זָכוּ
𐤆𐤊𐤅
zâkûw
H2136 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Purity, innocence, or blamelessness; describes a state of being free from guilt or defilement, often used in legal, moral, or cultic contexts to indicate someone or something is ritually or ethically pure.
Semantic Range
purity, innocence, blamelessness, acquittal, ceremonial cleanness, legal innocence
Root / Etymology
Derived from the Aramaic root זכה (corresponding to the Hebrew זכה), which holds the basic sense of 'to be clean, pure, guiltless.' The noun form זָכוּ results from this root, conveying a quality or state of being pure or innocent. The cognate Hebrew noun is mostly conceptual, while the Aramaic noun is attested in biblical texts.
Historical & Contextual Notes
זָכוּ appears in Aramaic sections of the Hebrew Bible, such as Daniel and Ezra, designating individuals proclaimed innocent or pure, particularly in judicial or cultic matters. In these contexts, 'purity' can refer to moral innocence, legal acquittal, or ceremonial cleanness. In the Aramaic legal setting, זָכוּ stands in contrast to terms denoting guilt (e.g., חַיָּב in Hebrew or corresponding Aramaic terms). The Hebrew equivalent, זָכָה, is similarly used for innocence or being declared free from blame, but Aramaic זָכוּ tends to surface in later biblical literature. English translations as 'innocency' or 'purity' may obscure the connection to legal or ritual status. The concept shifted little over time, but the term’s occurrence in Aramaic rather than Hebrew marks it as related to periods of Israelite history under foreign dominance (exilic/post-exilic), when Aramaic was the lingua franca.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
(Aramaic) from a root corresponding to זָכָה; purity; innocency.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
זכה (z-k-h) — to be pure, to be innocent, to be free from guilt
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H2134 | זַךְ | and pure one |
| H2135 | זָכָה | I will be acquitted |
| H2137 | זְכוּכִית | and clear crystal |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H2136-01 |
זָכוּ֙ | zakhu | ANcfsa |
innocency | purity | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 total occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H2136-01 |
Daniel 6:23 | זָכוּ֙ | zakhu | ANcfsa |
innocency | purity |