רָזָה
𐤓𐤆𐤄
râzâh
H7329 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To become thin or waste away, especially as a result of lack of food, illness, or affliction; figuratively, to languish or grow weak. The verb can refer to a physical loss of body mass or to communal or national decline, depending on context.
Semantic Range
to become thin, to waste away (physically), to become emaciated, to grow weak, to be depleted, to languish (figurative for nation or land)
Root / Etymology
רָזָה is widely recognized as a root with the general meaning 'to be thin' or 'to grow thin.' It appears as a verb in the Hebrew Bible, typically in a stative sense ('to become thin'). Derived from the root ר-ז-ה, which fundamentally conveys the concept of leanness or emaciation. There is no credible evidence for a connection to other roots with very different semantic fields.
Historical & Contextual Notes
רָזָה occurs relatively infrequently in Biblical Hebrew, with notable occurrences referring to animals and people. For example, it describes the physical wasting of cattle or the emaciation of a nation under divine judgment (Genesis 41:19-20, Isaiah 24:16). The concept always centers on a negative physical state—whether an individual, group, or land suffering lack or decline. There is sometimes a figurative extension to communal or national fortune, but always with the core idea of decline, depletion, or physical wasting. Later translation traditions (e.g., Septuagint, Vulgate) vary between literal ('becoming thin,' 'becoming weak') and interpretive renderings (e.g., 'fainting,' 'diminishing'). In post-biblical usage, the core meaning remains 'to be thin,' but it may be applied more broadly to general weakness.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
a primitive root; to emaciate, i.e. make (become) thin (literally or figuratively); famish, wax lean.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
רזה (r-z-h) — to be thin, to become lean, to waste away
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H7330 | רָזֶה | thin |
| H7332 | רָזוֹן | leanness |
| H7334 | רָזִי | wasting leanness |
| H8645 | תִּרְזָה | slender cypress-tree |
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H7329-02 |
יֵרָזֶֽה | yerazeh | HVNi3ms |
will grow lean | he will waste away | 1 |
H7329-01 |
רָזָ֔ה | razah | HVqp3ms |
famish | thin | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H7329-02 |
Isaiah 17:4 | יֵרָזֶֽה | yerazeh | HVNi3ms |
will grow lean | he will waste away |
H7329-01 |
Zephaniah 2:11 | רָזָ֔ה | razah | HVqp3ms |
famish | thin |