Lexical Definition

‎זָבַח‎ zâbach (zaw-bakh') to sacrifice ^H:V
a primitive root

kill, offer, (do) sacrifice, slay.

• to slaughter an animal (usually in sacrifice)

1) to slaughter, kill, sacrifice, slaughter for sacrifice
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to slaughter for sacrifice
1a2) to slaughter for eating
1a3) to slaughter in divine judgment
1b) (Piel) to sacrifice, offer sacrifice

See Greek: ἐκζητέω · θυμιάω · θυσία · θύω · προσφέρω · σφάζω

Extended Information

• Aramaic equivalent: de.vach (‎ד‎ְּ‎ב‎ַ‎ח‎ "to sacrifice" דְּבַח)

Brown-Driver-Briggs

‎זָבַח‎₁₃₄ verb slaughter for sacrifice (Late Hebrew id., Phoenician ‎זבח‎; Assyrian Zibû Dl^{Pr 174} compare Lotz^{TP 174}; Arabic , Sabean ‎דֿבח‎ CIS^{iv. 1, 2, No. 74 l. 11. 12}; Aramaic ‎דְּבַח‎, , Ethiopic ) Qal₁₁₂ Perfect ‎׳‎‎ז‎ 1Kgs 8:63; 1Kgs 13:2, ‎זָבַחְתָּ‎ Exod 20:24 + 3 t., ‎זָבַחְתִּי‎ Ezek 39:19, ‎זָָֽבְחוּ‎ Exod 34:15; Lev 17:5, ‎זְבַחְתֶּם‎ Exod 8:24*, ‎זָבַחְנוּ‎ Exod 8:23* Imperfect ‎וַיִּזְבַּח‎ Gen 31:54 + 14 t.; 2 masculine singular suffix ‎תִּזְבָּחֶנּוּ‎ Deut 15:21, 2 feminine singular suffix ‎וַתִּזְבָּחִים‎ Ezek 16:20, 1 singular ‎אֶזְבַּח‎ Ps 116:17, ‎אֶזְבְּחָה‎ Ps 27:6; Ps 54:8*; Jonah 2:10* 2 masculine plural ‎תִּזְבְּחוּ‎ Lev 19:5 + 2 t., ‎תִּזְבָּ֑חוּ‎ Lev 22:29 + 2 t.; 1 plural ‎נִזְבְּחָה‎ Exod 3:18 +, etc. (61 t. Imperfect); Imperative ‎זְבַח‎ Ps 50:14, ‎זִבְחוּ‎ Exod 8:21*; Ps 4:6* Infinitive construct ‎זְבֹחַ‎ 1Sam 15:15 + 14 t., ‎לִזְבּוֺחַ‎ 2Chr 11:16, ‎בְּזָבְחוֺ‎ 2Sam 15:12 Participle active ‎זֹבֵחַ‎ Exod 13:15 + 8 t., ‎זוֺבֵחַ‎ Isa 66:3, plural ‎זֹבְחִים‎ Lev 17:5 + (20 t. Participle) —

I. slaughter for sacrifice

1. with accusative of
a. kind of sacrifice ‎זֶבַח‎ ‎׳‎‎ז‎ Gen 31:54 +, ‎פֶּסַח‎ Deut 16:2; Deut 16:5; Deut 16:6, ‎שְׁלָמְים‎ Deut 27:7; Josh 8:31, ‎תּוֺדָה‎ Ps 50:14; Ps 50:23, ‎עֹלוֺת‎ ‎ושׁלמים‎ Exod 20:24 (E).
b. victims,
(a) animals ‎בָּקָר וָצאֹן‎ 1Kgs 8:63; Num 22:40, ‎צאן ובקר‎ 2Chr 18:2, ‎הַבְּרִיאָה‎ Ezek 34:3, ‎כָּלפֶּֿטֶר רֶחֶם‎ Exod 13:15 (J); ‎פָּרִים וְאֵילִים‎ 1Chr 15:26, ‎שׁוֺר וָשֶׂה‎ Deut 17:1 (β) mankind ‎בָּנִים וּבָנוֺת‎ Ps 106:37; Ezek 16:20, ‎זֹבְחֵי אָדָם‎ sacrificers of mankind Hos 13:2 (so Ra AE Hi Wü MV; men that sacrifice AV RV after Ki, so Pu Ew Ke Now Che SS).
c. ‎תּוֺעֲבַת מִצְרַיִם‎ Exod 8:22* (twice in verse) (E), ‎מָשְׁחָת‎ Mal 1:14.

2. absolute 1Sam 1:5 + often

3. with ‎לְ‎ of deity, ‎לְדָגוֺן‎ Judg 16:23, ‎לַשְּׂעִירִם‎ Lev 17:7 (H), ‎לַשֵּׁדִים‎ Deut 32:17; Ps 106:37 other gods Exod 34:15 (JE) +; but usually ‎ליהוה‎ Exod 3:18 + 9 t. J E, Lev 17:5; Lev 19:5; Lev 22:29 (all H, not elsewhere in P), Deut 15:21; Deut 16:2; Deut 17:1; 1Sam 1:3 +; ‎לֵאלֹהֵי‎ ‎אָבִיו‎ Gen 46:1 (E), ‎לאלהים‎ Ps 50:14, ‎לאדני‎ Mal 1:14.

4. with local prep. ‎בְּ‎ Gen 31:54 (E) +, ‎עַל‎ Exod 20:24 (E) +; ‎לפני‎ Lev 9:4 (P) +, ‎על פני השׂדה‎ Lev 17:5 (H). II. slaughter for eating (connected also with sacrifice, as all eating of flesh among ancient Hebrews was sacrificial, RS^{Semitic 219}) 1Sam 28:24 (fat calf for Saul), Ezek 34:3 (fat sheep for shepherds), 2Chr 18:2 (sheep and oxen for Jehoshaphat, with ‎לְ‎ of person); compare Deut 12:15 vDeut 12:21 (absolute), 1Kgs 19:21. III. slaughter in divine judgment Ezek 39:17-19 with accusative ‎זִבְחִי‎ (Gog and Magog as feast for vultures), 1Kgs 13:2; 2Kgs 23:20 (priests of high-places on their own altars). Pi`el₂₂ Perfect ‎זִבַּח‎ 2Chr 33:22, ‎זִבְּחוּ‎ Ps 106:38, ‎זִבֵּ֑חוּ‎ Hos 12:12* Imperfect ‎יְזַבֵּחַ‎ Hab 1:16, ‎יְזַבֵּ֑חוּ‎ Hos 4:13; Hos 4:14; Hos 11:2 (7 t. Imperfect); Infinitive construct ‎לְֹזַבֵּחַ‎ 1Kgs 12:32 Participle ‎מְזַבֵּחַ‎ 1Kgs 3:3, plural ‎מְזַבְּחִים‎ 2Chr 5:6 + 8 t., ‎מְזַבְּחוֺת‎ 1Kgs 11:8 — sacrifice,

1. of the abundant sacrifices made to Yahweh by Solomon 1Kgs 8:5 = 2Chr 5:6, and Hezekiah 2Chr 30:22, and probably intensive; but

2. elsewhere of sacrifice to other deities, possibly iterative in some cases, but certainly not in all: ‎לַבְּעָלִים‎ Hos 11:2, ‎לֵאלֹהֵיהֶן‎ 1Kgs 11:8, ‎לַעֲגָלִים‎ 1Kgs 12:32, ‎לְחֶרְמוֺ‎ Hab 1:16, ‎לַעֲצַבֵּי כְנָ֑עַן‎ Ps 106:38, ‎לֵאלֹהֵי דַּרְמֶשֶׂק‎ 2Chr 28:23, ‎לְכָלהַֿפְּסִילִים‎ 2Chr 33:22 or in unlawful places ‎עַלרָֿאשֵׁי הֶהָרִים‎ Hos 4:13 compare vHos 4:14, ‎בַּגִּלְגָּל‎ Hos 12:12*, ‎בַּבָּמוֺת‎ 1Kgs 3:2; 1Kgs 3:3; 1Kgs 22:44; 2Kgs 12:4*; 2Kgs 14:4; 2Kgs 15:4 = 2Chr 28:4. It is used without direct object Hos 4:14 and often; also with accusative of victim ‎שְׁוָרִים‎ Hos 12:12* ‎צאֹן וּבָקָר‎ 1Kgs 8:5 = 2Chr 5:6 sons and daughters Ps 106:38, ‎זִבְחֵי שְׁלָמִים‎ 2Chr 30:22.

Brown-Driver-Briggs References