H2183 H2183
zenunim -- fornication or harlotries; sexual unfaithfulness used literally and as a metaphor for idolatry
The abstract plural noun zenunim (from the root zanah, 'to commit fornication') denotes harlotries or acts of sexual unfaithfulness, deployed both literally and as a powerful metaphor for Israel's spiritual infidelity to Yahweh. Hosea's marriage imagery is the theological epicenter: his wife Gomer is 'a wife of harlotries' (Hos 1:2), and Israel's covenant betrayal is described as insatiable promiscuity (Hos 2:2, 4; 4:12; 5:4). The term also appears in prophetic indictments of Jezebel (2 Kgs 9:22), the sister-cities Jerusalem and Samaria (Ezek 23:11, 29), Nineveh (Nah 3:4), and Tamar's literal case (Gen 38:24). The pluralis intensivus form conveys habitual, brazen unfaithfulness rather than a single act.
Senses
1. fornication, harlotries — Fornication or harlotries as an abstract plural (pluralis intensivus) denoting habitual sexual unfaithfulness, used both literally (Gen 38:24, Tamar accused of prostitution) and metaphorically for Israel's idolatrous covenant betrayal (Hos 1:2, 'wife of harlotries'; 2 Kgs 9:22, 'harlotries of Jezebel'; Nah 3:4, Nineveh as seductress). Inflectional variants -- absolute zenunim, construct zenune, and suffixed forms -- represent morphology, not distinct senses. Multilingual glosses converge: Arabic zina, German Hurerei, Korean eumhaeng, Spanish fornicaciones. 12×
AR["الزِّنى", "بِزِنَااتِهَا", "زِناءاتُ", "زِناها", "زِنىً", "زِنَااتِ", "زِنَاكِ", "مِنَ-الزِّنَا", "مِنْ-زِنَا"]·ben["তাঁর-বেশ্যাবৃত্তি", "তার-ব্যভিচারে", "বেশ্যাবৃত্তি", "বেশ্যাবৃত্তিগুলির-তোমার", "বেশ্যাবৃত্তিগুলির-থেকে", "বেশ্যাবৃত্তির", "ব্যভিচারের-", "ব্যভিচারের-দ্বারা"]·DE["Hurerei", "[זנוניך]", "[מזנוני]", "durch-Hurerei", "harlotries-von", "ihre-Hurerei", "in-ihre-Hurerei"]·EN["by-her-harlotries", "by-prostitution", "harlotries-of", "her-prostitution", "more-than-harlotries-of-", "prostitution", "the-harlotries-of", "your-harlotries"]·FR["harlotries-de", "par-prostitution", "prostitution"]·heb["ב-זנוניה", "זנוני", "זנוניה", "זנונייך", "זנונים", "ל-זנונים", "מ-זנוני"]·HI["अपने-व्यभिचारों-से", "जनूने", "तेरी-व्यभिचार", "व्यभिचार-उसके", "व्यभिचार-की", "व्यभिचार-के", "व्यभिचार-से", "व्यभिचारों", "से-व्यभिचार"]·ID["-perzinahan", "dari-perzinahan", "dengan-perzinaannya,", "oleh-perzinahan", "persundalan-nya", "perzinaan", "perzinahanmu", "sundal"]·IT["da-prostitution", "harlotries-di", "prostituzione"]·jav["jinah-panjenengan", "laku-jina", "laku-jinanipun", "ngangge-laku-jinanipun", "saking-jinah", "saking-laku-jina", "sundel-ipun"]·KO["-음행들보다", "네-음행들의", "으로-그녀의-음란함들", "음란함들-의", "음행들-그녀의-을", "음행들-의", "음행들이", "음행으로", "음행의"]·PT["com-as-suas-prostituições", "das-prostituições", "de-prostituições", "mais-que-prostituições-de", "prostituições", "prostituições-de", "prostituições-dela", "tuas-prostituições"]·RU["блудодеяний", "блудодеяния", "блудодеяния-её", "блудодеяниями-своими", "и-откроется", "неё", "от-блуда"]·ES["en-prostituciones-de-ella", "fornicaciones-de-ti", "más-que-fornicaciones-de", "por-fornicaciones", "prostituciones", "prostituciones-de", "sus-prostituciones"]·SW["-uzinzi-wa", "kuliko-ukahaba-wa", "kwa-uzinzi", "kwa-uzinzi-wake", "uasherati-wa", "ukahaba-wako", "uzinzi", "uzinzi-wake"]·TR["fahişeliklerini", "fahişeliğin", "zinadan", "zinaları", "zinalarından", "zinalarının", "zinalarıyla-onun"]·urd["اپنی-زناکاری-سے", "زناکاری-کے-سبب", "زناکاریاں", "زناکاریاں-اُس-کی", "زناکاریوں-تیری", "زناکاریوں-سے", "زناکاریوں-کی", "زناکاریوں-کے", "سے-زنا"]
Related Senses
H2896a 1. good (quality or moral) (305×)H7563 1. wicked person (259×)H7451c 1. moral evil or wickedness (234×)H5771 1. iniquity, sin, wrongdoing (222×)H6662 1. righteous person (substantive) (195×)G0266 1. sin, failure, transgression (173×)H2403b 1. sin, transgression (170×)H2617a 1. Covenant faithfulness, steadfast love (167×)H2398 1. Qal: to sin, commit sin (165×)H6666 1. righteousness, moral uprightness (145×)G5485 1. grace, divine favor (141×)H7451a 1. morally evil, wicked (129×)H2403b 2. sin-offering, sacrifice for sin (120×)G2570 1. good, right, excellent (98×)H6588 1. transgression, offense against God (88×)G0018 1. good (moral quality) (85×)H2896b 1. good, what is good (85×)H7451b 1. evil, wickedness (moral) (83×)H7451a 2. evil, harm, calamity (80×)G1342 1. righteous, upright (of persons) (70×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† זְנוּנִים n.[m.] fornication, pl.abstr. intens. (Ol§ 215 a; DlPr 74, der. from √ זנן, Assyrian zanânu, fill full, cf. Dlib. 73)—ז׳ Ho 1:2 + 5 times, cstr. זְנוּנֵי Na 3:4 + 2 times, זְנוּנַיִךְ Ez 23:29, זְנוּנֶיהָ Ho 2:4 Na 3:4. a. sexual Gn 38:24 (J) Ho 1:2(×2). b. international Na 3:4(×2). c. religious 2 K 9:22 Ez 23:11, 29 Ho 2:4, 6; 4:12; 5:4.