זַן
𐤆𐤍
zan
H2177 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A kind, sort, or class of thing—often used collectively for different types or varieties within a broader category. The primary lexical meaning is a category or form distinguished by shared characteristics. In biblical contexts, typically appears in phrases indicating 'every kind' or 'various sorts' of something, such as food supplies.
Semantic Range
kind, sort, category, class, type; various kinds; collection of sorts or varieties, especially regarding supplies or provisions
Root / Etymology
From the root זוּן (z-w-n), which means 'to nourish, provide food, sustain.' The derivative זַן refers not to the general act of nourishing, but rather to a kind or category, with the sense possibly evolving from 'that which is provided' toward 'type' or 'sort.'
Historical & Contextual Notes
The term זַן occurs infrequently in the Hebrew Bible and later Jewish literature, and always for the meaning of a kind or sort, never directly for nourishment itself. In biblical usage, it appears in lists or descriptions of supplies, emphasizing the abundance or diversity of provisions. The root זוּן, meaning 'to provide food, nourish,' is rare and more prevalent in later Hebrew, but its nominal derivative זַן here reflects the outcome (sort) rather than the process (nourishing). In rabbinic Hebrew, זַן and related forms became standard terminology for categories or species, especially of plants and animals. Standard English translations often render the term as 'kind' or 'sort,' accurately conveying its semantic scope; however, its etymological connection to nourishment is no longer felt in biblical usage. Not to be confused with מִין, another term for kind or species, which is unrelated etymologically and has a different semantic range, particularly in priestly lists.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from זוּן; properly, nourished (or fully developed), i.e. a form or sort; divers kinds, [idiom] all manner of store.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
זון (z-w-n) — to nourish, sustain, provide food
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H2109 | זוּן | sustained ones |
| H2110 | זוּן | he will sustain himself |
| H2126 | זִינָא | Nourished-one |
| H4202 | מָזוֹן | the sustenance |
| H4203 | מָזוֹן | and food-provision |
Word Forms
3 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H2177-02 |
וּ/זְנִ֔ים | uzenim | HC/Ncmpa |
and kinds | and kinds | 1 |
H2177-01 |
מִ/זַּ֗ן | mizan | HR/Ncmsa |
every | kind | 1 |
H2177-03 |
זַ֥ן | zan | HNcmsa |
kind | kind | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
3 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H2177-01 |
Psalms 144:13 | מִ/זַּ֗ן | mizan | HR/Ncmsa |
every | kind |
H2177-03 |
Psalms 144:13 | זַ֥ן | zan | HNcmsa |
kind | kind |
H2177-02 |
2 Chronicles 16:14 | וּ/זְנִ֔ים | uzenim | HC/Ncmpa |
and kinds | and kinds |