עז

עז¹ strength

Pronunciation

• Tiberian: ʿōz, with suffix ʿuzzî^[1][2]
• Samaritan reading tradition: ʿaz, with suffix ʿazzi^[3][4]

Forms

עֹז (ʿōz) noun, masculine^[2][5] Also plene עוֹז; with suffix עֻזִּי, עֻזְּךָ, עֻזּוֹ, and with a in עָזִּי, עָזְּךָ (Exodus 15).^[1][4]

Etymology

Strength is a noun from Biblical Hebrew עָזַז (ʿāzaz, “to be strong”).^[4][6][7] The noun has close matches in Ugaritic ʿz (“strength”),^(DULAT 2015|s.v. ʕz (I)) Phoenician ʿz,^[4] Arabic عِزّ (ʿizz, “might, strength”)^[8][5] and Sabaean ʿzt (“strength”);^(DULAT 2015|s.v. ʕz (I)) Akkadian ezzu has the sense “furious, angry”.^[9]^(DULAT 2015|s.v. ʕz (I)) The adjective עַז (ʿaz, “strong”) is of the same root.^[10][11]

HALOT separates a rarer noun of the same spelling, “refuge, protection”, used only of God and formed on the root ⟨ʿwz⟩ “to take refuge”; their vowels were confused, and HALOT reads it in Exodus 15:2, Psalm 28:7 and elsewhere.^[12]

Earliest recorded meaning

Eleven of the 92 occurrences are in the archaic poems.^[2][13] In the Song of the Sea God has led his people bəʿozzəḵā, “in your strength” (Exodus 15:13), and the Song of Deborah ends a verse with tiḏrəḵî nap̄šî ʿōz, “march on, my soul, with strength” (Judges 5:21), where HALOT takes ʿōz as an adverb.^[4][2][13]

Semantic evolution

The word is mainly poetic: 50 of its occurrences are in the poetic books, 44 in the Psalms alone.^[2][1] BDB divides it into physical strength (a tower of strength, Judges 9:51), social and political might, and the strength of God, which he gives to his people.^[1] Several uses mean “splendour, glory” or the might of God praised in worship (“ascribe to the LORD glory and strength”, Psalm 29:1).^[1][4] Tawil notes that Ezra 8:22 uses it once for God's wrath, the sense of Akkadian uzzu (“wrath”).^[14] The Septuagint renders it mostly by Ancient Greek ἰσχύς (iskhús) and δύναμις (dúnamis).^[2]

The Dead Sea Scrolls use it 104 times, mostly in the Hodayot and other hymns.^[15] Modern Hebrew עוז (óz) means “strength, might”.^[6][5]

Timeline

• Archaic Hebrew poetry – bəʿozzəḵā “in your strength” (Exodus 15:13); nap̄šî ʿōz (Judges 5:21).^[13][2]
• Biblical poetry – 44 times in the Psalms.^[1]
• 3rd–2nd century BC – the Septuagint translates it as Ancient Greek ἰσχύς (iskhús).^[16][2]
• 2nd century BC – 2nd century AD – 104 occurrences in the Dead Sea Scrolls, many in the Hodayot.^[17][15]

Meanings

Noun

1. strength, might, physical or military.^[4][1]
2. (in phrases) strong, fortified: מִגְדַּל־עֹז “a strong tower”.^[4]
3. the might of God, shown in his deeds and given to his people.^[1]
4. (in worship) glory, splendour, ascribed to God.^[1]
5. (adverbial) with strength (Judges 5:21).^[4]

Word family

• עָזַז (ʿāzaz)

Descendants

• Modern Hebrew עוז (óz)^[5]

עז² goat

Pronunciation

• Tiberian: ʿēz, plural ʿizzîm^[18][2]
• Samaritan reading tradition: az, plural izzəm^[3][18]

Forms

עֵז (ʿēz) noun, feminine^[2][5] Feminine without a feminine ending; plural עִזִּים, with suffix עִזֶּיךָ (Genesis 31:38).^[18]

Etymology

The goat is inherited from Proto-Semitic *ʕVnz- (“goat”).^[5] HALOT traces the Hebrew form to /*ʿinzu/ or /*ʿanzu/, and the nasal is still written in Akkadian enzu (“goat”),^[19][20] Old and Egyptian Aramaic ענז (ʿnz),^[21][18] the Syriac construct Classical Syriac ܥܢܸܙ (ʿnez) beside ܥܸܙܵܐ (ʿezzā)^[22] and Arabic عَنْز (ʿanz, “she-goat”).^[5]^(DULAT 2015|s.v. ʕz (II)) It is ʿz in Ugaritic^(DULAT 2015|s.v. ʕz (II)) and ʿz in Punic,^[23] and Amorite has ⟨ḫazzum⟩.^[18]^(DULAT 2015|s.v. ʕz (II)) The older Koehler–Baumgartner lexicon derived it from the root of “to be strong”, which HALOT rejects.^[18] Klein reports two other guesses: a root meaning “to be daring”, or the Arabic verb of the same root meaning “to turn aside”, for the animal's movements.^[24][25]

Earliest recorded meaning

The goat is not named in the archaic poems.^[2] 65 of its 74 occurrences are in Genesis to Kings, most of them in the sacrificial laws: a goat of three years in Abram's covenant (Genesis 15:9), gəḏî ʿizzîm “a kid of the goats” (Genesis 38:17), and śəʿîr ʿizzîm “a male goat” as a sin offering.^[2][18]

Semantic evolution

In the lists of sacrificial animals it stands beside the ox and the sheep (Leviticus 7:23; 17:3), and the plural is also used for goats' hair (Exodus 26:7).^[18] The late books call the he-goat ṣəp̄îr ʿizzîm (Daniel 8:5; 2 Chronicles 29:21).^[18] The Septuagint renders it with Ancient Greek αἴξ (aíx).^[2] The Biblical Aramaic plural עִזִּין occurs once, in Ezra 6:17.^[2][21] The Temple Scroll from Qumran has it 20 times.^[15] Modern Hebrew עז (éz) is still “goat”.^[24][5]

Timeline

• Classical Biblical Hebrew – gəḏî ʿizzîm and śəʿîr ʿizzîm in the narratives and laws of Genesis to Kings.^[2][18]
• Late Biblical Hebrew – ṣəp̄îr ʿizzîm “he-goat” (Daniel 8:5).^[18]
• 3rd–2nd century BC – the Septuagint translates it as Ancient Greek αἴξ (aíx).^[16][2]
• 2nd century BC – 2nd century AD – 67 occurrences in the Dead Sea Scrolls, 20 in the Temple Scroll.^[17][15]

Meanings

Noun

1. a goat, especially the she-goat;^[5] (cultic) a goat as a sacrificial animal.^[18]
2. (plural) goats' hair.^[18]

Descendants

• Modern Hebrew עז (éz)^[5]

עז³ strong, fierce

Pronunciation

• Tiberian: ʿaz, pausal ʿāz^[26][2]
• Samaritan reading tradition: ʿaz, feminine ʿazza^[3]

Forms

עַז (ʿaz) adjective^[2] Feminine עַזָּה, plural עַזִּים, feminine plural עַזּוֹת, construct plural עַזֵּי.^[10][26]

Etymology

The adjective is from Biblical Hebrew עָזַז (ʿāzaz, “to be strong”), from a form /*ʿazz/.^[10][11] It matches Ugaritic ʿz (“strong, powerful”)^(DULAT 2015|s.v. ʕz (III))^[10] and Phoenician,^[10] and shares its root with the noun עֹז (ʿōz, “strength”).^[4][6] Tawil compares Akkadian ezzu (“furious, fierce”), used like the Hebrew adjective of raging waters (Isaiah 43:16).^[14][9]

Earliest recorded meaning

Four of the 23 occurrences are in the archaic poems.^[2][13] In the Blessing of Jacob, Simeon and Levi are cursed: ʾārûr ʾappām kî ʿāz, “cursed be their anger, for it is fierce” (Genesis 49:7), and in Psalm 18 and 2 Samuel 22:18 the psalmist is saved mēʾōyəḇî ʿāz, “from my strong enemy”.^[10][2][13] In Genesis 49:3 HALOT takes the word as a noun, a by-form of ʿōz.^[10]

Semantic evolution

It describes a strong people (Numbers 13:28), wind (Exodus 14:21) and mighty waters (Isaiah 43:16), anger, and love ʿazzâ ḵammāweṯ, “strong as death” (Song of Songs 8:6).^[10][26] Gesenius–Buhl adds the sense “harsh, cruel”, as of a hard king (Isaiah 19:4).^[27] In phrases it describes character: ʿaz-nep̄eš, greedy (Isaiah 56:11), and ʿaz pānîm, defiant, shameless (Deuteronomy 28:50).^[10] The Septuagint has no fixed equivalent, using Ancient Greek αὐθάδης (authádēs), ἰσχυρός (iskhurós) and others.^[2] Later Hebrew applied it to sharp tastes and bright colours, and Modern Hebrew עז (áz) keeps these senses.^[11][5]

Timeline

• Archaic Hebrew poetry – kî ʿāz “for it is fierce” (Genesis 49:7); mēʾōyəḇî ʿāz (2 Samuel 22:18).^[13][2]
• Classical Biblical Hebrew – the strong people of Canaan (Numbers 13:28).^[10]
• 3rd–2nd century BC – the Septuagint renders it with Ancient Greek αὐθάδης (authádēs) and other words.^[16][2]
• 2nd century BC – 2nd century AD – 20 occurrences in the Dead Sea Scrolls.^[17][15]

Meanings

Adjective

1. strong, mighty: of a people, a wind, waters.^[10][26]
2. fierce, harsh, cruel: of anger, an enemy, a king.^[10][27]
3. (in phrases) ʿaz pānîm defiant, shameless;^[5] ʿaz-nep̄eš greedy.^[10]

Descendants

• Modern Hebrew עז (áz)^[5]