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עז

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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]

Usage notes

Biblical Aramaic has the goat too, in the plural עִזִּין (Ezra 6:17).[2][21] The Masoretic vowels of ʿōz “strength” and ʿōz “refuge” were confused, so that HALOT corrects several passages to the second.[12]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i Brown, Francis; Driver, S. R.; Briggs, Charles A. (1906), A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament, with an Appendix Containing the Biblical Aramaic, Oxford: Clarendon Press, p. s.v. עֹז
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x Clear Bible (2023–), MACULA Hebrew Linguistic Datasets (Westminster Leningrad Codex, with Greek alignment), github.com/Clear-Bible/macula-hebrew, CC BY 4.0
  3. ^ a b c Højgaard, Christian Canu; Naaijer, Martijn; Schorch, Stefan (2023), Text-Fabric Dataset of the Samaritan Pentateuch, Zenodo, doi:10.5281/zenodo.7734632
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Koehler, Ludwig; Baumgartner, Walter; Stamm, Johann Jakob (1994–2000), The Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament, transl. and ed. M. E. J. Richardson, 5 vols, Leiden: Brill, p. s.v. עֹז I
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  6. ^ a b c Klein, Ernest (1987), A Comprehensive Etymological Dictionary of the Hebrew Language for Readers of English, Jerusalem: Carta; Haifa: University of Haifa, p. s.v. עֹז
  7. ^ Huehnergard, John (2011), "Proto-Semitic Language and Culture" and "Semitic Roots", in The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, p. s.v. ʿzz
  8. ^ Lane, Edward William (1863–1893), An Arabic-English Lexicon, 8 parts, London: Williams and Norgate, p. 2031
  9. ^ a b Black, Jeremy; George, Andrew; Postgate, Nicholas (2000), A Concise Dictionary of Akkadian, 2nd ed., Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz, p. s.v. ezzu
  10. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Koehler, Ludwig; Baumgartner, Walter; Stamm, Johann Jakob (1994–2000), The Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament, transl. and ed. M. E. J. Richardson, 5 vols, Leiden: Brill, p. s.v. עַז
  11. ^ a b c Klein, Ernest (1987), A Comprehensive Etymological Dictionary of the Hebrew Language for Readers of English, Jerusalem: Carta; Haifa: University of Haifa, p. s.v. עַז
  12. ^ a b Koehler, Ludwig; Baumgartner, Walter; Stamm, Johann Jakob (1994–2000), The Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament, transl. and ed. M. E. J. Richardson, 5 vols, Leiden: Brill, p. s.v. עֹז II
  13. ^ a b c d e f Sáenz-Badillos, Angel (1993), A History of the Hebrew Language, transl. John Elwolde, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, p. 69
  14. ^ a b Tawil, Hayim ben Yosef (2009), An Akkadian Lexical Companion for Biblical Hebrew: Etymological-Semantic and Idiomatic Equivalents, Jersey City: Ktav, p. 272
  15. ^ a b c d e Abegg, Martin G.; Jacobs, Jarod; Roorda, Dirk (2022), The Dead Sea Scrolls, Text-Fabric dataset, version 2.0.2, github.com/ETCBC/dss
  16. ^ a b c Sáenz-Badillos, Angel (1993), A History of the Hebrew Language, transl. John Elwolde, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, p. 93
  17. ^ a b c Sáenz-Badillos, Angel (1993), A History of the Hebrew Language, transl. John Elwolde, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, p. 143
  18. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Koehler, Ludwig; Baumgartner, Walter; Stamm, Johann Jakob (1994–2000), The Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament, transl. and ed. M. E. J. Richardson, 5 vols, Leiden: Brill, p. s.v. עֵז
  19. ^ Black, Jeremy; George, Andrew; Postgate, Nicholas (2000), A Concise Dictionary of Akkadian, 2nd ed., Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz, p. s.v. enzu
  20. ^ von Soden, Wolfram (1965–1981), Akkadisches Handwörterbuch, 3 vols, Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz, p. 221
  21. ^ a b c Kaufman, Stephen A., ed., Comprehensive Aramaic Lexicon, Cincinnati: Hebrew Union College, cal.huc.edu
  22. ^ Sokoloff, Michael (2009), A Syriac Lexicon, Winona Lake: Eisenbrauns; Piscataway: Gorgias Press, p. 1089
  23. ^ Krahmalkov, Charles R. (2000), Phoenician-Punic Dictionary, Leuven: Peeters (OLA 90), p. s.v. ʿz III
  24. ^ a b Klein, Ernest (1987), A Comprehensive Etymological Dictionary of the Hebrew Language for Readers of English, Jerusalem: Carta; Haifa: University of Haifa, p. s.v. עֵז
  25. ^ Lane, Edward William (1863–1893), An Arabic-English Lexicon, 8 parts, London: Williams and Norgate, p. 2172
  26. ^ a b c d Brown, Francis; Driver, S. R.; Briggs, Charles A. (1906), A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament, with an Appendix Containing the Biblical Aramaic, Oxford: Clarendon Press, p. s.v. עַז²
  27. ^ a b Gesenius, Wilhelm; Buhl, Frants (1915), Hebräisches und aramäisches Handwörterbuch über das Alte Testament, 17th ed., Leipzig: F. C. W. Vogel, p. s.v. עַז