2181. zanah

Berean Strong's Lexicon

zanah: To commit fornication, to be unfaithful, to play the harlot

Original Word: זָנָה
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: zanah
Pronunciation: zah-NAH
Phonetic Spelling: (zaw-naw')
Definition: To commit fornication, to be unfaithful, to play the harlot
Meaning: to commit adultery, to commit idolatry

Word Origin: A primitive root

Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: - G4203 (πορνεύω, porneuō): To commit fornication, to be unfaithful

- G4204 (πόρνη, pornē): A prostitute, harlot

Usage: The Hebrew verb "zanah" primarily refers to engaging in illicit sexual activity, often used metaphorically to describe spiritual unfaithfulness or idolatry. It conveys the idea of being unfaithful to a covenant relationship, whether in a literal or figurative sense. In the context of the Old Testament, it frequently describes Israel's unfaithfulness to God through idolatry and alliances with foreign nations.

Cultural and Historical Background: In ancient Israel, faithfulness to God was paramount, and idolatry was seen as spiritual adultery. The use of "zanah" in the Hebrew Bible often reflects the covenant relationship between God and Israel, likening Israel's pursuit of other gods to a spouse's infidelity. This metaphor was powerful in a culture where marriage was a sacred covenant, and unfaithfulness was a grave offense. The term also reflects the broader Ancient Near Eastern context, where religious practices often included ritual prostitution, which Israel was strictly forbidden to partake in.

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
a prim. root
Definition
to commit fornication, be a harlot
NASB Translation
adulterous (1), become a harlot (1), commit adultery (1), commits flagrant harlotry (1), fall to harlotry (1), harlot (22), harlot continually (1), harlot's (2), harlot's* (2), harlot* (3), harlotry (3), harlots (5), making her a harlot (1), play the harlot (18), play the harlot continually (1), played the harlot (24), playing the harlot (3), plays the harlot (1), prostitute (1), unfaithful (1).

Brown-Driver-Briggs

זָנָה verb commit fornication, be a harlot (Arabic commit fornication, Aramaic , זנא; compare Ethiopic effusio seminis virilis, seman effusum, Di¹⁰⁵⁵; on this and (compare by Ges and others) see Prät^{BAS i. 32, Anm}.) —

Qal Perfect ׳ז Deuteronomy 31:16, זָָֽנְתָה Genesis 38:34 3t., etc.; Imperfect יִזְנֶ֯ה (Kt) Ezekiel 23:43; תִּזְנֶה Leviticus 19:29 4t.; וַתִּ֫זֶן Jeremiah 3:8; Ezekiel 23:5; תִּזְנִי Hosea 3:3; וַתִּזְנִי Jeremiah 3:6 (but read probably וַתִּזְנִי ׃וַתִּזֶן is not Aramaic form of 3 feminine singular, see Kö^{i. 540} Kau^{§ 47 g} b) Ezekiel 16:15 4t.; וַתִּזְנִים Ezekiel 16:28; יִזְנוּ (Qr) Ezekiel 23:43; וַיִּזְנוּ Judges 8:27 4t.; תִּזְנֶינָה Hosea 4:13,14; וַתִּזְנֶינָה Ezekiel 23:3; Infinitive absolute זָנֹה Hosea 1:2; construct לִזְנוֺת Leviticus 20:5 3t.; לִזְנֹת Leviticus 20:6; suffix בִּזְנוֺתֵךְ Ezekiel 23:30; Participle זוֺנֶה Psalm 73:27; Ezekiel 6:9; זֹנֶה Hosea 4:15; plural זֹנִים Leviticus 17:7 3t.; זוֺנָה Deuteronomy 23:19 25t.; זֹנָה Leviticus 21:7 2t.; זוֺנוֺת Proverbs 29:3; זֹנוֺת Hosea 4:14 4t. —

1 be or act as a harlot, absolute Genesis 38:24 (J), Deuteronomy 22:21 (D), Leviticus 21:9 (H), Hosea 4:13,14; Amos 7:17; זונה + (ה)אשׁה Joshua 2:1; Joshua 6:22 (J), Leviticus 21:7 (H), Judges 11:1; Judges 16:1; Proverbs 6:26; Jeremiah 3:3; Ezekiel 16:30; Ezekiel 23:44; זוֺנָה Genesis 34:31; Genesis 38:15; Joshua 6:17,25 (all J), Deuteronomy 23:19; Leviticus 21:14 (H), Proverbs 7:10; Proverbs 23:27; Isaiah 23:15,16; Joel 4:3; Micah 1:7 (twice in verse); Ezekiel 16:31; נָשִׁים זֹנוֺת 1 Kings 3:16; ז(ו)נות 1 Kings 22:38; Proverbs 29:3; Hosea 3:3; Hosea 4:14; Ezekiel 16:33; בית זונה Jeremiah 5:7; commit fornication, man's act אל ׳ז Numbers 25:1 (J); of woman's act Judges 19:2; of land given to harlotry Leviticus 19:29.

2 figurative of improper intercourse with foreign nations (religious reference sometimes involved) את ׳ז Isaiah 23:17; אחרי Ezekiel 23:30; אל Ezekiel 16:26,28 (twice in verse); תַזְנוּתיה ׳ז Ezekiel 23:43; Nahum 3:4; וַתִּזֶן אָהֳלָה תַחְתָּ֑י and Ohola committed fornication (whilst) under me Ezekiel 23:5 (compare Numbers 5:19).

3 of intercourse with other deities, considered as harlotry, sometimes involving actual prostitution, אחרי ׳ז Exodus 34:15,16; Deuteronomy 31:16 (all J), Leviticus 17:7; Leviticus 20:5 (twice in verse) (all H), Judges 2:17; Judges 8:27,33; 1 Chronicles 5:25; Ezekiel 6:9; Ezekiel 20:30; after אֹבֹת, etc. Leviticus 20:6 (H), one's own heart & eyes Numbers 15:39 (H); especially of Israel, Judah, and Jerusalem under figure of lewd woman Ezekiel 16:15 (absolute) Ezekiel 16:16 (על במית), Ezekiel 16:17 (בְ ׳ז), Ezekiel 23:3 (twice in verse); Ezekiel 23:19 (absolute), Jeremiah 3:1 (with accusative); Jeremiah 3:6; Jeremiah 3:8 (absolute); absolute elsewhere Hosea 2:7; Hosea 4:15; Isaiah 57:3; Psalm 106:39; as leaving ׳י, followed by מֵעַל Hosea 9:1; מאחרי Hosea 1:2 (twice in verse); מתחת Hosea 4:12; followed by מן alone Psalm 73:27; ז(ו)נה Jeremiah 2:20; Ezekiel 16:35,41; בית זונה Jeremiah 5:7; לִבָּם הַזּוֺנֶה their whorish heart Ezekiel 6:9.

4 זונה of moral defection Isaiah 1:21.

Pu`al Perfect3masculine singular אַהֲרַיִךְ לֹא זוּנָּה fornication was not done (in going) after thee Ezekiel 16:34 (but strike out Co).

Hiph`il Perfect2masculine singular הִזְנֵיתָ Hosea 5:3; 3plural חִזְנוּ Hosea 4:10,18; Exodus 34:16; Imperfect וַיֶּ֫זֶן2Chronicles 21:11; וַתַּזְנֶה2Chronicles 21:13; Infinitive absolute הַזְנֵה Hosea 4:18; construct הַזְנוֺת2Chronicles 21:13; suffix לְהַזְנוֺתָהּ Leviticus 19:29.

1 cause to commit fornication:

a. sexual Leviticus 19:29 (H).

b. religious Exodus 34:16 (J), 2 Chronicles 21:11,13 (twice in verse).

2 commit fornication:

a. sexual Hosea 4:10.

b. religious Hosea 4:18 (twice in verse); Hosea 5:3.

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

cause to commit fornication, continually, great, be an, play the harlot

A primitive root (highly-fed and therefore wanton); to commit adultery (usually of the female, and less often of simple fornication, rarely of involuntary ravishment); figuratively, to commit idolatry (the Jewish people being regarded as the spouse of Jehovah) -- (cause to) commit fornication, X continually, X great, (be an, play the) harlot, (cause to be, play the) whore, (commit, fall to) whoredom, (cause to) go a-whoring, whorish.

Forms and Transliterations

בִּזְנוֹתֵךְ֙ בַּזּוֹנָ֔ה בזונה בזנותך הִזְנ֔וּ הִזְנ֖וּ הִזְנֵ֣יתָ הַ֠זּוֹנָה הַזְנֵ֣ה הַזֹּנ֕וֹת הַזֹּנ֣וֹת הַזֹּנִ֣ים הַזּוֹנֶ֗ה הַזּוֹנָ֑ה הַזּוֹנָ֜ה הַזּוֹנָֽה׃ הַכְזוֹנָ֕ה הזונה הזונה׃ הזנה הזנו הזנות הזנים הזנית הכזונה וְהִזְנוּ֙ וְזָֽנְתָ֛ה וְזָנ֣וּ וְזָנ֣וּ ׀ וְזָנָ֣ה ׀ וַ֝יִּזְ֗נוּ וַיִּזְנ֖וּ וַיִּזְנ֗וּ וַיִּזְנ֧וּ וַיֶּ֙זֶן֙ וַתִּ֥זֶן וַתִּזְנִ֕ים וַתִּזְנִ֖י וַתִּזְנִ֧י וַתִּזְנִי֙ וַתִּזְנִי־ וַתִּזְנֶ֣ינָה וַתִּזְנֶ֤ה וַתִּזְנֶֽה׃ וַתַּזְנֶ֤ה והזנו וזנה וזנו וזנתה ויזן ויזנו ותזן ותזנה ותזנה׃ ותזני ותזני־ ותזנים ותזנינה ז֝וֹנ֗וֹת ז֝וֹנָ֗ה זְנוּנֵ֣י זָֽנְתָה֙ זָנ֑וּ זָנ֗וּ זָנְתָ֖ה זָנִ֖יתָ זָנִית֙ זָנֹ֤ה זֹנ֖וֹת זֹנִ֖ים זֹנִֽים׃ זֹנֶ֤ה זֹנָ֔ה זֹנָ֤ה זֹנָֽה׃ זוֹנֶ֥ה זוֹנָ֑ה זוֹנָ֔ה זוֹנָ֖ה זוֹנָ֗ה זוֹנָ֛ה זוֹנָ֜ה זוֹנָ֣ה זוֹנָה֙ זוּנָּ֑ה זונה זונות זנה זנה׃ זנו זנוני זנות זנים זנים׃ זנית זנתה יִזְנ֥וּ יזנו כְּהַזְנ֖וֹת כַּזּוֹנָ֖ה כהזנות כזונה לְהַזְנוֹתָ֑הּ לְזוֹנָ֑ה לְזוֹנָ֔ה לִזְנ֑וֹת לִזְנ֖וֹת לִזְנ֛וֹת להזנותה לזונה לזנות מִזּוֹנָ֔ה מזונה תִּזְנֶ֙ינָה֙ תִּזְנֶה֙ תִזְנִ֔י תִזְנֶ֗ינָה תִזְנֶ֣ה תִזְנֶה֙ תזנה תזני תזנינה baz·zō·w·nāh bazzoNah bazzōwnāh biz·nō·w·ṯêḵ biznoteCh biznōwṯêḵ hachzoNah haḵ·zō·w·nāh haḵzōwnāh haz·nêh haz·zō·nîm haz·zō·nō·wṯ haz·zō·w·nāh haz·zō·w·neh hazNeh haznêh hazzoNah hazzoNeh hazzoNim hazzōnîm hazzoNot hazzōnōwṯ hazzōwnāh hazzōwneh hiz·nê·ṯā hiz·nū hizNeita hiznêṯā hizNu hiznū kaz·zō·w·nāh kazzoNah kazzōwnāh kə·haz·nō·wṯ kehazNot kəhaznōwṯ lə·haz·nō·w·ṯāh lə·zō·w·nāh lehaznoTah ləhaznōwṯāh lezoNah ləzōwnāh liz·nō·wṯ lizNot liznōwṯ miz·zō·w·nāh mizzoNah mizzōwnāh tiz·ne·nāh ṯiz·ne·nāh tiz·neh ṯiz·neh ṯiz·nî tizneh ṯizneh tizNeinah tiznenāh ṯiznenāh tizNi ṯiznî vaiYezen vaiyizNu vattazNeh vatTizen vattizNeh vattizNeinah vattizni vattizNim vehizNu vezaNah vezaneTah vezaNu wat·taz·neh wat·ti·zen wat·tiz·ne·nāh wat·tiz·neh wat·tiz·nî wat·tiz·nî- wat·tiz·nîm wattazneh wattizen wattizneh wattiznenāh wattiznî wattiznî- wattiznîm way·ye·zen way·yiz·nū wayyezen wayyiznū wə·hiz·nū wə·zā·nāh wə·zā·nə·ṯāh wə·zā·nū wəhiznū wəzānāh wəzānəṯāh wəzānū yiz·nū yizNu yiznū zā·nə·ṯāh zā·nî·ṯā zā·nîṯ zā·nōh zā·nū zaneTah zānəṯāh zaNit zānîṯ zaNita zānîṯā zaNoh zānōh zaNu zānū zə·nū·nê zənūnê zenuNei zō·nāh zō·neh zō·nîm zō·nō·wṯ zō·w·nāh zō·w·neh zō·w·nō·wṯ zoNah zōnāh zoNeh zōneh zoNim zōnîm zoNot zōnōwṯ zōwnāh zōwneh zōwnōwṯ zūn·nāh zunNah zūnnāh

Englishman's Concordance

Genesis 34:31
HEB: וַיֹּאמְר֑וּ הַכְזוֹנָ֕ה יַעֲשֶׂ֖ה אֶת־
NAS: our sister as a harlot?
KJV: with our sister as with an harlot?
INT: said an harlot treat our sister

Genesis 38:15
HEB: יְהוּדָ֔ה וַֽיַּחְשְׁבֶ֖הָ לְזוֹנָ֑ה כִּ֥י כִסְּתָ֖ה
NAS: her, he thought she [was] a harlot, for she had covered
KJV: he thought her [to be] an harlot; because she had covered
INT: Judah thought she a harlot for had covered

Genesis 38:24
HEB: לִֽיהוּדָ֤ה לֵֽאמֹר֙ זָֽנְתָה֙ תָּמָ֣ר כַּלָּתֶ֔ךָ
NAS: Tamar has played the harlot, and behold,
KJV: thy daughter in law hath played the harlot; and also, behold, she [is] with child
INT: Judah said has played Tamar your daughter-in-law

Exodus 34:15
HEB: לְיוֹשֵׁ֣ב הָאָ֑רֶץ וְזָנ֣וּ ׀ אַחֲרֵ֣י אֱלֹֽהֵיהֶ֗ם
NAS: of the land and they would play the harlot with their gods
KJV: of the land, and they go a whoring after
INT: the inhabitants of the land play after their gods

Exodus 34:16
HEB: מִבְּנֹתָ֖יו לְבָנֶ֑יךָ וְזָנ֣וּ בְנֹתָ֗יו אַחֲרֵי֙
NAS: and his daughters might play the harlot
KJV: and their daughters go a whoring after
INT: of his daughters your sons play and his daughters after

Exodus 34:16
HEB: אַחֲרֵי֙ אֱלֹ֣הֵיהֶ֔ן וְהִזְנוּ֙ אֶת־ בָּנֶ֔יךָ
NAS: might play the harlot with their gods
KJV: thy sons go a whoring after
INT: after their gods the harlot your sons after

Leviticus 17:7
HEB: אֲשֶׁ֛ר הֵ֥ם זֹנִ֖ים אַחֲרֵיהֶ֑ם חֻקַּ֥ת
NAS: with which they play the harlot. This
KJV: after whom they have gone a whoring. This shall be a statute
INT: which they play after statute

Leviticus 19:29
HEB: אֶֽת־ בִּתְּךָ֖ לְהַזְנוֹתָ֑הּ וְלֹא־ תִזְנֶ֣ה
NAS: your daughter by making her a harlot,
KJV: thy daughter, to cause her to be a whore; lest the land
INT: prostitute your daughter making not her a harlot

Leviticus 19:29
HEB: לְהַזְנוֹתָ֑הּ וְלֹא־ תִזְנֶ֣ה הָאָ֔רֶץ וּמָלְאָ֥ה
NAS: by making her a harlot, so that the land
KJV: lest the land fall to whoredom, and the land
INT: making not her a harlot the land become

Leviticus 20:5
HEB: וְאֵ֣ת ׀ כָּל־ הַזֹּנִ֣ים אַחֲרָ֗יו לִזְנ֛וֹת
NAS: both him and all those who play the harlot
KJV: and will cut him off, and all that go a whoring after
INT: will cut and all play after the harlot

Leviticus 20:5
HEB: הַזֹּנִ֣ים אַחֲרָ֗יו לִזְנ֛וֹת אַחֲרֵ֥י הַמֹּ֖לֶךְ
NAS: those who play the harlot after
KJV: after him, to commit whoredom with Molech,
INT: play after the harlot after Molech

Leviticus 20:6
HEB: וְאֶל־ הַיִּדְּעֹנִ֔ים לִזְנ֖וֹת אַחֲרֵיהֶ֑ם וְנָתַתִּ֤י
NAS: and to spiritists, to play the harlot after
KJV: wizards, to go a whoring after
INT: and to spiritists to play after set

Leviticus 21:7
HEB: אִשָּׁ֨ה זֹנָ֤ה וַחֲלָלָה֙ לֹ֣א
NAS: who is profaned by harlotry, nor
KJV: a wife [that is] a whore, or profane;
INT: A woman harlotry is profaned nor

Leviticus 21:9
HEB: כִּ֥י תֵחֵ֖ל לִזְנ֑וֹת אֶת־ אָבִ֙יהָ֙
NAS: she profanes herself by harlotry, she profanes
KJV: if she profane herself by playing the whore, she profaneth
INT: if profanes harlotry her father she

Leviticus 21:14
HEB: וּגְרוּשָׁה֙ וַחֲלָלָ֣ה זֹנָ֔ה אֶת־ אֵ֖לֶּה
NAS: woman, or one who is profaned by harlotry, these
KJV: or profane, [or] an harlot, these shall he not take:
INT: A divorced is profaned harlotry these may not

Numbers 15:39
HEB: אֲשֶׁר־ אַתֶּ֥ם זֹנִ֖ים אַחֲרֵיהֶֽם׃
NAS: after which you played the harlot,
KJV: after which ye use to go a whoring:
INT: which you played after

Numbers 25:1
HEB: וַיָּ֣חֶל הָעָ֔ם לִזְנ֖וֹת אֶל־ בְּנ֥וֹת
NAS: began to play the harlot with the daughters
KJV: began to commit whoredom with the daughters
INT: began the people to play with the daughters

Deuteronomy 22:21
HEB: נְבָלָה֙ בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל לִזְנ֖וֹת בֵּ֣ית אָבִ֑יהָ
NAS: in Israel by playing the harlot in her father's
KJV: in Israel, to play the whore in her father's
INT: an act Israel playing house her father's

Deuteronomy 23:18
HEB: תָבִיא֩ אֶתְנַ֨ן זוֹנָ֜ה וּמְחִ֣יר כֶּ֗לֶב
NAS: the hire of a harlot or the wages
KJV: the hire of a whore, or the price
INT: bring the hire of a harlot the wages of a dog

Deuteronomy 31:16
HEB: הָעָ֨ם הַזֶּ֜ה וְזָנָ֣ה ׀ אַחֲרֵ֣י ׀ אֱלֹהֵ֣י
NAS: will arise and play the harlot with the strange
KJV: will rise up, and go a whoring after
INT: people and this and play after gods

Joshua 2:1
HEB: בֵּית־ אִשָּׁ֥ה זוֹנָ֛ה וּשְׁמָ֥הּ רָחָ֖ב
KJV: and came into an harlot's house,
INT: the house ess an harlot's name was Rahab

Joshua 6:17
HEB: רַק֩ רָחָ֨ב הַזּוֹנָ֜ה תִּֽחְיֶ֗ה הִ֚יא
NAS: only Rahab the harlot and all who
KJV: only Rahab the harlot shall live,
INT: but Rahab the harlot shall live he

Joshua 6:22
HEB: בֵּית־ הָאִשָּׁ֣ה הַזּוֹנָ֑ה וְהוֹצִ֨יאוּ מִשָּׁ֤ם
KJV: Go into the harlot's house,
INT: house the woman the harlot's and bring of there

Joshua 6:25
HEB: וְֽאֶת־ רָחָ֣ב הַ֠זּוֹנָה וְאֶת־ בֵּ֨ית
NAS: However, Rahab the harlot and her father's
KJV: Rahab the harlot alive,
INT: Rahab the harlot household father's

Judges 2:17
HEB: שָׁמֵ֔עוּ כִּ֣י זָנ֗וּ אַֽחֲרֵי֙ אֱלֹהִ֣ים
NAS: to their judges, for they played the harlot after
KJV: unto their judges, but they went a whoring after
INT: listen for played after gods

93 Occurrences

Strong's Hebrew 2181
93 Occurrences

baz·zō·w·nāh — 1 Occ.
biz·nō·w·ṯêḵ — 1 Occ.
haḵ·zō·w·nāh — 1 Occ.
haz·nêh — 1 Occ.
haz·zō·w·nāh — 4 Occ.
haz·zō·w·neh — 1 Occ.
haz·zō·nîm — 1 Occ.
haz·zō·nō·wṯ — 2 Occ.
hiz·nê·ṯā — 1 Occ.
hiz·nū — 2 Occ.
kaz·zō·w·nāh — 1 Occ.
kə·haz·nō·wṯ — 1 Occ.
lə·haz·nō·w·ṯāh — 1 Occ.
lə·zō·w·nāh — 2 Occ.
liz·nō·wṯ — 5 Occ.
miz·zō·w·nāh — 1 Occ.
ṯiz·neh — 3 Occ.
tiz·ne·nāh — 2 Occ.
ṯiz·nî — 1 Occ.
way·ye·zen — 1 Occ.
way·yiz·nū — 5 Occ.
wat·taz·neh — 1 Occ.
wat·ti·zen — 2 Occ.
wat·tiz·neh — 2 Occ.
wat·tiz·ne·nāh — 1 Occ.
wat·tiz·nî- — 6 Occ.
wat·tiz·nîm — 1 Occ.
wə·hiz·nū — 1 Occ.
wə·zā·nāh — 1 Occ.
wə·zā·nə·ṯāh — 1 Occ.
wə·zā·nū — 2 Occ.
yiz·nū — 1 Occ.
zā·nə·ṯāh — 3 Occ.
zā·nîṯ — 1 Occ.
zā·nî·ṯā — 1 Occ.
zā·nōh — 1 Occ.
zā·nū — 2 Occ.
zə·nū·nê — 1 Occ.
zō·nāh — 19 Occ.
zō·w·neh — 2 Occ.
zō·nîm — 3 Occ.
zō·w·nō·wṯ — 2 Occ.
zūn·nāh — 1 Occ.