Lexical Definition

‎עָזַב‎ ʻâzab (aw-zab') to leave: forsake ^H:V
a primitive root

commit self, fail, forsake, fortify, help, leave (destitute, off), refuse, [idiom] surely.

• to loosen, i.e. relinquish, permit, etc.

1) to leave, loose, forsake
1a) (Qal) to leave
1a1) to depart from, leave behind, leave, let alone
1a2) to leave, abandon, forsake, neglect, apostatise
1a3) to let loose, set free, let go, free
1b) (Niphal)
1b1) to be left to
1b2) to be forsaken
1c) (Pual) to be deserted
2) to restore, repair
2a) (Qal) to repair

See Greek: ἀπολείπω · ἀφίημι · διαρπάζω · ἐγκαταλείπω · ἐκλείπω · ἐπιστρέφω · ἐπιτρέπω · καταλείπω · παρίημι · συναίρω · συνεγείρω · ὑπολείπω

Brown-Driver-Briggs

Aramaic form: שְׁזַב
I. ‎עָזַב‎₂₁₃ verb leave, forsake, loose (Late Hebrew id. (rare); Arabic be remote, absent, depart, Assyrian ezêbu, leave, Shaph`el ušezib, rescue, compare Biblical Aramaic ‎שֵׁיזֵב‎; — Ethiopic widowed Di⁹⁷³); —

Qal Perfect 3 masculine singular ‎׳‎‎ע‎ Gen 24:27 +, suffix ‎עֲזָבַנִי‎ Isa 49:14; Ps 38:11* 3 feminine singular ‎עָזָ֑בָה‎ Ezek 23:8 1 singular suffix ‎עֲזַבְתִּיךְ‎ Isa 54:7 2 feminine plural ‎עֲזַבְתֶּן‎ Exod 2:20, etc.; Imperfect 3 masculine singular ‎יַעֲזֹב‎ Isa 55:7 +, ‎יַעֲזָבֿ‎ Gen 2:24, suffix 1 singular ‎וַיַּעַזְבֵנִי‎ 1Sam 30:13, etc.; Imperative ‎עֲזֹב‎ Ps 37:8, ‎עָזְבָה‎ Jer 49:11, ‎עִזְבוּ‎ Jer 48:28; Prov 9:6, etc.; Infinitive absolute ‎עָזוֺב‎ Jer 14:5, ‎עָזֹב‎ Exod 23:5 construct ‎עֲזֹב‎ Gen 44:22 +, suffix ‎עָזְבֵךְ‎ Jer 2:17 +, etc.; Participle active ‎עֹזֵב‎ Prov 10:17 +, construct ‎עֹזְבִי‎ (Ges^{«GKC:90l»§ 90l}); feminine construct ‎עֹזֶבֶת‎ Prov 2:17 etc.; passive ‎עָזוּב‎ Deut 32:26 +, etc.; —

1. leave, with accusative (on order of meanings compare Nö^{ZMG. xl (1886). 726}):
a. = depart from, accusative of person Gen 44:22 (twice in verse) (J), 2Kgs 2:2; 2Kgs 2:4; 2Kgs 2:6; 2Kgs 4:30; Num 10:31 (P), Ruth 1:16; Jer 9:1* (|| ‎הָלַךְ מֵאֵת‎); accusative of location 1Kgs 8:6; Jer 25:28 (‎׳‎‎י‎ as lion leaving lair); with ‎מִן‎ local intransitive (strangely) Jer 18:14 (of snow).
b. leave behind, accusative of person Exod 2:20 (J), 2Sam 15:16 (+ infinitive), Ezek 24:21 accusative of thing + ‎בְּיַד‎ Gen 39:12; Gen 39:13, + ‎אֶצְלִי‎ vGen 39:15 vGen 39:18 (all J); + ‎ב‎ location Gen 50:8 (J); accusative of person and thing Exod 9:21 (J).
c. leave in the presence of (‎לִפְנֵי‎) 1Chr 16:37 (‎ל‎ of accusative, compare ‎ל‎ 3 b above), 2Chr 28:14.
d. leave in safety, ‎וְאָ֫נָה חַעַזְבוּ כְּבוֺדְכֶם‎ Isa 10:3.
e. leave in a given condition, situation, ‎אֹתוֺ בְמַחֲלֻיִים‎ ‎׳‎‎ע‎ 2Chr 24:25 they left him in great suffering; with adverb accusative Ezek 23:29 a city ‎פְּתוּחָה‎ Josh 8:17. feminine leave undisturbed, let alone Ruth 2:16.
g. leave unexercised, Gen 24:27 pregnantly he hath not left his kindness and his faithfulness from (being) with (‎מֵעִם‎) my master; so ‎חַסְדּוֺ אֶתֿ‎ ‎׳‎‎ע‎ Ruth 2:20 (both of ‎׳‎‎י‎); ‎חֵמָה‎ ‎׳‎‎ע‎ Ps 37:8 (|| ‎הֶרֶף מֵאַף‎).
h. leave in the hand of, entrust to, accusative of thing + ‎בְּיַד‎ Gen 39:6 (J), + ‎אֶלֿ‎ Job 39:11 (|| ‎בָּטַח בְּ‎), + ‎עַלֿ‎ Ps 10:14 (accusative omitted, his cause). — So also possibly (with ‎לְ‎) Neh 3:34* (reading ‎לֵאלֹהִים‎ for ᵑ0 ‎לָהֶם‎), but text probably otherwise corrupt.
i. leave to (‎ל‎) one (unaided), ‎וְחָדַלְתָּ֫ מֵעֲזֹב לוֺ‎ Exod 23:5 a (E) thou shalt refrain from leaving it (that is, the affair) to him; compare ‎תַּעֲזֹב לָאָרֶץ בֵּיצֶיהָ‎ Job 39:14 (of ostrich).
j. leave over, remaining, accusative of person Josh 2:21 (JE); accusative of thing + ‎לְ‎ person Lev 19:10; Lev 23:22 (H), Mal 3:19*.
k. leave = have nothing to do with Prov 9:6.

2. leave, abandon, forsake:
a. abandon, accusative of thing: (1) land, house, city, tent, etc., 1Sam 31:7 = 1Chr 10:7; 2Kgs 7:7; Jer 9:18*; Jer 48:28; Jer 51:9; Jer 2:14; (+ ‎מִפְּנֵי‎ of enemy); passive participle of cities vIsa 17:2; Jer 4:29; Zeph 2:4, compare ‎עֲזוּבָה‎ Isa 17:9 participle = substantive = deserted region. (2) oxen 1Kgs 19:20, idol-images (+ ‎שָׁם‎) 2Sam 5:21 = 1Chr 14:12, flock Zech 11:17 passive participle of eggs Isa 10:14.
b. forsake, (1) human subject and object: Gen 2:24 (J; a man his parents), 1Sam 30:13; Josh 22:3 (D), Jer 49:11; Ps 27:10 (parent a child), Prov 2:17 (wife her husband, ‎אַלוּף‎), compare ‎עֲזוּבָה אִשָּׁה‎ Isa 54:6, and ‎׳‎‎ע‎ of personified Zion Isa 60:15; Isa 62:4. (2) an animal its young Jer 14:5 (object om).
c. = neglect, Levite Deut 12:19; Deut 14:27, poor Job 20:19.
d. especially (1) figurative of forsaking God (‎׳‎‎י‎), apostatizing, Judg 10:10; Deut 28:20; Deut 31:16; Jer 1:16 + 38 t. (often Jeremiah and later); + Jonah 2:9* (object ‎חַסְדָּם‎, i.e. God, see ‎חֶסֶד‎ II); with ‎ל‎ + infinitive only ‎עָֽזְבוּ לִשְׁמֹר‎ ‎׳‎‎אֶתיֿ‎ Hos 4:10 (Oort We Now doubt ‎לִשְׁמֹר‎). (2) object ‎׳‎‎י‎'s law, commands, covenant, etc., Deut 29:24*; 1Kgs 19:10; 1Kgs 19:14 + 14 t.; house of ‎׳‎‎י‎ 2Chr 24:18; Neh 10:40*. (3) forsake, fail to follow, obey advice, instruction, wisdom, reproof: 1Kgs 12:8; 1Kgs 12:13 = 2Chr 10:8; 2Chr 10:13; Prov 2:13; Prov 4:2; Prov 4:6; Prov 10:17; Prov 15:10; Prov 27:10. (4) but also of forsaking idols Ezek 20:8, sins of various kinds Ezek 23:8; Isa 55:7; Prov 28:13 (object omitted; + ‎מוֺדֶה‎ confess); ‎הַמַּשָּׁא‎ usury Neh 5:10.
e. of God's forsaking, abandoning men: Deut 31:17; Isa 42:16; Isa 49:14; Isa 54:7; 2Chr 12:5; Ezra 9:9; Ps 9:11*; Ps 22:2* + 8 t. Psalms; + ‎בְּיַד‎ Neh 9:28; Ps 37:33; Ps 16:10 thou wilt not abandon my soul ‎לִשְׁאוֺל‎; of temporary abandonment 2Chr 32:31 (+ infinitive of purpose); etc. (34 t. in all); + Jer 12:7 (‎׳‎‎י‎ abandoning his house). feminine of God's leaving, i.e. ceasing to regard, the earth, thus giving impunity to crime, Ezek 8:12; Ezek 9:9.
g. of strength (‎כֹּחַ‎) forsaking one Ps 38:11*, courage (‎לֵב‎) Ps 40:13*, kindness and faithfulness (‎חֶסֶד וֶאֱמֶת‎) Prov 3:3.

3. let loose, set free, let go ‎עִמּוֺ עָזֹב תַּעֲזֹב‎ Exod 23:5b (E) thou shalt by all means free it (that is, the beast) with him, (aid him to set it free; on sense, compare Deut 22:4 DHM below II. ‎עזב‎); ‎עָצוּר וְעָזוּב‎ shut up and freed, proverb. phrase, = all classes of people Deut 32:36; 1Kgs 14:10; 1Kgs 21:21; 2Kgs 9:8; 2Kgs 14:26 (exact meaning dubious; probably either = bond and free, or [see RS^{Sem i. 437, 2nd ed. 456}] under taboo and free from it); let go Job 20:13 (c, accusative of wickedness as morsel in mouth); let loose my complaint Job 10:1 (‎עָלַי‎ apud me, compare ‎עַל‎ II 1 d); ‎אֶעֶזְבָה פָנַי‎ Job 9:27 I will loosen, relax, my face, (compare Thes De Me Stu Di Buhl^Lex Bu; > abandon my [gloomy] countenance AV RV SS Bae^Kau Du). Niph`al Perfect 3 masculine singular ‎נֶעֱזַב‎ Neh 13:11 3 feminine singular ‎נֶעֱזָבָ֫ה‎ Isa 62:12 Imperfect 3 feminine singular ‎תֵּעָזֵב‎ Isa 7:16; Lev 26:43, ‎תֵּעָ֣זַב‎ Job 18:4 3 masculine plural ‎יֵעָֽזְבוּ‎ Isa 18:6 Participle ‎נֶעֱזָב‎ Isa 27:10; Ps 37:25 feminine plural ‎נֶעֱזָבוֺת‎ Ezek 36:4 —

1. be left to (‎לְ‎), i.e. to the possession of, Isa 18:6.

2. be forsaken, of house of God Neh 13:11, a city Ezek 36:4; Isa 27:10 (|| ‎מְשֻׁלָּח‎), Isa 62:12 the earth Job 18:4, land Isa 7:16; Lev 26:43 (+ ‎מִן‎ of exiles); of man Ps 37:25. Pu`al (or Qal passive, see Ges^{«GKC:52e»§ 52e}) be deserted, of city: Perfect 3 masculine singular ‎הֲמוֺן עִיר עֻזָּב֫‎ Isa 32:14 (|| ‎נֻטָּ֔שׁ‎); 3 feminine singular ‎עֻזְּבָה‎ Jer 49:25.

II. [‎עָזַב‎] verb restore, repair (?) (compare perhaps Sabean ‎עדֿב‎ restore, SabDenkm⁹⁰ DHM^{Öster. Monatsschr. f. d. Orient 1885, 226}; also Late Hebrew ‎מַעֲזִיבָה‎ restoration, erection Levy^{NHWB iii. 186}, Arabic , building-stone Kremer^{Beitr. ii. 18}); —

Qal Imperfect 3 masculine plural ‎וַיַּעַזְבוּ‎ Neh 3:8 and they repaired (?) Jerusalem as far as the broad wall; > paved Gu^{ZPV viii (1885), 282 f.}, or from √ I.‎עזב‎ (see views in Be Ryle).

‎עַזְבּוּק‎, ‎עַזְגָּד‎, ‎עֻזָּה‎ see ‎עזז‎.

Brown-Driver-Briggs References