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זֵעָה

𐤆𐤏𐤄

zêʻâh

H2188 noun

SILEX Entry

Root זוע to shake, tremble, quiver

Definition

A visible exudation of moisture from the skin; perspiration, sweat. Used in the Hebrew Bible to denote the physical secretion produced by the body as a result of exertion or stress, particularly as a sign of toil, labor, or hardship. In figurative contexts, it may also connote the effort or toil resulting from strenuous work.

Semantic Range

sweat, perspiration, bodily moisture resulting from exertion; sometimes figuratively: visible result of labor or hardship

Root / Etymology

Derived from the root זוּעַ (zûa‘), meaning 'to shake, tremble, quiver,' influenced by יֶזַע (yeza‘), meaning 'sweat.' The actual noun form denotes the physical product (sweat), though the verbal root emphasizes involuntary movement or agitation, possibly connected to the trembling or exertion that produces perspiration. The derivational process involves a nominal formation from the assumed verbal root, though the noun זֵעָה does not appear as a direct verbal cognate in Biblical Hebrew.

Historical & Contextual Notes

זֵעָה occurs rarely in the Hebrew Bible, most notably in Genesis 3:19, where it describes the sweat of the face as a result of labor after the expulsion from Eden. The term is primarily associated with physical exertion and the hardship of work, marking a post-Edenic condition for humanity. Its later usage maintains the concrete sense of bodily perspiration, with little evidence for extended metaphorical development within the biblical corpus. English translations as 'sweat' align closely with the Hebrew meaning, but the Hebrew emphasizes both the physical reality and the connotation of toil. In later rabbinic literature, זֵעָה can acquire additional symbolic meanings, but those are outside the biblical scope. The term should be distinguished from verbs denoting general toil or labor, as זֵעָה is always the tangible product of exertion rather than the effort itself.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from זוּעַ (in the sense of יֶזַע); perspiration; sweat.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

זוע (z-w-ʿ) — to shake, tremble, quiver

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H2111 זוּעַ your agitators
H2112 זוּעַ trembling one
H2113 זְוָעָה quaking terror
H2127 זִיעַ Tremor
H2189 זַעֲוָה for trembling-terror

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H2188-01 בְּ/זֵעַ֤ת bezeat HR/Ncfsc by the sweat in sweat of 1

Occurrences in Scripture

1 total occurrence

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H2188-01 Genesis 3:19 בְּ/זֵעַ֤ת bezeat HR/Ncfsc by the sweat in sweat of
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