H2113 H2113
Trembling, horror; an object of terror or dread, used in covenant-curse language for nations given over to judgment.
A feminine noun denoting trembling or shuddering, and by metonymy the thing that causes such horror -- an object of dread. It appears almost exclusively in curse formulae where God threatens to make Israel (or Jerusalem) a terror to the nations. Deuteronomy 28:25 sets the pattern: 'you shall become a za'avah to all the kingdoms of the earth.' Jeremiah repeats this formula four times (15:4; 24:9; 29:18; 34:17), pairing it with words for shame, reproach, and cursing. The word occurs in two spelling variants -- zeva'ah and za'avah -- which are metathesized forms of each other. Spanish distinguishes 'horror,' 'terror,' and 'espanto,' capturing the range of dread the word conveys.
Senses
1. trembling, horror, object of terror — An object of trembling, horror, or terror -- something that causes others to shudder. Used almost exclusively in covenant-curse formulations where God declares that a nation or city will become a za'avah (object of dread) to surrounding kingdoms. Deuteronomy 28:25 inaugurates the formula, and Jeremiah intensifies it across four passages (15:4; 24:9; 29:18; 34:17), often in lists alongside 'reproach,' 'curse,' 'byword,' and 'desolation.' Also in 2 Chronicles 29:8 and Isaiah 28:19. Spanish distinguishes 'horror,' 'terror,' and 'espanto,' while French 'effroi' and German 'Entsetzen' both emphasize the visceral shuddering this word evokes. 6×
AR["[رُعْبًا]", "[لِرُعْبٍ]", "[لِـ-رَعْدَةٍ]", "رُعْبًا", "☐"]·ben["[কম্পনের]", "[ত্রাসে]", "[ভয়ের-কারণ]", "ভয়"]·DE["Entsetzen", "[לזועה]"]·EN["[K]", "[a-horror]", "[as-terror]", "[ketiv]", "to-understand"]·FR["[לזועה]", "effroi"]·heb["זוועה", "ל-[לזועה]", "ל-זוועה", "ל-זועה", "לזוועה"]·HI["-", "[काँपने]", "[कांपने-को]", "काँपने", "काँपने-के-लिए", "दहशत"]·ID["[k]", "[kegentaran]", "[menjadi-kengerian]", "[untuk-kengerian]", "kegentaran"]·IT["[לזועה]", "terrore"]·jav["[]", "[kanggé-gègèran]", "[ketiv]", "ketiv", "medeni"]·KO["[두려움]", "[두려움을]", "[떨림으로]", "[떨림이-되게]", "경악-으로", "두려움이"]·PT["[Qere:", "[para-horror]", "[por-horror]", "para-horror", "terror"]·RU["[кетив]", "[ужасом]", "ужас"]·ES["[para-horror]", "[para-terror]", "[por-espanto]", "terror"]·SW["[hofu]", "[kitu-cha-hofu]", "[kuwa-hofu]", "[kwa-hofu]", "[tetemeko]", "hofu"]·TR["[K]", "[dehşete]", "[korku]", "[tıtıremeye]", "dehset"]·urd["[دہشت]", "دہشت", "کانپنے-کے-لیے"]
Related Senses
H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)G1537 1. from, out of (source/origin) (886×)H8034 1. Name (designation / identifier) (856×)G3361 1. subjective negation (not) (834×)G1909 1. on, upon (spatial surface) (757×)H0369 1. existential negation: there is not (738×)H5869a 1. in the eyes/sight of (evaluative) (734×)H5650 1. Servant, attendant, subject (723×)H0408 1. prohibitive negation do-not (712×)G2443 1. so that, in order that (purpose/result) (665×)G0575 1. from (649×)G1223 1. through, by means of (582×)H3541 1. thus, so, in this manner (569×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† זְוָעָה and, by transpos., זַעֲוָה (Di Dt 28:25 cf. Sta§ 192 a) n.f. a trembling, i.e. object of trembling, terror: זְוָעָה Is 28:19, also Kt Je 15:4 + 4 times; זַעֲוָה Dt 28:25 Ez 23:46 (also Qr Je 15:4 + 4 times);—object of trembling, terror, fright; וְהָיִיתָ לְזַעֲוָה Dt 28:25 and thou shalt become a terror to all (לְכֹל) the kingdoms of the earth; וּנְתַתִּים לְז׳ וגו׳ Je 15:4; 29:18;…