H2184 H2184
Fornication, harlotry, unfaithfulness; abstract noun for sexual or spiritual prostitution, especially Israel's idolatry.
This abstract feminine noun denotes fornication or harlotry, used both of literal sexual immorality and -- more prominently -- of Israel's spiritual unfaithfulness to YHWH. The prophets Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Hosea employ it as a devastating metaphor: Israel has played the harlot with foreign gods and foreign alliances. In Ezekiel 23:27, God promises to put an end to Jerusalem's zenut, while Hosea 4:11 warns that wine and new wine take away the understanding, leading to zenut. The lone Torah occurrence (Num 14:33) warns that the wilderness generation's children will bear the consequences of their fathers' spiritual prostitution.
Senses
1. fornication, harlotry, unfaithfulness — Abstract noun for fornication, harlotry, or unfaithfulness -- covering literal sexual immorality (Hos 4:11), political infidelity through foreign alliances (Ezek 23:27), and religious apostasy through idolatry (Jer 3:2, 9; 13:27; Num 14:33). Spanish translations use 'prostitucion' and 'prostituciones,' while English renders it 'prostitution' and 'harlotry.' The term appears almost exclusively in prophetic literature, where it functions as the central metaphor for covenant betrayal. Ezekiel 43:7, 9 extends the image to the defilement of God's temple itself by Israel's zenut. 9×
AR["بِـ-زِنَاكِ", "بِـ-زِنَاهُمْ", "زِنىً", "زِنَاكُمْ", "زِنَاكِ", "زِنَاهَا", "زِنَاهُمْ"]·ben["তাদের-ব্যভিচার", "তাদের-ব্যভিচারে", "তার-ব্যভিচারের", "তোমাদের-বেশ্যাবৃত্তি", "তোমার-ব্যভিচারের-দ্বারা", "বেশ্যাবৃত্তি", "বেশ্যাবৃত্তি-তোমার", "বেশ্যাবৃত্তির-তোমার"]·DE["Hurerei", "[בזנותיך]", "[בזנותם]", "[זנותה]", "[זנותך]", "[זנותם]", "dein-unfaithfulness"]·EN["Prostitution", "of-her-harlotry", "prostitution", "their-harlotry", "with-their-harlotry", "with-your-harlotries", "your-harlotry", "your-prostitution", "your-unfaithfulness"]·FR["[בזנותיך]", "[זנותה]", "[זנותך]", "prostitution", "ton-infidélité"]·heb["ב-זנותיך", "ב-זנותם", "זנות", "זנותה", "זנותיכם", "זנותך", "זנותם"]·HI["अपना-व्यभिचार", "अपने-व्यभिचार-से", "तुम्हारी-व्यभिचारिता", "तेरी-वेश्यावृत्ति-की", "तेरी-व्यभिचार", "व्यभिचार", "व्यभिचार-उसके-के", "व्यभिचार-तेरे-से"]·ID["Persundalan", "dengan-percabulanmu", "dengan-perzinahan-mereka", "percabulanmu", "percabulannya", "perzinahan", "perzinahan-kamu", "perzinahan-mereka", "sundal"]·IT["[בזנותיך]", "[בזנותם]", "[זנותה]", "[זנותך]", "[זנותם]", "prostituzione", "tuo-unfaithfulness"]·jav["Efraim", "bédhang-panjenengan", "ing-laku-cabulé", "jinah-panjenengan", "kadurjanan-ipun-panjenengan-sadaya", "kaliyan-laku-bedhang-panjenengan", "laku-bedhang-nipun", "laku-cabulé", "laku-jina"]·KO["그것들의-음란함", "그녀의-음행의", "너의-음행으로", "너희의-불신실들을", "네-음행을", "네-음행의", "에-그것들의-음란함에", "음행-과", "음행이"]·PT["Prostituição", "com-tuas-prostituições", "em-sua-prostituição", "prostituição", "prostituções-vossas", "sua-prostituição", "tua-prostituição", "tua-prostituição,"]·RU["блуд", "блуда-её", "блуда-твоего", "блудодейство-их", "блудодейством-их", "блудодеяния-ваши", "блудом-твоим", "и-блуд"]·ES["Prostitución", "con-su-prostitución", "con-tus-prostituciones", "fornicación-tuya", "prostitución", "prostitución-de-ti", "su-prostitución", "vuestras-fornicaciones"]·SW["Uzinzi", "kwa-uzinzi-wako", "kwa-uzinzi-wao", "ukahaba-wako", "uzinzi", "uzinzi-wake", "uzinzi-wao", "uzinzi-wenu", "wa-ukahaba-wako"]·TR["fahizeliğinin", "fahişelik", "fahişeliklerin-ile-senin", "fahişeliğinin-onun", "zinalarını", "zinalarıyla", "zinana", "zınalarınızı"]·urd["اپنی-بدکاری", "اپنی-بدکاری-سے", "تمہاری-بے-وفائی", "تیری-حرامکاری-کی", "زنا", "زناکاری-اُس-کی", "زناکاری-اپنی-سے", "زناکاری-تیری"]
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
† זְנוּת n.f.abstr. fornication;—ז׳ Ho 4:11; 6:10; sf. זְנוּתֵךְ Je 13:27 Ez 23:27; זְנוּתָהּ Je 3:9; זְנוּתָם Ez 43:7, 9; זְנוּתַיִךְ Je 3:2; זְנוּתֵיכֶם Nu 14:33. a. sexual Ho 4:11. b. international Ez 23:27. c. religious Nu 14:33 (J) Je 3:2, 9; 13:27 Ez 43:7, 9 Ho 6:10 (where WeKl. Proph. suggests זָנִיתָ); cf. זָנָה" dir="rtl" >זָנָה 3.