H2143 H2143
Remembrance, memory; a memorial or commemorative sign; renown or fame
The noun זֵכֶר moves along a spectrum from the private act of remembering to the public fact of being remembered. Most often it denotes memory itself — the recollection of a person, a people, or God's mighty deeds. But it can also signify a memorial: something deliberately established so that future generations will remember, as when God declares 'this is my memorial name forever' (Exod 3:15). In its rarest sense, the word arrives at renown or fame — the celebrated reputation by which someone is publicly known, as with Ephraim's 'fragrance' of renown in Hos 14:7.
Senses
1. memory, remembrance — Memory, remembrance, or recollection — the act or content of remembering someone or something. This dominant sense (18 occurrences) spans contexts of both preservation and destruction of memory. God commands the erasure of Amalek's 'memory' from under heaven (Exod 17:14, Deut 25:19), yet the righteous enjoy 'everlasting remembrance' (Ps 112:6). Job 18:17 pairs זֵכֶר with שֵׁם (name), showing that to lose one's memory is to lose one's identity. Spanish 'memoria de' and French '[זכר]' render the abstract cognitive act consistently. 18×
AR["ذِكراهُم", "ذِكْرَ", "ذِكْرَاكَ", "ذِكْرَاهُ-", "ذِكْرَهُم", "ذِكْرَهُمْ", "ذِكْرَى", "ذِكْرُ", "ذِكْرُكَ", "ذِكْرُهُمْ", "ذِكْرِ", "زِكْرَم", "لِ-ذِكْرِ", "لِذِكْرَى", "وَ-ذِكرُكَ", "وَلِذِكْرِكَ", "وَ‒ذِكْرُهَا"]·ben["এবং-তোমার-স্মৃতি", "ও-আপনার-স্মরণে-জন্য", "ও-তাদের-স্মৃতি", "তাদের-স্মৃতি", "তার-স্মৃতি-", "তোমার-স্মরণ", "সেই-স্মৃতির-জন্য", "স্মরণ", "স্মরণের-উদ্দেশ্যে", "স্মৃতি", "স্মৃতি-তাদের", "স্মৃতি-তোমার"]·DE["Erinnerung-von-du", "[וזכרם]", "[ולזכרך]", "[זכרו]", "[זכרם]", "dein-Erinnerung", "gedachte", "ihr-Gedächtnis", "ihr-memory", "memory-of", "memory-von", "und-dein-Erinnerung", "zu-der-Erinnerung-von"]·EN["and-their-memory", "and-your-remembrance", "for-Your-name", "his-memory", "memory-of", "remembrance", "remembrance-of-you", "the-memory-of", "their-memory", "to-the-remembrance-of", "your-remembrance"]·FR["[וזכרם]", "[ולזכרך]", "[זכר]", "et-souvenir", "leur-memory", "leur-זכרם-eux", "memory-de", "se-souvenir", "son-זכרו-lui", "souvenir", "à-se-souvenir", "זכר"]·heb["ו-זכרך", "ו-זכרם-ם", "ו-ל-זכרך", "זיכרם", "זכר", "זכר-ם", "זכרו", "זכרך", "זכרם", "ל-זכר"]·HI["उनका-स्मरण", "उनकी-याद-भी", "उनकी-याद।", "उनकी-स्मृति", "उसकी-याद", "और-उनकी स्मृति", "और-के-लिए-स्मरण-तेरे", "और-तेरा-स्मरण", "की-स्मरण", "के-लिए-स्मरण", "तेरी-स्मृति", "स्मरण", "स्मरण-उनका", "स्मृति"]·ID["Kenangan", "dan-kepada-peringatan-Mu", "dan-nama-Mu", "dan-peringatan-mereka", "ingatan", "ingatan-mereka", "kenangan-Mu", "kenangan-mereka", "kenangannya", "pengingatan-akan-Engkau", "peringatan", "peringatan-mereka", "untuk-peringatan"]·IT["[וזכרם]", "[ולזכרך]", "e-memoria", "il-memory-di", "loro-memory", "loro-memory-loro", "memoria", "memory-di", "ricordo", "suo-memory-suo"]·jav["Pangeling-eling", "dhateng-pamujan", "dhateng-pangeling-eling", "lan-pamujan-Panjenengan", "lan-pèngetanipun", "lan-tumrap-pangeling-eling-Panjenengan", "pangeling-eling", "pangeling-eling-Panjenengan", "pangeling-eling-ipun", "pangeling-eling-tiyang-punika", "pangéling-éling-ipun-", "pangéling-élingipun", "pèngetan-Panjenengan", "pèngetan-ipun", "pèngètan-saking", "péngetan-ipun"]·KO["(접)-기억을", "그-기억을", "그들-의-기억-을", "그들의-기억을", "그리고-그들의-기억이", "그리고-당신-의-기억-이", "그리고-주의-기억이", "그의-기억이-", "기억-그들의", "기억-에게", "기억-은", "기억-을", "기억-이", "기억을", "당신-의-기억-은"]·PT["A-memória", "Memória-de", "Sua-memória", "a-memória-deles", "e-Tua-memória", "e-memória-sua", "e-por-Tua-memória", "lembrança-de-ti", "memória", "memória-de", "memória-deles", "sua-memória", "tua-memória", "à-memória-de"]·RU["и-к-памяти-Твоей", "и-память-Твоя", "и-память-их", "памяти-о-Тебе", "память", "память-его-", "память-их", "память-их.", "память-о-", "память-о-Тебе", "память-о-них"]·ES["Memoria-de", "Su-memoria", "a-memoria-de", "en-memoria-de", "memoria", "memoria-de", "memoria-de-", "memoria-tuya", "recuerdo-de-ti", "su-memoria", "su-recuerdo", "y-para-tu-memoria", "y-su-recuerdo", "y-tu-memoria"]·SW["isikome", "kumbukumbu", "kumbukumbu-lao", "kumbukumbu-ya", "kumbukumbu-yake", "kumbukumbu-yako", "kumbukumbu-yao", "kwa-kumbukumbu-la", "kwa-ukumbusho-wa", "na-kwa-kumbukumbu-yako", "na-ukumbusho-wako", "ukumbusho-wako"]·TR["anilari", "anisini", "anıları", "anılarını", "anılman", "anısı", "anısı-", "anısına", "anısına-", "anısını", "ve-anina", "ve-anılman", "ve-hatıraları"]·urd["-یاد-میں", "اور-ان-کی-یاد", "اور-تیری-یاد", "اور-تیرے-ذکر-کے-لیے", "اُن-کی-یاد", "تیری-یاد", "یاد", "یاد-اُس-کی-", "یاد-کے-لِیے"]
Exod 17:14, Deut 25:19, Deut 32:26, Esth 9:28, Job 18:17, Ps 6:5, Ps 9:6, Ps 30:4, Ps 34:16, Ps 97:12, Ps 102:12, Ps 109:15 (+6 more)
2. memorial, commemoration — A memorial, commemorative sign, or established remembrance — something intentionally created to preserve memory across generations. God tells Moses 'this is my memorial (זִכְרִי) forever' (Exod 3:15), investing the divine name with commemorative force. Ps 111:4 declares God 'has made a memorial for his wonders,' and Hos 12:5 uses it of God's covenant-remembrance name. Korean 기념 (commemoration) and Arabic/Swahili translations confirm the shift from passive recollection to active, institutionalized remembrance. 4×
AR["اسمُهُ", "ذِكرًا", "ذِكْرِي", "لِ-ذِكرى"]·ben["আমার-স্মারক", "তাঁর-স্মরণ", "স্মৃতি", "স্মৃতিতে"]·DE["[זכרו]", "ein-memorial", "für-ein-memorial", "mein-memorial"]·EN["a-memorial", "for-a-memorial", "his-memorial", "my-memorial"]·FR["masculin", "mon-mémorial", "se-souvenir", "à-se-souvenir"]·heb["זיכרו", "זיכרי", "זכר", "ל-זכר"]·HI["उसका-स्मरण", "याद-मेरी", "स्मरण", "स्मरण-के-लिए"]·ID["peringatan", "sebutan-Ku", "untuk-peringatan"]·IT["il-suo-ricordo", "memoria", "mio-memorial"]·jav["Pangéling-éling", "kanggé-pangéling-éling", "pepénget", "énget-Kula"]·KO["그의-기념이라", "기념-에", "기념-을", "나의-기념이다"]·PT["Memória", "em-memória", "memorial-meu", "memória-dele"]·RU["Память", "в-память", "память-Его", "память-Моя"]·ES["Memoria", "mi-memorial", "para-memoria", "su-memorial"]·SW["jina-lake", "kumbukumbu", "kumbukumbu-yangu", "kwa-kumbukumbu-ya"]·TR["anı", "anılışı", "anılışım", "anısı-için"]·urd["اُس-کی-یادگار-ہے", "یاد-میں", "یادگار", "یادگار-میری"]
3. renown, fame — Renown, fame, or celebrated reputation — the public dimension of being remembered. This rare sense (1 occurrence) appears in Hos 14:7, where restored Ephraim's 'renown' (זִכְרוֹ) will be like the fragrance of Lebanon. English 'his renown,' Spanish 'su fama,' and Swahili 'sifa' (praise/fame) all move beyond private memory into public acclaim, marking a distinct semantic endpoint on the remembrance-to-reputation spectrum. 1×
AR["ذِكرُهُ"]·ben["তার-স্মরণ"]·DE["[זכרו]"]·EN["his-renown"]·FR["masculin"]·heb["זיכרו"]·HI["उसकी-स्मृति"]·IT["il-suo-ricordo"]·jav["kéngetan-piyambakipun"]·KO["그의-기념이니"]·PT["memória-dele"]·RU["память-о-нём"]·ES["su-fama"]·SW["sifa-yake"]·TR["hatırası"]·urd["اُس-کی-یاد"]
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×)H3045 1. Qal: to know, perceive, understand (829×)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×)H5315 1. soul, inner being (647×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† זֵ֫כֶר n.m. ψ 9:7 remembrance, memorial (cf. HptHbr. 1885, 230)—ז׳ abs. ψ 111:4, cstr. Dt 25:19 +; זֶכֶר cstr. Ex 17:14 van d. H; sf. זִכְרִי Ex 3:15, זִכְרְךָ Is 26:8 +, זִכְרֶ֑ךָ ψ 6:6, זִכְרוֹ Ho 12:6 +, זִכְרָם Dt 32:26 +:— 1. remembrance, memory: a. of persons or people, blotted out by their destruction, Ex 17:14 (E; c. מחה) = Dt 25:19, Dt 32:26 (השׁבית) ψ 34:17; 109:15 (both הכרית), ψ 9:7…