H2154 H2154
Lewdness, wickedness, evil scheme — sexual depravity, moral vileness, or a deliberate wicked plan
The noun זִמָּה moves along a spectrum from calculated planning to moral outrage to sexual abomination. At its root it means a deliberate scheme or purpose (Job 17:11), but the Hebrew Bible overwhelmingly deploys it for wickedness — particularly sexual sin. Ezekiel uses it eleven times to denounce Jerusalem's lewdness (Ezek 16:27-58; 22:9-11; 23:21-49), and Leviticus applies it to incest and prostitution (Lev 18:17; 19:29; 20:14). Arabic فَاحِشَة ('obscenity') and Swahili uasherati ('immorality') confirm how consistently translators reach for specifically sexual vocabulary.
Senses
1. lewdness, sexual depravity — Sexual immorality, lewdness, or depravity — the most frequent and distinctive use. Ezekiel employs זִמָּה repeatedly for Jerusalem's harlotry and abominations (Ezek 16:27, 43, 58; 22:9; 23:21-49), Leviticus applies it to incest and cultic prostitution (Lev 18:17; 19:29; 20:14), and Job calls adultery a זִמָּה (Job 31:11). The cross-linguistic evidence is decisive: Arabic فَاحِشَة, Swahili uasherati, Spanish depravación, and Korean 음란 all denote specifically sexual transgression rather than general evil. 16×
AR["الرَّذِيلَةَ", "الرَّذِيلَةِ", "الْفَاحِشَةِ", "بِفَاحِشَةٍ", "رَذِيلَةً", "رَذِيلَتَكِ", "رِجْسُ", "فَاحِشَةً", "فَاحِشَةٌ", "فَاحِشَةَ", "فَاحِشَتَكُمَا", "فَاحِشَتَكِ", "كَفَاحِشَتِكُمَا", "وَفَاحِشَتُكِ"]·ben["এবং-ব্যভিচার-তোমার", "চক্রান্ত", "জঘন্য", "তোমার-লজ্জাজনক-কাজ", "ব্যভিচার", "ব্যভিচার-তোমাদের", "ব্যভিচার-তোমার", "ব্যভিচারে", "ব্যভিচারের", "ব্যভিচারের-মতো-তোমাদের", "লজ্জাজনক-কাজ", "লজ্জাজনক।"]·DE["Gottlosigkeit", "Unzucht", "[זמת]", "und-Unzucht"]·EN["and-your-lewdness", "in-lewdness", "lewdness", "lewdness-of-", "lewdness-your", "like-your-lewdness", "the-lewdness", "wickedness", "wickedness-of", "your-lewdness"]·FR["[זמת]", "débauche", "et-débauche", "méchanceté"]·heb["ב-זימה", "ה-זימה", "ו-זימתך", "זימה", "זימת", "זימתך", "זימתכן", "כ-זימתכן"]·HI["अपनी-दुष्टता", "और-तेरी-दुष्टता", "कुकर्म", "जैसी-तुम्हारी-दुष्टता", "तुम्हारी-दुष्टता", "तेरी-दुष्टता", "दुर्व्यवहार", "दुष्टता", "दुष्टता-तेरी", "में-दुष्टता"]·ID["-Kesusilaan-burukkmu", "-kemesuman", "dan-kecemaranmu", "dengan-kecemaran", "kecemaran", "kecemaranmu", "rencana-jahat", "seperti-kecemaranmu", "yang-mesum."]·IT["e-prostituzione", "pensiero-malvagio", "prostituzione", "wickedness"]·jav["cabul", "cabul-panjenengan", "ing-kanisthan", "kados-kanisthan-panjenengan-sedaya.", "kanisthan", "kanisthan-panjenengan", "kanisthan-panjenengan-sedaya", "kanisthan.", "lan-kanisthan-panjenengan", "rancangan"]·KO["-음란-안에서", "그-음란을", "그-음란의", "그리고-네-음란이", "너희의-음란-같이", "너희의-음란을", "네-음란과", "네-음란을", "음란을", "음란이다", "음란이라", "음란한", "음행과"]·PT["a-devassião", "a-leviandade", "com-leviandade", "devassidão-de", "devasss", "e-tua-leviandade", "leviandade", "leviandade-de", "maldade", "segundo-vossa-leviandade", "tua-devassião", "tua-leviandade", "vossa-leviandade"]·RU["ваш", "злодейство", "нагота", "осквернял", "разврат", "разврат-твой", "развратного", "твоей", "юности"]·ES["como-perversidad-de-vosotras", "con-perversidad", "depravación-de-ti", "depravado", "infamia", "la-depravación", "la-perversidad", "maldad-de", "perversidad", "perversidad-de", "perversidad-de-ti", "perversidad-de-vosotras", "y-perversidad-de-ti"]·SW["aibu", "ile", "kama-uasherati-wenu", "kwa-aibu", "na", "na-uasherati-wako", "uasherati", "uasherati-wa", "uasherati-wako", "uasherati-wenu", "ya-aibu"]·TR["ahlaksızlık", "ahlaksızlıkla", "ahlaksızlığa", "ahlaksızlığın", "ahlaksızlığına", "ahlaksızlığını", "ahlaksızlığınız-gibi", "ahlaksızlığınızı", "rezilliği", "ve-ahlaksızlığın", "yolundan", "zimmah'ini", "üzerinde"]·urd["اور-شہوت-تیری", "تیری-فحاشی", "شرمناکی", "شہوت", "شہوت-اپنی", "شہوت-تمہاری", "شہوت-تمہاری-کے-مطابق", "شہوت-تیری", "شہوت-سے", "شہوت-کو", "شہوت-کی", "فحاشی"]
Judg 20:6, Jer 13:27, Ezek 16:27, Ezek 16:43, Ezek 16:58, Ezek 22:9, Ezek 22:11, Ezek 23:21, Ezek 23:27, Ezek 23:29, Ezek 23:35, Ezek 23:44 (+4 more)
2. wickedness, evil intent — General wickedness or evil intent without a specifically sexual dimension. In Psalm 26:10 it parallels bribery (שֹׁחַד), Psalm 119:150 describes pursuers of wickedness, and Proverbs 10:23 and 21:27 apply it to the fool's delight in evil and the wicked person's sacrifice. Multilingual glosses shift to broader moral vocabulary — Arabic شَرّ ('evil'), Spanish maldad ('wickedness'), Swahili uovu ('badness') — confirming a distinct, non-sexual semantic cluster. 10×
AR["الرَّذِيلَةِ", "الفَاحِشَةِ", "بِ-زِمَّةٍ", "رَذيلَةً", "رَذيلَةٌ", "رَذِيلَةً", "رَذِيلَةٌ", "شَرٌّ"]·ben["অশ্লীলতা", "ঘৃণ্য", "জঘন্য", "দুষ্ট-পরিকল্পনা", "দুষ্টতা", "দুষ্টতায়", "নীচতা", "মন্দ", "সংকল্পে"]·DE["Bosheit", "Gottlosigkeit", "[בזמה]", "[זמה]", "ist-Bosheit"]·EN["is-wickedness", "wickedness", "with-wickedness"]·FR["dans-plan", "débauche", "méchanceté", "plan"]·heb["ב-זימה", "זימה", "זמה"]·HI["दुष्कर्म", "दुष्कर्म-से", "दुष्ट-इरादे-से", "दुष्टता", "दुष्टता-है"]·ID["dengan-kecabulan", "dengan-niat-jahat", "kecabulan", "kedurjanaan", "kejahatan", "rencana-jahat"]·IT["in-con-wickedness", "malvagita", "prostituzione", "scelleratezza", "wickedness"]·jav["hawa-nepsu", "ing-rancangan-awon", "kajahatan", "kanisthan", "reka-daya", "sami-nindakaken", "tumindak-nistha"]·KO["사악한-계획을", "악-이", "악한-계략-에", "음란", "음모-로", "음행-을", "음행이라"]·PT["a-maldade", "com-má-intenção", "há-maldade", "infamidade", "iniquidade", "maldade"]·RU["замысел", "злодеяние", "злом", "позор", "разврат", "разврата", "развратом", "с-умыслом"]·ES["con-maldad", "de-maldad", "maldad"]·SW["aibu", "hila", "kwa-nia-mbaya", "kwa-uovu", "uasherati", "uovu"]·TR["ahlaksızlık", "ahlaksızlıkla", "alçaklık", "düzen", "kötü-niyetle", "kötülük", "kötülüğün", "utanç"]·urd["بدکاری", "بدی", "بُرائی-ہے", "بُرے-ارادے-سے", "شرارت-کے", "شرمناکی", "فحاشی", "فحاشی-سے"]
3. plan, scheme, purpose — A plan, scheme, or deliberate purpose — the word's etymological base. Job 17:11 mourns that 'my plans (זִמֹּתַי) are shattered,' using the term without negative connotation. Proverbs 24:9 calls the scheme of folly sin, and Isaiah 32:7 describes the scoundrel's evil devices. Arabic مَكِيدَات ('plots'), Spanish maquinaciones ('machinations'), and Swahili hila ('cunning') reflect the deliberateness of planning rather than moral depravity per se. 3×
AR["فِكْرَةُ", "مَقَاصِدِي", "مَكِيدَاتٍ"]·ben["আমার-পরিকল্পনা", "কুচক্রি", "পরিকল্পনা"]·DE["[זמות]", "[זמת]", "[זמתי]"]·EN["my-plans", "schemes", "the-scheme-of"]·FR["[זמות]", "mon-plan-moi", "plan"]·heb["זימת", "זמותי", "זממות"]·HI["दुष्ट-युक्तियाँ", "मेरी-योजनाएँ", "योजना"]·ID["Rencana", "rencana-rencana-jahat", "rencana-rencanaku"]·IT["il-scheme-di", "mio-plans-mio", "pensiero-malvagio"]·jav["rancangan-kawula", "rancangan-saking", "rencana-jahat"]·KO["나의-계획들이", "음모는", "음모를"]·PT["Plano-de", "intenções", "meus-planos"]·RU["замысел", "замыслы-мои", "злоумышления"]·ES["El-plan-de", "maquinaciones", "mis-planes"]·SW["hila", "mipango-yangu", "mpango-wa"]·TR["duzenleri", "düşüncesi", "planlarım"]·urd["منصوبہ", "منصوبے-میرے", "چالیں"]
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
† I. זִמָּה n.f. plan, device, wickedness—abs. ז׳ Lv 18:17 + 17 times; cstr. זִמַּת Pr 24:9 + 2 times; sf. זִמָּתֵךְ Ez 16:58 + 3 times; זִמַּתְכֶ֫נָֿה Ez 23:48, 49; pl. זִמּוֹת Is 32:7, sf. זִמֹּתַי Jb 17:11;— 1. plan, purpose Jb 17:11; elsewhere always 2. in bad sense: a. evil device Is 32:7 (c. יעץ, sq. לְחַבֵּל); זִמַּת אִוֶּלֶת Pr 24:9; cf. ψ 26:10 (‖ שֹׁחַד), 119:150. b. wickedness in act…