בַּז
𐤁𐤆
baz
H957 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Material goods, valuables, or livestock taken by force, especially as the result of military action—spoils, booty, plunder. Used broadly for all types of property seized from a defeated enemy, including currency, precious objects, food, livestock, and sometimes people.
Semantic Range
plunder, booty, spoils (of war), prey (as taken after conflict), objects or goods seized by force (not only in war), metaphorical loss or dispossession
Root / Etymology
From the root בָּזַז (bazaz), which means 'to plunder, to spoil, to seize by force.' The nominal form בַּז (baz) refers to the result or the goods gained from such an act of plundering. The root conveys the act of violence or seizure, while the noun designates the objects taken.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In the Hebrew Bible, בַּז (baz) is predominantly found in poetic, prophetic, and narrative texts to denote objects or goods captured during raids or warfare. This term appears from early monarchic to exilic texts, often describing the fate of nations conquered and their resources appropriated. In many contexts, it is used in parallel with שָׁלָל (shalal), the more general term for 'spoil' or 'booty,' though בַּז sometimes has a more pronounced sense of violent or illicit seizure. Unlike שָׁלָל, which can occasionally refer to legitimate war spoils distributed according to law, בַּז may carry the nuance of lawless or ruthless looting. English translations often render both terms as 'spoil' or 'plunder,' but may not distinguish their subtle differences in origin or emphasis. Over time, especially in later prophetic texts, the term may be used metaphorically—to signify the stripping away or loss of communal or personal resources due to judgment, disaster, or oppression.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from בָּזַז; plunder; booty, prey, spoil(-ed).
Bantu Hebrew
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בזז (b-z-z) — to plunder, to spoil, to seize by force
Word Forms
7 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H957-04 |
לָ/בַ֑ז | lavaz | HR/Ncmsa |
for plunder | for plunder | 13 |
H957-01 |
בַּ֔ז | baz | HNcmsa |
plunder | plunder | 4 |
H957-05 |
לְ/בַ֛ז | levaz | HR/Ncmsa |
a prey | for plunder | 4 |
H957-02 |
בִּזָּ֔/הּ | bizah | HNcmsc/Sp3fs |
its plunder | her plunder | 1 |
H957-06 |
בַֽז | vaz | HNcmsa |
prey | plundered goods | 1 |
H957-07 |
וְ/לָ/בַֽז | velavaz | HC/R/Ncmsa |
and plunder | and for plunder | 1 |
H957-03 |
הַ/בָּ֔ז | habaz | HTd/Ncmsa |
of the spoil | the plunder | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
25 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H957-04 |
Numbers 14:3 | לָ/בַ֑ז | lavaz | HR/Ncmsa |
a prey | for plunder |
H957-04 |
Numbers 14:31 | לָ/בַ֣ז | lavaz | HR/Ncmsa |
prey | for plunder |
H957-03 |
Numbers 31:32 | הַ/בָּ֔ז | habaz | HTd/Ncmsa |
of the spoil | the plunder |
H957-04 |
Deuteronomy 1:39 | לָ/בַ֣ז | lavaz | HR/Ncmsa |
for a prey | for plunder |
H957-05 |
2 Kings 21:14 | לְ/בַ֛ז | levaz | HR/Ncmsa |
for-plunder | for plunder |
H957-01 |
Isaiah 10:6 | בַּ֔ז | baz | HNcmsa |
plunder | plunder |
H957-06 |
Isaiah 33:23 | בַֽז | vaz | HNcmsa |
prey | plundered goods |
H957-04 |
Isaiah 42:22 | לָ/בַז֙ | lavaz | HR/Ncmsa |
a prey | for plunder |
H957-04 |
Jeremiah 2:14 | לָ/בַֽז | lavaz | HR/Ncmsa |
plunder | for plunder |
H957-04 |
Jeremiah 15:13 | לָ/בַ֥ז | lavaz | HR/Ncmsa |
for spoil | for plunder |