H1633a H1633a
gnaw, strip bare, leave nothing (metaphor: voracious judges)
This difficult verb appears in Zephaniah's condemnation of Jerusalem's judges, who are described as wolves that 'leave no bones for morning.' Most translations connect this to gnawing bones clean, leaving nothing. The root may relate to cutting off or stripping bare. The prophet's vivid metaphor pictures judges as predatory animals consuming everything, leaving no remnant—perfect corruption that takes all and gives back nothing to the community.
Senses
1. sense 1 — Zephaniah 3:3 employs this verb in a disturbing metaphor: Jerusalem's judges are evening wolves 'leaving no bones for morning'—or 'gnawing bones' depending on translation. The sense is voracious, complete consumption with no remainder. Whether the verb means 'reserve nothing' or 'gnaw bare,' the image is the same: predatory officials who extract everything from their victims, leaving not even scraps. The Spanish 'dejaron huesos' (left bones) captures one reading; other versions emphasize the gnawing action. Either way, it's an image of total, ruthless exploitation. 1×
AR["يَقْرُمُونَ"]·ben["রাখে-হাড়"]·DE["[גרמו]"]·EN["they-gnaw-bones"]·FR["priver"]·heb["גרמו"]·HI["वे-कुतरते"]·ID["meninggalkan"]·IT["[גרמו]"]·jav["ninggalaken"]·KO["남긴다"]·PT["roem"]·RU["оставляют"]·ES["dejaron-huesos"]·SW["wanaacha"]·TR["kemirdiler"]·urd["چباتے"]
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. [גָּרַם] vb. cut off, hence reserve (?) (NH גָּרַם is shorten, occasion, bring about, to pass, Aramaic גְּרַם Pa. occasion, bring about, ܓܪܰܡ abscidit, decrevit, cf. Arabic جَرَمَ cut off (fruit), shear (sheep);—on connexion of ideas v. Fl NHWB i.437) Qal Pf. 3 pl. לֹא גָֽרְמוּ לַבֹּקֶר Zp 3:3 they have reserved nothing for the morrow, in fig. of cruel judges (dub.: al. from ii. [גָּרַם], v. KauAT Dr).