zarim HAampa foreign foreign ones foreign ones
H2114-08 Isaiah 1:4 נָזֹ֥רוּ nazoru HVNp3cp they have turned away they have become estranged they have become foreign
H2114-16 Isaiah 1:7 זָרִים֙ zarim HAampa strangers foreign ones foreign ones
H2114-16 Isaiah 1:7 זָרִֽים zarim-2 HAampa by strangers foreign ones foreign ones
H2114-13 Isaiah 17:10 זָ֖ר zar HAamsa foreign foreign one foreign one
H2114-16 Isaiah 25:2 זָרִים֙ zarim HAampa of foreigners foreign ones foreign ones
H2114-16 Isaiah 25:5 זָרִ֖ים zarim HAampa of foreigners foreign ones foreign ones
H2114-13 Isaiah 28:21 זָ֣ר zar HAamsa strange foreign one foreign one
H2114-15 Isaiah 29:5 זָרָ֑יִ/ךְ zarayikhe HAampc/Sp2fs of your enemies your alien ones your enemies
H2114-13 Isaiah 43:12 זָ֑ר zar HAamsa strange god foreign one foreign one
H2114-16 Isaiah 61:5 זָרִ֔ים zarim HAampa Strangers foreign ones foreign ones
H2114-16 Jeremiah 2:25 זָרִ֖ים zarim HAampa strangers foreign ones foreign ones
H2114-04 Jeremiah 3:13 לַ/זָּרִ֗ים lazarim HRd/Aampa to the strangers to the foreign ones to the strangers
H2114-16 Jeremiah 5:19 זָרִ֔ים zarim HAampa strangers foreign ones foreign ones
H2114-16 Jeremiah 18:14 זָרִ֥ים zarim HAampa foreign/strange foreign ones foreign ones
H2114-16 Jeremiah 30:8 זָרִֽים zarim HAampa strangers foreign ones foreign ones
H2114-16 Jeremiah 51:2 זָרִים֙ zarim HAampa strangers foreign ones foreign ones
H2114-16 Jeremiah 51:51 זָרִ֔ים zarim HAampa foreigners foreign ones foreign ones
H2114-02 Ezekiel 7:21 הַ/זָּרִים֙ hazarim HTd/Aampa the foreigners the alien ones the foreigners
H2114-16 Ezekiel 11:9 זָרִ֑ים zarim HAampa strangers foreign ones foreign ones
H2114-08 Ezekiel 14:5 נָזֹ֨רוּ֙ nazoru HVNp3cp they are estranged they have become estranged they have become foreign
H2114-16 Ezekiel 16:32 זָרִֽים zarim HAampa strangers foreign ones foreign ones
H2114-16 Ezekiel 28:7 זָרִ֔ים zarim HAampa strangers foreign ones foreign ones
H2114-16 Ezekiel 28:10 זָרִ֑ים zarim HAampa strangers foreign ones foreign ones
H2114-16 Ezekiel 30:12 זָרִ֔ים zarim HAampa foreigners foreign ones foreign ones
H2114-16 Ezekiel 31:12 זָרִ֛ים zarim HAampa foreigners foreign ones foreign ones
H2114-16 Hosea 5:7 זָרִ֖ים zarim HAampa alien foreign ones foreign ones
H2114-16 Hosea 7:9 זָרִים֙ zarim HAampa strangers foreign ones foreign ones
H2114-16 Hosea 8:7 זָרִ֖ים zarim HAampa strangers foreign ones foreign ones
H2114-13 Hosea 8:12 זָ֖ר zar HAamsa a strange thing foreign one foreign one
H2114-12 Joel 4:17 וְ/זָרִ֥ים vezarim HC/Aampa and foreigners alien ones and foreigners
H2114-16 Obadiah 1:11 זָרִ֖ים zarim HAampa strangers foreign ones foreign ones
← H2113 Hebrew Lexicon H2115 →