STRONGS NUMBER H2077


Word Summary
zebach: a sacrifice
Original Word: זֶבַח
Transliteration: zebach
Phonetic Spelling: (zeh'-bakh)
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Short Definition: a sacrifice
Meaning: a slaughter, the flesh of an animal, a sacrifice
Strong's Concordance
offer sacrifice

From zabach; properly, a slaughter, i.e. The flesh of an animal; by implication, a sacrifice (the victim or the act) -- offer(- ing), sacrifice.

see HEBREW zabach

Brown-Driver-Briggs

H2077. zebach

I. זֶ֫בַח162 noun masculineJudges 16:23 sacrifice **Phoenician זבח‎ of an offering of bread and oil CISi. 165, 12; 167. 8, compare RSSemitic 205 (2nd ed. 222). ׳ז‎ absolute Genesis 31:54 +; construct Exodus 34:25 +; זָ֑בַחLeviticus 17:8 16t.; suffix זִבְחוֺ7:16; Ezekiel 34:15, זִבְחֲכֶםLeviticus 19:6; plural זְבָחִיםGenesis 46:1 +; construct זִבְחֵיLeviticus 17:5 +; suffix 3 masculine plural זִבְחֵיהֶם17:5, זְבָחֵימוֺDeuteronomy 32:38, זִבְחֹתָםHosea 4:19 etc.; — the common and most ancient sacrifice, whose essential rite was eating the flesh of the victim at a feast in which the god of the clan shared by receiving the blood and fat pieces. In the older literature it is distinguished from מִנְחָה‎ and עֹלָה‎, in the later literature from חַטָּאת‎ and אָשָׁם‎.

I. general name for all sacrifices eaten at feasts: —

1 of the God of Israel Genesis 46:1; Exodus 10:25; 18:12 (E) Hosea 3:4; 6:6; 9:4; Amos 5:25; Isaiah 1:11; 19:21; Deuteronomy 12:27; 18:3; 1 Samuel 2:13, 29; 3:14; 6:15; 9:12-13, 15:22 (twice in verse); 16:3, 5 (twice in verse); 2 Samuel 15:12; 1 Kings 8:62; 12:27; 2 Kings 5:17; 16:15; Psalm 40:7; 50:8; 51:18; 51:19; Proverbs 15:8; 21:3, 27; Isaiah 43:23-24, 56:7; Jeremiah 6:20; 7:21-22, 17:26; 33:18; Ezekiel 40:42; 44:11; 1 Chronicles 29:21 (twice in verse); 2 Chronicles 7:1, 4, 5, 12; Nehemiah 12:43; Daniel 9:27; Ecclesiastes 4:17. They should be צֶדֶק זִבְחֵיsacrifices of righteousness (offered in righteousness by the righteous) Deuteronomy 33:19; Psalm 4:6; Psalm 51:21; הַבְהָבַי זִבְחֵיsacrifices of gifts to me (׳י‎) Hosea 8:13; the temple is זָבַ֑ח בֵּית2 Chronicles 7:12; they should not be ׳ז רִיבsacrifices of strife, where strife prevails Proverbs 17:1.

2 of other deities Exodus 34:15; Numbers 25:2; Deuteronomy 32:38 (JE) Judges 16:23; 2 Kings 10:19, 24; Hosea 4:19; Isaiah 57:7; Ezekiel 20:28; these are מֵתִים זִבְחֵיsacrifices to dead things (lifeless gods, opposed to ׳י‎ as living), Psalm 106:28.

II. there are several kinds of זְבָחִים‎ which are gradually distinguished:

1 the covenant sacrifice, between Jacob and Laban Genesis 31:54 (E), with God Psalm 50:5 (compare Exodus 24:5; 1 Samuel 11:15).

2 the passover הַמֶּסַח חַג זֶבַחExodus 34:25 (JE), פסח זבח12:27 (J); and probably also זבחי23:18 (JE) = 34:25 (id.)

3 annual sacrifice הַיָּמִים זֶבַח1 Samuel 1:21; 2:19; 20:6, compare ׳ז מִשְׁמָּחָה‎ sacrifice of the clan 20:29.

4 thank offering ׳ז (הַ)תּוֺדָהLeviticus 7:12; 22:29; Psalm 107:22; 116:17, which is given as הַזָּבַח זִבְחוֺ, ׳ז, קָרְבָּנוֺLeviticus 7:16-17, and as a variety of שְׁלָמִים7:13, 15; it is implied in תְרוּעָה זִבְחֵיPsalm 27:6; yet זֶבַח‎ is Generic with תּוֺדָה2 Chronicles 29:31 (twice in verse).

5 in ritual of H & P זבחים‎ are defined by שׁלמים‎ (q. v.) Leviticus 3:1 39t. Leviticus, Numbers, 1 Samuel 10:8; 1 Kings 8:63; 2 Chronicles 30:22; 33:16; Proverbs 7:14, but sometimes (rarely) ׳ז‎ alone is used in this sense, with or without suffix, where the meaning is plain from the context: Leviticus 17:5, 7, 8; 19:6; 23:37 (H) Numbers 15:3, 5, 8; Joshua 22:26, 29 (all P). These ritual offerings are of three varieties נֶדֶר תּוֺדָה,‎ and נְדָבָהLeviticus 7:12, 16 (P); in the several lists זבחים‎ are distinguished from תודותAmos 4:4f.; 2 Chronicles 29:31, from נדריםNumbers 15:8 (P) Deuteronomy 12:6, 11; Jonah 1:16, from נדבותAmos 4:4f.; Deuteronomy 12:6 and from the more comprehensive שׁלמיםNumbers 15:8; Joshua 22:27 (P). So also the sacrifice at the institution of the covenant at Horeb Exodus 24:5 (J E) and the sacrifice at the installation of Saul 1 Samuel 11:5 are defined as שׁלמים זבחים‎. Thus ׳ז‎ seems not only to be used for all these special forms but also to include other festal sacrifices not defined in the codes of law. The ritual was the same for the entire class. They were all sacrifices for feasts in which the flesh of the victim was eaten by the offerers, except so far as the officiating priests had certain choice pieces and the blood and fat pieces went to the altar for God. The sacrifice at the institution of the covenant at Horeb, the Passover victim, and the ram of consecration, were special, in that there was an application of a portion of the blood to the persons and things which were to be consecrated, Exodus 12:22; 24:8; Leviticus 8:23.

6 the slaughter of hostile nations is also a זֶבַח‎ offered by God Himself, in which the vultures devour the flesh of the victims Isaiah 34:6; Jeremiah 46:10; Ezekiel 39:17 (twice in verse); 39:19; Zephaniah 1:7-8,.

7 the verb used with זֶבַח‎ is ordinarily זָבַח‎ but others also are found e.g. עָשָׂהNumbers 6:17; 15:3, 5, 8; Joshua 22:23 (P) 1 Kings 12:27; 2 Kings 5:17; 10:24; Jeremiah 33:18 (compare Sabean דֿבח עסי‎ Hal148 DHMZMG 1888, 374); הֵבִיאAmos 4:4; Deuteronomy 12:6, 11; Jeremiah 17:26, הִגִּישׁAmos 5:25, הִקְרִיבLeviticus 7:11, 16; 22:21 (all P), עָבַדIsaiah 19:21, נָתַן‎ Ecclesiastes 4:17, זֶבַח אוֺ עֹלָה יַעֲלָהLeviticus 17:8 (H), ז ׳בִּשֵּׁלEzekiel 46:24, וְהַזָּבַ֑ח אֶתהָֿעוֺלָה שָׁחַט40:42; compare 44:11.