Lexical Definition

‎זֶבַח‎ zebach (zeh'-bakh) sacrifice ^H:N-M
from ‎זָבַח‎

offer(-ing), sacrifice.

• properly, a slaughter, i.e. the flesh of an animal
• by implication, a sacrifice (the victim or the act)

1) sacrifice
1a) sacrifices of righteousness
1b) sacrifices of strife
1c) sacrifices to dead things
1d) the covenant sacrifice
1e) the passover
1f) annual sacrifice
1g) thank offering

Brown-Driver-Briggs

I. ‎זֶ֫בַח‎₁₆₂ noun masculine^{Judg 16:23} sacrifice **Phoenician ‎זבח‎ of an offering of bread and oil CIS^{i. 165, 12; 167. 8}, compare RS^{Semitic 205 (2nd ed. 222)}. ‎׳‎‎ז‎ absolute Gen 31:54 +; construct Exod 34:25 +; ‎זָ֑בַח‎ Lev 17:8 + 16 t.; suffix ‎זִבְחוֺ‎ Lev 7:16; Ezek 34:15, ‎זִבְחֲכֶם‎ Lev 19:6 plural ‎זְבָחִים‎ Gen 46:1 +; construct ‎זִבְחֵי‎ Lev 17:5 +; suffix 3 masculine plural ‎זִבְחֵיהֶם‎ Lev 17:5, ‎זְבָחֵימוֺ‎ Deut 32:38, ‎זִבְחֹתָם‎ Hos 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 Gen 46:1; Exod 10:25; Exod 18:12 (E) Hos 3:4; Hos 6:6; Hos 9:4; Amos 5:25; Isa 1:11; Isa 19:21; Deut 12:27; Deut 18:3; 1Sam 2:13; 1Sam 2:29; 1Sam 3:14; 1Sam 6:15; 1Sam 9:12; 1Sam 9:13; 1Sam 15:22 (twice in verse); 1Sam 16:3; 1Sam 16:5 (twice in verse); 2Sam 15:12; 1Kgs 8:62; 1Kgs 12:27; 2Kgs 5:17; 2Kgs 16:15; Ps 40:7*; Ps 50:8; Ps 51:18*; Ps 51:19*; Prov 15:8; Prov 21:3; Prov 21:27; Isa 43:23; Isa 43:24; Isa 56:7; Jer 6:20; Jer 7:21; Jer 7:22; Jer 17:26; Jer 33:18; Ezek 40:42; Ezek 44:11; 1Chr 29:21 (twice in verse); 2Chr 7:1; 2Chr 7:4; 2Chr 7:5; 2Chr 7:12; Neh 12:43; Dan 9:27; Eccl 4:17*. They should be ‎זִבְחֵי צֶדֶק‎ sacrifices of righteousness (offered in righteousness by the righteous) Deut 33:19; Ps 4:6*; Ps 51:21* ‎זִבְחֵי הַבְהָבַי‎ sacrifices of gifts to me (‎׳‎‎י‎) Hos 8:13 the temple is ‎בֵּית זָבַ֑ח‎ 2Chr 7:12 they should not be ‎רִיב‎ ‎׳‎‎ז‎ sacrifices of strife, where strife prevails Prov 17:1.

2. of other deities Exod 34:15; Num 25:2; Deut 32:38 (JE) Judg 16:23; 2Kgs 10:19; 2Kgs 10:24; Hos 4:19; Isa 57:7; Ezek 20:28 these are ‎זִבְחֵי מֵתִים‎ sacrifices to dead things (lifeless gods, opposed to ‎׳‎‎י‎ as living), Ps 106:28. II. there are several kinds of ‎זְבָחִים‎ which are gradually distinguished:

1. the covenant sacrifice, between Jacob and Laban Gen 31:54 (E), with God Ps 50:5 (compare Exod 24:5; 1Sam 11:15).

2. the passover ‎זֶבַח חַג‎ ‎הַפֶּסַח‎ Exod 34:25 (JE), ‎זבח פסח‎ Exod 12:27 (J); and probably also ‎זבחי‎ Exod 23:18 (JE) = Exod 34:25 (id.)

3. annual sacrifice ‎זֶבַח הַיָּמִים‎ 1Sam 1:21; 1Sam 2:19; 1Sam 20:6, compare ‎מִשְׁפָּחָה‎ ‎׳‎‎ז‎ sacrifice of the clan 1Sam 20:29.

4. thank offering ‎(הַ)תּוֺדָה‎ ‎׳‎‎ז‎ Lev 7:12; Lev 22:29; Ps 107:22; Ps 116:17, which is given as ‎קָרְבָּנוֺ‎ ‎׳‎‎ז‎, ‎זִבְחוֺ‎, ‎הַזָּבַח‎ Lev 7:16; Lev 7:17 and as a variety of ‎שְׁלָמִים‎ Lev 7:13; Lev 7:15 it is implied in ‎זִבְחֵי תְרוּעָה‎ Ps 27:6 yet ‎זֶבַח‎ is generic with ‎תּוֺדָה‎ 2Chr 29:31 (twice in verse).

5. in ritual of H & P ‎זבחים‎ are defined by ‎שׁלמים‎ (q. v.) Lev 3:1 + 39 t. Leviticus, Numbers, 1Sam 10:8; 1Kgs 8:63; 2Chr 30:22; 2Chr 33:16; Prov 7:14, but sometimes (rarely) ‎׳‎‎ז‎ alone is used in this sense, with or without suffix, where the meaning is plain from the context: Lev 17:5; Lev 17:7; Lev 17:8; Lev 19:6; Lev 23:37 (H) Num 15:3; Num 15:5; Num 15:8; Josh 22:26; Josh 22:29 (all P). These ritual offerings are of three varieties ‎תּוֺדָה‎, ‎נֶדֶר‎ and ‎נְדָבָה‎ Lev 7:12; Lev 7:16 (P); in the several lists ‎זבחים‎ are distinguished from ‎תודות‎ Amos 2:31, from ‎נדרים‎ Num 15:8 (P) Deut 12:6; Deut 12:11; Jonah 1:16, from ‎נדבות‎ Amos 4:4f.; Deut 12:6 and from the more comprehensive ‎שׁלמים‎ Num 15:8; Josh 22:27 (P). So also the sacrifice at the institution of the covenant at Horeb Exod 24:5 (J E) and the sacrifice at the installation of Saul 1Sam 11:5 are defined as ‎זבחים שׁלמים‎. 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, Exod 12:22; Exod 24:8; Lev 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 Isa 34:6; Jer 46:10; Ezek 39:17 (twice in verse); Ezek 39:19; Zeph 1:7; Zeph 1:8.

7. the verb used with ‎זֶבַח‎ is ordinarily ‎זָבַח‎ but others also are found e.g. ‎עָשָׂה‎ Num 6:17; Num 15:3; Num 15:5; Num 15:8; Josh 22:23 (P) 1Kgs 12:27; 2Kgs 5:17; 2Kgs 10:24; Jer 33:18 (compare Sabean ‎עסי דֿבח‎ Hal¹⁴⁸ DHM^{ZMG 1888, 374}); ‎הֵבִיא‎ Amos 4:4; Deut 12:6; Deut 12:11; Jer 17:26, ‎הִגִּישׁ‎ Amos 5:25, ‎הִקְרִיב‎ Lev 7:11; Lev 7:16; Lev 22:21 (all P), ‎עָבַד‎ Isa 19:21, ‎נָתַן‎ Eccl 4:17*, ‎יַעֲלָה עֹלָה אוֺ זֶבַח‎ Lev 17:8 (H), ‎׳‎‎בִּשֵּׁל ז‎ Ezek 46:24, ‎שָׁחַט אֶתהָֿעוֺלָה וְהַזָּבַ֑ח‎ Ezek 40:42 compare Ezek 44:11.

Brown-Driver-Briggs References