H1497 H1497
To seize, rob, snatch away by force; to plunder property, livestock, or people through violent dispossession.
Gazal is a verb of violent taking—seizing what belongs to another by force or power. It covers the spectrum from snatching a spear from an enemy's hand (2 Sam 23:21) to systematic oppression of the poor (Ezek 18:7, 18). Leviticus 19:13 prohibits it alongside withholding wages, and Micah 2:2 condemns those who covet fields and gazal them. The word implies a power imbalance: the strong dispossess the weak. Spanish 'robaron' and German 'Raub' capture the violent theft dimension, while French 'saisir' reflects the physical seizing. Job 20:19 and 24:2, 9 use it to paint vivid pictures of the wicked tearing away houses, boundary stones, and even nursing infants from the poor.
Senses
1. rob, seize, snatch away — To seize, rob, or snatch away by force, involving the violent taking of property, livestock, or persons. Abraham confronts Abimelech about a well that was gazal-ed (Gen 21:25). Leviticus 5:23 and 19:13 legislate restitution for what is seized. Judges 21:23 describes the Benjaminites snatching wives. In prophetic indictment, Ezekiel 18:7, 12, 16, 18 and Micah 3:2 use gazal to denounce oppressive rulers who strip the vulnerable of their livelihood. The passive form gazul ('robbed, plundered') in Deuteronomy 28:29 describes covenantal curse—continual victimization with no rescuer. 30×
AR["اخْتَطَفُوا", "اسْلُبْهُ", "اغْتَصَبَهَا", "الْمَسْلُوبَ", "بِمَغْصُوبٍ", "تَسْلُبْ", "تَسْلِبْ-", "غَصَبَ", "مَسْلُوبٌ", "نَهَبَ", "وَ-يَسْلُبُونَ", "وَ-يُسْلَبُ", "وَانْتَزَعَ", "وَنَهَبُوا", "يَغْصِبْ"]·ben["আমি-লুটিনি", "এবং-কেড়ে-নিল", "এবং-কেড়ে-নেয়", "এবং-গেলেন", "এবং-তিনি-ছিনিয়ে-নিলেন", "এবং-লুঠ-করেছে-তারা", "ও-কেড়ে-নেওয়া-হয়", "কেড়ে-নেওয়া", "ছিনতাই-করবে", "ছিনিয়ে-নিয়েছিল", "লুট-কর", "লুটকৃত", "লুণ্ঠন-করে", "লুণ্ঠন-করেছে", "লুণ্ঠিতকে", "লুন্ঠন-করেছে", "সে-ছিনতাই-করেছে"]·DE["Raub", "[גזול]", "[גזל]", "[וגזלו]", "[ויגזל]", "[ונגזלה]", "[יגזל]", "[תגזל]", "er-raubte", "ergriff", "geraubt-hatten", "ich-stole", "rauben", "sie-ergriff", "und-er-snatched", "und-sie-raubten"]·EN["I-stole", "and-he-snatched", "and-is-robbed", "and-robbed", "and-seize", "and-snatched", "does-he-rob", "had-seized", "he-robbed", "he-robs", "he-seized", "rob", "robbed", "seized", "stolen", "they-seized"]·FR["[גזול]", "[ויגזל]", "avait-saisit", "dérober", "et-dérober", "et-il-snatched", "et-ravir", "il-déroba", "ils-saisit", "ravir", "saisit"]·heb["גזול", "גזל", "גזלו", "גזלתי", "ו-גזלו", "ו-יגזול", "ו-יגזל", "ו-נגזלה", "יגזול", "תגזול-", "תגזל"]·HI["उसने-लूटा", "और-छिन-जाती-है", "और-छीना", "और-लूटते-हैं", "और-लूटा-उन्होंने", "छीन-लिया-था", "छीना-हुआ", "छीनी-उन्होंने", "लूट-", "लूटता-है", "लूटा", "लूटा-उसने", "लूटा-हुआ", "लूटे-हुए-को", "लूटोगे"]·ID["aku-rampas", "dan-dia-merebut", "dan-merampas", "dan-merampok", "dan-merebut", "dan-terenggut", "dirampas", "ia-merampas", "ia-telah-merampok", "kamu-merampas", "merampok", "mereka-rampas", "yang-dirampas"]·IT["[גזול]", "[ויגזל]", "afferro", "aveva-afferrò", "derubarono", "e-e-è-robbed", "e-egli-snatched", "e-rapinato", "egli-rapino", "egli-seized", "essi-afferrò", "rapinare", "rapinato", "rob"]·jav["dipunrampas", "dirampas", "kang-dipun-rampas", "kawula-ngrampok", "lan-kapundhut", "lan-ngrampas", "lan-nyaut", "lan-sami-ngrampas", "ngrampas", "piyambakipun-ngrampas", "piyambakipun-sedaya-nyulap", "tiyang-ingkang-karampas"]·KO["강탈하였다", "강탈한", "강탈한다", "강탈할-것이다-너는", "그리고-강탈했다", "그리고-빼앗긴다", "그리고-빼앗는다", "그리고-빼앗다", "그리고-빼앗았다", "납치한", "내-가-립았도다", "빼앗겨서", "빼앗긴-자를", "빼앗았나니", "빼앗은", "빼앗은-것", "빼앗지"]·PT["e-arrancou", "e-roubam", "e-roubaram", "e-é-roubado", "rouba", "roubado", "roubaram", "roubarás", "roubei", "roubes-", "roubou"]·RU["грабил", "грабил-я", "грабь", "грабь-", "и-вырвал", "и-грабили", "и-грабят", "и-отнят", "награбленное", "ограбил", "ограбленного", "отнял", "отняли", "отнят", "похитили"]·ES["al-despojado", "robado", "robaron", "robarás", "robes-a-", "robé", "robó", "será-robado", "y-arrebató", "y-les-es-quitado", "y-roban", "y-robaron"]·SW["aliiba", "alinyakua", "alipora", "aliyenyang’anywa", "ameiba", "ameibwa", "iba", "kilichoporwa", "na-akanyakua", "na-kupokonya", "na-u-na-nyanganywa", "na-wameiba", "sikuiba", "usimwibie", "utanyanganya", "waliwanyakua", "watumishi"]·TR["gasp-edilmiş", "gasp-etmişlerdi", "gasp-etti", "gaspolunmuş", "kapıp-kaçırmışlardı", "soy-", "soyacaksın", "soyulanı", "ve-alınır", "ve-gasp-ederler", "ve-kapı-aldı", "ve-kapıverdi", "ve-soygun-yaptılar", "yağma-ederse", "yağma-etti", "yağmaladı", "çaldım"]·urd["اغوا-کیا", "اور-لوٹا", "اور-چھن-گئی-ہے", "اور-چھین-لیا", "اور-چھینا", "اور-چھینتے-ہیں", "لوٹ-", "لوٹا", "لوٹا-ہوا", "لوٹتا", "لوٹتا-ہے", "لوٹو", "لوٹے", "لوٹے-ہوئے-کو", "میں-نے-لوٹا", "چھینا", "چھینا-تھا", "چھینا-ہوا"]
Gen 21:25, Gen 31:31, Lev 6:4, Lev 19:13, Deut 28:29, Deut 28:31, Judg 9:25, Judg 21:23, 2 Sam 23:21, 1 Chr 11:23, Job 20:19, Job 24:2 (+18 more)
Related Senses
G0846 1. third-person pronoun reference (5552×)H???? 1. (4670×)H6213a 1. do, perform, act (2383×)G4160 1. do, act, perform (473×)H5221 1. Hifil: to strike in battle, smite enemies (362×)H0899b 1. garment, article of clothing (216×)H6213a 2. make, construct, fabricate (148×)H3772 1. cut a covenant / make a pact (97×)H5060 1. touch physically (Qal) (96×)H3615 1. complete a task (Piel) (85×)H3772 2. cut off / destroy (Hifil causative) (81×)H3920 1. capture, seize (Qal) (76×)H???? 12. (76×)H3772 3. be cut off / be eliminated (Niphal) (74×)H6213a 3. be done, be made (Niphal) (73×)G4160 2. make, construct, create (62×)H3847 1. Qal: put on, wear (60×)H8210 1. pour out (liquid/libation) (59×)G2440 1. garment or clothing (general) (54×)H4191 4. kill / put to death (Hifil causative) (50×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† I. גָּזַל vb. tear away, seize, rob (NH id., Ph. גזל Niph., Aramaic גְּזַל, ܓܠܰܙ & (Nas.) ܓܙܰܠ; Arabic جَزَلَ cut off)— Qal Pf. גָּזַל Jb 20:19 Ez 18:18, גָּזָ֑ל Lv 5:23 + 2 times, גָּזַלְתִּי ψ 69:5 etc.; Impf. יִגְזֹל Ez 18:7, וַיִּגְזֹל 2 S 23:21 1 Ch 11:23 etc.; Inf. גְּזֹל Is 10:2; Pt. act. גּוֹזֵל Pr 28:24; sf. גֹּזְלוֹ ψ 35:10; pl. cstr. גֹּזְלֵי Mi 3:2; pass. גָּזוּל Dt 28:29 + 4…