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זָנַב

𐤆𐤍𐤁

zânab

H2179 verb

SILEX Entry

Root זנב to form a tail, to be at the back, to follow behind

Definition

To be at the rear, to lag behind, to move or be placed behind others in a formation or procession; used especially to describe the act of attacking, cutting off, or striking at the rear or hindmost part of a group.

Semantic Range

to be at the rear, to lag behind, to follow and attack from the rear, to cut off or strike those at the back of a moving group

Root / Etymology

Root זָנַב (z-n-b), from which also derives the noun זָנָב ('tail'). The root meaning pertains to an appendage at the extremity, with the verb form likely derived in denominative fashion, meaning 'to be or act as the tail,' hence, metaphorically, 'to be at the rear' or 'to attack from behind.'

Historical & Contextual Notes

This verb occurs rarely in the Hebrew Bible, most notably in Deuteronomy 25:18, where it describes Amalek attacking the rear (the weak and stragglers) of the Israelite camp during the wilderness journey. The context is military or hostile, referring to striking those at the back of a moving group. This sense further emphasizes the vulnerability associated with the rear and connects with the noun זָנָב (‘tail’), which denotes a position of lesser power or esteem elsewhere in the Hebrew Bible. English translations like 'smite the hindmost' capture the basic sense, but miss the nuance of targeting the weak or those lagging due to exhaustion. Over time, the root's verbal use is very limited, whereas the noun 'tail' carries greater metaphorical frequency, referring to people or things of low status or the end part of things. There are no significant shifts in meaning across biblical periods, but the infrequency of the verb reserves its primary sense for this specific context.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a primitive root meaning to wag; used only as a denominative from זָנָב; to curtail, i.e. cut off the rear; smite the hindmost.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

זנב (z-n-b) — tail, rear-position, trailing behind

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H2180 זָנָב by his tail

Word Forms

2 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H2179-02 וְ/זִנַּבְתֶּ֖ם vezinavetem HC/Vpq2mp and-tail-them and you tailed from behind 1
H2179-01 וַ/יְזַנֵּ֤ב vayezanev HC/Vpw3ms and attacked and he rear-struck 1

Occurrences in Scripture

2 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H2179-01 Deuteronomy 25:18 וַ/יְזַנֵּ֤ב vayezanev HC/Vpw3ms and attacked and he rear-struck
H2179-02 Joshua 10:19 וְ/זִנַּבְתֶּ֖ם vezinavetem HC/Vpq2mp and-tail-them and you tailed from behind
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