כָּזַב
𐤊𐤆𐤁
kâzab
H3576 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To speak falsely, to lie, to deceive by falsehood, or to fail to meet expectations; the verb denotes deliberate untruth and can extend metaphorically to disappointing or unreliable outcomes. The primary meaning is intentional misrepresentation or falsehood, whether in speech, actions, or fulfillment of a promise.
Semantic Range
to speak falsely, to lie, to deceive, to deal falsely, to be proved false or unreliable, to fail, to disappoint, to act in vain
Root / Etymology
Root: כ-ז-ב. The primary sense of the root is 'to be false' or 'to deal falsely.' The verb כָּזַב derives from this root and carries the active sense of uttering falsehoods, deceiving, or failing to be true or reliable. The noun כָּזָב ('falsehood, lie') comes from the same root.
Historical & Contextual Notes
כָּזַב occurs with the sense of personal or interpersonal deception, as in Proverbs 30:6, and also as a statement about unreliable things or promises, as in Habakkuk 2:3. In some poetic texts, it can express the disappointment of something that proves untrustworthy. The word is distinct from related terms such as שָׁקַר (shaqar), which also means 'to lie' but often carries a nuance of emptiness or vanity, or אַוֶּן (aven), which can denote iniquity or worthlessness. English versions sometimes translate כָּזַב ambiguously (e.g. 'be in vain'), but the foundational sense is falsehood or unreliability, both in human conduct and in the failure of objects or hopes to fulfill what is expected. The term is present across genres—from Torah law (e.g. prohibitions against bearing false witness) to wisdom literature and prophetic oracles—sometimes denoting overt falsehood, other times the disappointing failure of anticipated results. The meaning remains relatively stable throughout the biblical period, though in post-biblical Hebrew its use narrows mainly to personal lying or deceit. Later translation traditions (e.g., LXX, Vulgate) sometimes render it with words for 'lie' or 'vain,' occasionally contributing to a theological or moral nuance in translation.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
a primitive root; to lie (i.e. deceive), literally or figuratively; fail, (be found a, make a) liar, lie, lying, be in vain.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
כזב (k-z-b) — falsehood, deception, unreliability, disappointment
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H3538 | כְּדַב | deceitful |
| H3577 | כָּזָב | falsehood |
| H3578 | כֹּזְבָא | Kozeba |
| H3579 | כֹּזְבִי | She-who-deceives |
| H3580 | כְּזִיב | Deception-Place |
Word Forms
13 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H3576-01 |
אֲכַזֵּֽב | akhazev | HVpi1cs |
I will lie | I falsely-declare | 3 |
H3576-03 |
כְּזָבִ֑ים | kezavim | HNcmpa |
lies | falsehoods | 2 |
H3576-12 |
יְכַזֵּ֑ב | yekhazev | HVpi3ms |
it will lie | he will deal falsely | 2 |
H3576-13 |
יְכַזְּב֖וּ | yekhazevu | HVpi3mp |
fail | they will deal falsely | 2 |
H3576-08 |
תְכַזֵּ֔בִי | tekhazevi | HVpi2fs |
you lie | you deal falsely | 1 |
H3576-02 |
בְּ/כַ֨זֶּבְ/כֶ֔ם | bekhazevekhem | HR/Vpc/Sp2mp |
by your lies | in your lying | 1 |
H3576-05 |
כֹּזֵֽב | kozev | HVqrmsa |
liars | one who lies | 1 |
H3576-06 |
נִכְזָ֑בָה | nikhezavah | HVNp3fs |
is cut off | she proved false | 1 |
H3576-04 |
כִּזֵּ֔ב | kizev | HVpp3ms |
had lied | he dealt falsely | 1 |
H3576-11 |
יַכְזִיבֵ֑/נִי | yakheziveni | HVhi3ms/Sp1cs |
will-prove-me-a-liar | he will make me false | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
18 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H3576-10 |
Numbers 23:19 | וִֽ/יכַזֵּ֔ב | vikhazev | HC/Vpi3ms |
that he should lie | and he will deal falsely |
H3576-03 |
Judges 16:10 | כְּזָבִ֑ים | kezavim | HNcmpa |
lies | falsehoods |
H3576-03 |
Judges 16:13 | כְּזָבִ֔ים | kezavim | HNcmpa |
lies | falsehoods |
H3576-07 |
2 Kings 4:16 | תְּכַזֵּ֖ב | tekhazev | HVpj2ms |
lie | may you deal falsely |
H3576-08 |
Isaiah 57:11 | תְכַזֵּ֔בִי | tekhazevi | HVpi2fs |
you lie | you deal falsely |
H3576-13 |
Isaiah 58:11 | יְכַזְּב֖וּ | yekhazevu | HVpi3mp |
fail | they will deal falsely |
H3576-02 |
Ezekiel 13:19 | בְּ/כַ֨זֶּבְ/כֶ֔ם | bekhazevekhem | HR/Vpc/Sp2mp |
by your lies | in your lying |
H3576-04 |
Micah 2:11 | כִּזֵּ֔ב | kizev | HVpp3ms |
had lied | he dealt falsely |
H3576-12 |
Habakkuk 2:3 | יְכַזֵּ֑ב | yekhazev | HVpi3ms |
it will lie | he will deal falsely |
H3576-13 |
Psalms 78:36 | יְכַזְּבוּ | yekhazevu | HVpi3mp |
they lied | they will deal falsely |