זָכַר

𐤆𐤊𐤓

zâkar

H2142 verb

SILEX Entry

Definition

To call to mind or remember (something or someone), to think of, recall, or bring to awareness; also, to make mention of, recount, or commemorate; occasionally, to act upon what is remembered. The word can refer to active remembrance in ritual or prayer, verbal mention in speech, or inner recollection. In pi‘el and hiph‘il stems, also refers to causing to be remembered, public commemoration, or record-keeping. Lexically distinct from the related nominal form זָכָר (zâkâr, 'male'), but shares the root as a denominative in a few rare cases.

Semantic Range

to remember, to recall, to bring to mind, to mention, to make a record, to commemorate, to be mindful, to be remembered (passive), to invoke, to act in response to remembrance

Root / Etymology

From the root זָכַר (z-k-r), which denotes the notion 'to remember, recall, record'. The nominal form זָכָר (zâkâr) means 'male', possibly originating from early associations with commemoration or marking. The verb usually expresses an action of the mind (remembering), speech (mentioning), or public ritual (commemorating). A few uses are denominative from the noun, but the main verb is not limited to gendered meaning. Phonologically, corresponds with Northwest Semitic cognates (Ugaritic dkr, Akkadian zakāru) meaning 'to remember, mention'.

Historical & Contextual Notes

Throughout the Hebrew Bible, זָכַר predominantly describes the act of remembering, both by individuals and by the deity, ranging from simple recollection to covenantal acts where remembrance leads to action (e.g., divine remembrance leads to deliverance or judgment). In ritual contexts, to 'mention' someone's name is to invoke or remember them publically, often in liturgical or official settings (cf. memorial offerings, record-keeping). The verb distinguishes itself from synonyms such as שָׁכַח (shakach, 'to forget') and נָכַר (nākhar, 'to recognize'), by emphasizing inner recollection or public memorization rather than mere recognition or absence of memory. Occasionally, in Later Biblical Hebrew and cognate languages, the root can be extended metaphorically to mean 'to consider', 'to be mindful of', or 'to make oneself known'. English translations as 'to remember' or 'to make mention of' generally capture the core meaning, but sometimes fail to convey the fullness of ritual, legal, or commemorative overtones present in Hebrew usage.

Translation Consistency

primary "remember" 44 occurrences

'Remember' is the most natural and common English rendering for H2142 and fits the full semantic range (to call to mind, recall, mention, commemorate, be remembered). It is already the predominant choice in the corpus, and other senses (passive, causative, commemorative, or record-keeping) can be handled by voice, auxiliaries, or context (e.g. 'is remembered', 'causes to remember', 'remembers/remembered') while keeping a single consistent base verb.

Alternatives (6 occurrences):
"mention" (3x) "male" (1x) "causing remembrance" (1x) "when it was mentioned" (1x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a primitive root; also as denominative from זָכָר; properly, to mark (so as to be recognized), i.e. to remember; by implication, to mention; to be male; [idiom] burn (incense), [idiom] earnestly, be male, (make) mention (of), be mindful, recount, record(-er), remember, make to be remembered, bring (call, come, keep, put) to (in) remembrance, [idiom] still, think on, [idiom] well.

Bantu Hebrew

Language Bantu Word Transliteration Meaning
Kikongo kumbuka to remember, call to mind
Kinyarwanda kwibuka to remember, to commemorate
Kirundi kwibuka to remember
Lingala kumbuka to remember, recall, commemorate
Swahili kumbuka to remember, recall, commemorate

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Root Family

זכר (Zakur) — to remember, to recall, to mention

Root זכר to remember, to mention, to recall, to commemorate
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H1798 דְּכַר male rams
H2138 זָכוּר her male
H2139 זַכּוּר and Remembered-one
H2143 זֵכֶר for remembrance of
H2144 זֶכֶר and Zeker

Word Forms

82 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H2142-78 זְכֹ֞ר zekhor HVqv2ms Remember Remember! Remember 18
H2142-64 זָכַ֞ר zakhar HVqp3ms remembered male remembered 12
H2142-73 זְכָר zekhar HVqv2ms remember remember! remember 11
H2142-68 זָכְרָ֕/ה zakherah HVqv2ms/Sh remember she remembered remember 9
H2142-37 תִּזְכֹּ֗ר tizekor HVqj2ms remember you will remember you will remember 8
H2142-47 וַ/יִּזְכֹּ֤ר vayizekor HC/Vqw3ms and remembered and he remembered and he remembered 8
H2142-51 וְ/זָכַרְתָּ֖ vezakhareta HC/Vqq2ms and you shall remember and you will remember and you will remember 8
H2142-71 זָכֹ֣ר zakhor HVqa remember remembering remember 8
H2142-10 הַ/מַּזְכִּֽיר hamazekir HTd/Vhrmsa the recorder the one who causes to remember the one who causes to remember 7
H2142-63 יִזְכֹּ֖ר yizekor HVqi3ms he-remembers he will remember he will remember 7

Occurrences in Scripture

235 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H2142-47 Genesis 8:1 וַ/יִּזְכֹּ֤ר vayizekor HC/Vqw3ms and remembered and he remembered and he remembered
H2142-53 Genesis 9:15 וְ/זָכַרְתִּ֣י vezakhareti HC/Vqq1cs and I will remember and I remembered and I will remember
H2142-21 Genesis 9:16 לִ/זְכֹּר֙ lizekor HR/Vqc to remember to remember to remember
H2142-47 Genesis 19:29 וַ/יִּזְכֹּ֥ר vayizekor HC/Vqw3ms and remembered and he remembered and he remembered
H2142-47 Genesis 30:22 וַ/יִּזְכֹּ֥ר vayizekor HC/Vqw3ms remembered and he remembered and he remembered
H2142-76 Genesis 40:14 זְכַרְתַּ֣/נִי zekharetani HVqp2ms/Sp1cs you remember me you remembered me you remember me
H2142-48 Genesis 40:14 וְ/הִזְכַּרְתַּ֨/נִי֙ vehizekaretani HC/Vhq2ms/Sp1cs and mention me and you caused me to be remembered and you mention me
H2142-64 Genesis 40:23 זָכַ֧ר zakhar HVqp3ms remember male remembered
H2142-23 Genesis 41:9 מַזְכִּ֥יר mazekir HVhrmsa remember the one who causes remembrance the one who causes someone to remember
H2142-47 Genesis 42:9 וַ/יִּזְכֹּ֣ר vayizekor HC/Vqw3ms remembered and he remembered and he remembered
H2142-47 Exodus 2:24 וַ/יִּזְכֹּ֤ר vayizekor HC/Vqw3ms and God remembered and he remembered and he remembered
H2142-43 Exodus 6:5 וָ/אֶזְכֹּ֖ר vaezekor HC/Vqw1cs and I have remembered and I remembered and I remembered
H2142-71 Exodus 13:3 זָכ֞וֹר zakhor HVqa remember remembering remember
H2142-71 Exodus 20:8 זָכ֛וֹר zakhor HVqa Remember remembering remember
H2142-01 Exodus 20:24 אַזְכִּ֣יר azekir HVhi1cs I cause to be remembered I will cause to be remembered I will cause to be remembered
H2142-27 Exodus 23:13 תַזְכִּ֔ירוּ tazekiru HVhi2mp you shall mention you will cause to remember you shall mention
H2142-78 Exodus 32:13 זְכֹ֡ר zekhor HVqv2ms remember Remember! Remember
H2142-28 Exodus 34:19 תִּזָּכָ֔ר tizakhar HVNi3fs the firstborn she will be remembered male
H2142-53 Leviticus 26:42 וְ/זָכַרְתִּ֖י vezakhareti HC/Vqq1cs then I will remember and I remembered and I will remember
H2142-09 Leviticus 26:42 אֶזְכֹּ֖ר ezekor HVqi1cs I will remember I will remember I will remember
H2142-09 Leviticus 26:42 אֶזְכֹּֽר ezekor-2 HVqi1cs I will remember I will remember I will remember
H2142-53 Leviticus 26:45 וְ/זָכַרְתִּ֥י vezakhareti HC/Vqq1cs and-I-will-remember and I remembered and I will remember
H2142-22 Numbers 5:15 מַזְכֶּ֥רֶת mazekeret HVhrfsa bringing to remembrance causing remembrance causing remembrance
H2142-44 Numbers 10:9 וֲ/נִזְכַּרְתֶּ֗ם vanizekaretem HC/VNq2mp and you will be remembered and you will be remembered and you will be remembered
H2142-65 Numbers 11:5 זָכַ֨רְנוּ֙ zakharenu HVqp1cp we remember we remembered we remember
H2142-41 Numbers 15:39 וּ/זְכַרְתֶּם֙ uzekharetem HC/Vqq2mp and remember and you shall remember and you shall remember
H2142-36 Numbers 15:40 תִּזְכְּר֔וּ tizekeru HVqi2mp you may remember you will remember you will remember
H2142-51 Deuteronomy 5:15 וְ/זָכַרְתָּ֗ vezakhareta HC/Vqq2ms and you shall remember and you will remember and you will remember
H2142-71 Deuteronomy 7:18 זָכֹ֣ר zakhor HVqa remember remembering remember
H2142-37 Deuteronomy 7:18 תִּזְכֹּ֗ר tizekor HVqi2ms you shall remember you will remember you will remember
H2142-51 Deuteronomy 8:2 וְ/זָכַרְתָּ֣ vezakhareta HC/Vqq2ms and-you-shall-remember and you will remember and you will remember
H2142-51 Deuteronomy 8:18 וְ/זָֽכַרְתָּ֙ vezakhareta HC/Vqq2ms you shall remember and you will remember and you will remember
H2142-78 Deuteronomy 9:7 זְכֹר֙ zekhor HVqv2ms Remember Remember! Remember
H2142-78 Deuteronomy 9:27 זְכֹר֙ zekhor HVqv2ms remember Remember! Remember
H2142-51 Deuteronomy 15:15 וְ/זָכַרְתָּ֗ vezakhareta HC/Vqq2ms and you shall remember and you will remember and you will remember
H2142-37 Deuteronomy 16:3 תִּזְכֹּר֔ tizekor HVqi2ms you may remember you will remember you will remember
H2142-51 Deuteronomy 16:12 וְ/זָ֣כַרְתָּ֔ vezakhareta HC/Vqq2ms and you shall remember and you will remember and you will remember
H2142-71 Deuteronomy 24:9 זָכ֕וֹר zakhor HVqa Remember remembering remember
H2142-51 Deuteronomy 24:18 וְ/זָכַרְתָּ֗ vezakhareta HC/Vqq2ms and you shall remember and you will remember and you will remember
H2142-51 Deuteronomy 24:22 וְ/זָ֣כַרְתָּ֔ vezakhareta HC/Vqq2ms and you shall remember and you will remember and you will remember
H2142-71 Deuteronomy 25:17 זָכ֕וֹר zakhor HVqa Remember remembering remember
H2142-78 Deuteronomy 32:7 זְכֹר֙ zekhor HVqv2ms Remember Remember! Remember
H2142-71 Joshua 1:13 זָכוֹר֙ zakhor HVqa Remember remembering remember
H2142-27 Joshua 23:7 תַזְכִּ֨ירוּ֙ tazekiru HVhi2mp mention you will cause to remember you mention
H2142-70 Judges 8:34 זָֽכְרוּ֙ zakheru HVqp3cp remembered they remembered they remembered
H2142-41 Judges 9:2 וּ/זְכַרְתֶּ֕ם uzekharetem HC/Vqp2mp and remember and you shall remember and you shall remember
H2142-69 Judges 16:28 זָכְרֵ֣/נִי zakhereni HVqv2ms/Sp1cs remember me remember me remember me
H2142-40 1 Samuel 1:11 וּ/זְכַרְתַּ֨/נִי֙ uzekharetani HC/Vqq2ms/Sp1cs and remember me and you remembered me and you will remember me
H2142-45 1 Samuel 1:19 וַ/יִּֽזְכְּרֶ֖/הָ vayizekereha HC/Vqw3ms/Sp3fs and remembered her and he remembered her and he remembered her
H2142-18 1 Samuel 4:18 כְּ/הַזְכִּיר֣/וֹ kehazekiro HR/Vhc/Sp3ms when they mentioned it as causing him to be remembered when it was mentioned