עֲזוּבָה
𐤏𐤆𐤅𐤁𐤄
ʻăzûwbâh
H5805 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
A state or act of being forsaken, specifically the condition of abandonment or desertion, often applied to places (such as cities or lands) or, more rarely, to individuals. It carries the nuance of having been left behind or neglected, with implications of devastation or desolation, especially in prophetic literature.
Semantic Range
abandonment, desertion, state of being forsaken; desolation (especially of land or city); forsaking as an act; used as a personal name
Root / Etymology
עֲזוּבָה (ʻăzûwbâh) is a feminine passive participle from the root עזב (ʻ-z-b), meaning 'to leave, forsake, abandon.' As a participial noun, it denotes the quality or state of having been abandoned.
Historical & Contextual Notes
Throughout the Hebrew Bible, עֲזוּבָה is most frequently used in prophetic and poetic texts to describe cities, lands, or peoples who have been left deserted—particularly in contexts of judgment, invasion, or catastrophe (e.g., Isaiah 62:4; Isaiah 1:7). The term implies not just physical emptiness but also the sense of sorrow or neglect following abandonment. Less commonly, it can be used as a personal name (e.g., the wife of King Jehoshaphat, 2 Chronicles 24:1), though in these cases the association with 'abandonment' may be secondary or merely etymological. In most English translations, nuanced connotations—such as grief, desolation, or the social consequences of being left—are often flattened into 'deserted' or 'forsaken,' missing some of the word's depth in Hebrew context.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
feminine passive participle of עָזַב; desertion (of inhabitants); forsaking.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
עזב (ʿ-z-b) — to leave, to forsake, to abandon
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H5800 | עָזַב | he abandoned |
| H5801 | עִזָּבוֹן | your relinquished goods |
| H5806 | עֲזוּבָה | Forsaken woman |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5805-01 |
הָ/עֲזוּבָ֖ה | haazuvah | HTd/Vqsfsa |
the forsaken | the abandoned one | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 total occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5805-01 |
Isaiah 6:12 | הָ/עֲזוּבָ֖ה | haazuvah | HTd/Vqsfsa |
the forsaken | the abandoned one |