H2220 H2220
Arm, the physical limb; figuratively: divine or human might, power, military forces; the shoulder or foreleg of a sacrificial animal.
The Hebrew noun זְרוֹעַ is one of Scripture's most theologically charged body-part terms. While it literally denotes the human arm from shoulder to hand, its overwhelmingly dominant biblical usage is metaphorical: the 'outstretched arm' (זְרוֹעַ נְטוּיָה) of God delivering Israel from Egypt appears as a fixed formula across Deuteronomy (4:34; 5:15; 7:19; 26:8) and became a cornerstone of exodus theology. Arabic ذِرَاع, Aramaic דְּרָעָא, and Swahili mkono/mikono all render the literal limb, but when the referent shifts to divine power, translators reach for strength vocabulary — Hindi बाहुबल ('arm-strength'), Korean 능력 ('power'). A specialized third sense surfaces in sacrificial law: the 'shoulder' or foreleg portion given to the priest (Num 6:19; Deut 18:3), confirmed by Korean 어깨 ('shoulder') replacing 팔 ('arm').
Senses
1. arm, physical limb — The literal arm or arms of a human being as a physical body part, and overwhelmingly its metaphorical extension: the mighty arm of God as agent of deliverance, judgment, and creation (85 occurrences). The formula בְּיָד חֲזָקָה וּבִזְרוֹעַ נְטוּיָה ('with a strong hand and an outstretched arm') is foundational exodus language (Deut 4:34; 5:15; 26:8). Arabic ذِرَاع, Swahili mkono, French bras, and German Arm all translate the physical limb consistently, while the theological metaphor of God's arm as instrument of power pervades psalms (Ps 89:10, 13; 98:1) and prophets (Isa 40:10; 51:5; 52:10). The arm broken by God (Ezek 30:21-22) inverts the image to signal destroyed power. 85×
AR["ذِرَاعَ","ذِرَاعُ","وَ-بِ-ذِرَاعٍ","وَ-بِ-ذِرَاعِ","وَ-ذِرَاعُهُ","وَبِ-ذِرَاعٍ","وَبِذِرَاعٍ","وَبِـ-ذِرَاعٍ","وَذِرَاعُهُ","يَا-ذِرَاعَ"]·ben["-এবং-বাহুতে","এবং-তাঁর-বাহু","এবং-তার-বাহু","এবং-দিয়ে","এবং-বাহু-দিয়ে","এবং-বাহুতে","ও-তার-বাহু","ও-বাহুতে","বাহু"]·DE["Arm","Arm-von","der-Arm-","und-Arm","und-durch-arm","und-mit-Arm","und-mit-arm"]·EN["and-His-arm","and-by-arm","and-by-the-arm-of","and-his-arm","and-with-arm","arm-of","arm-of-","the-arm-of"]·FR["bras","bras-de","et-avec-arm","et-avec-bras","et-bras","et-dans-bras","et-par-arm"]·heb["ו-ב-זרוע","ו-זרועו","זרוע"]·HI["और-उसकी-बांह","और-उसकी-भुजा","और-बांह-से","और-भुजा-उसकी","और-भुजा-से","और-में-भुजा","और-से-भुजा","बांह","बाहु","भुजा","सब-जातियोंकी-आँखोंके-सामने"]·ID["dan-dengan-lengan","dan-lengan-Nya","dan-lengannya","lengan"]·IT["braccio","braccio-di","e-braccio","e-con-arm","e-con-braccio","e-da-arm","e-il-suo-seme","e-in-braccio"]·jav["astanipun","lan-astanipun","lan-dening-lengen","lan-kaliyan-lengen","lan-kanthi-asta","lan-kanthi-lengen","lan-lengenipun","lan-mawi-lengen","lan-ngangge-lengen","lengen"]·KO["그리고-그의-팔이","그리고-에-팔로","그리고-에서-팔","그리고-팔-로","그리고-팔로","팔-","팔-을","팔을","팔을-","팔이여"]·PT["braço-de","e-braço-dele","e-com-braço","e-pelo-braço-de","e-seu-braço","o-braço"]·RU["и-мышца-Его","и-мышца-его","и-мышцей","и-мышцей-","и-мышцей-его","и-мышцею","мышца","мышцей-","мышцу","простёртою"]·ES["brazo-de","el-brazo-de","y-con-brazo","y-por-el-brazo-de","y-su-brazo"]·SW["mkono","mkono-","mkono-wa","mkono-wa-","na-kwa-mkono","na-mkono-wake","uzao","zrwoa"]·TR["kol","kolu-","kolunu","kolunu-","ve-de-kol","ve-kolda","ve-kolile-","ve-kolla","ve-kolu","ve-kolumla","ve-koluyla-"]·urd["اور-اُس-کا-بازو","اور-بازو-اُس-کا","اور-بازو-سے","اور-سے-بازو","اے-بازو","بازو","بازو-"]
Gen 49:24, Deut 4:34, Deut 5:15, Deut 9:29, Deut 26:8, Deut 33:20, Deut 33:27, Judg 15:14, Judg 16:12, 1 Sam 2:31, 2 Kgs 17:36, 2 Chr 32:8 (+38 more)
2. might, power, forces — Metonymic extension to abstract might, power, or military forces, where the physical limb is no longer in view (4 occurrences). Job 22:8 describes a 'man of arm' (אִישׁ זְרוֹעַ) meaning a man of power or influence; Jeremiah 17:5 curses the one who trusts in human 'arm' (i.e., human strength rather than God); Daniel 11:31 uses 'arms' (זְרֹעִים) for military forces. Swahili shifts from mkono (arm) to nguvu (strength/force), and Korean moves from 팔 to 세력 (forces/power), confirming that translators detect the leap from body part to abstract capacity. 4×
AR["بِذِرَاعِهِ","ذُو-سَاعِدٍ","ذِرَاعَهُ","وَ-أَذْرُعٌ"]·ben["ও-বাহুগুলি","তার-বাহু","বাহুতে-তার","বাহুর"]·DE["Arm","[זרוע]","und-Arm"]·EN["according-to-arm-his","and-forces","arm","arm-his"]·FR["bras","et-bras"]·heb["ו-זרועים","זרוע","זרועו","ל-זרועו"]·HI["अपनी-भुजा","और-भुजाएँ","बाँह-अपनी","बाहु-के"]·ID["Dan-lengan-lengan","berkuasa","dengan-lengannya","lengan-nya"]·IT["braccio","e-braccio","il-suo-seme"]·jav["kuwat","lan-lengen-lengen","lengen-nipun,","miturut-kakiyatanipun"]·KO["그리고-팔들이","그의-팔로","그의-팔으로","팔의"]·PT["E-braços","de-braço","segundo-seu-braço","seu-braço,"]·RU["И-войска","мышцей-своей","по-силе","силы"]·ES["Y-brazos","brazo","brazo-suyo","según-su-brazo"]·SW["kwa-nguvu-zake","na-nguvu","nguvu-yake","wa-nguvu"]·TR["gücüne-göre","kolu","ve-kollar"]·urd["اور-فوجیں","بازو-اپنا","بازو-اپنے-سے","بازو-والے"]
3. shoulder, foreleg of animal — The shoulder or foreleg of a sacrificial animal, a specialized anatomical sense restricted to ritual law (2 occurrences). In Numbers 6:19 the boiled 'shoulder' of the ram is placed in the Nazirite's hands, and Deuteronomy 18:3 assigns the 'shoulder, the two cheeks, and the stomach' as the priest's portion. Korean 어깨 ('shoulder') replaces 팔 ('arm'), Swahili bega ('shoulder') replaces mkono ('arm/hand'), and French épaule ('shoulder') replaces bras ('arm') — a remarkable cross-linguistic consensus that this is a distinct cut of meat, not the same body-part concept as the human arm. 2×
AR["الذِّرَاعَ","الْـذِرَاعَ"]·ben["সামনের-পা","সেই-কাঁধ"]·DE["der-Schulter"]·EN["the-shoulder"]·FR["le-épaule"]·heb["ה-זרוע","ה-זרע"]·HI["कंधा","बाजू"]·ID["kaki","paha"]·IT["il-spalla"]·jav["bahu","lengen"]·KO["그-어깨","어깨와"]·PT["o-braço","o-ombro"]·RU["-плечо","плечо"]·ES["el-brazo"]·SW["Hzra","bega"]·TR["kolunu-","kürek"]·urd["بازو","کندھا"]
Related Senses
H5921a 1. upon, on, over (spatial) (5443×)H0413 1. directional: to, toward (5366×)H1121a 1. son, male offspring, descendant (4914×)H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)H4428 1. king, human ruler (2518×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)H6440 1. before, in front of (spatial) (1870×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H3027 1. physical hand (body part) (1596×)H7200 1. Qal: to see, perceive (1257×)H1697 1. word, speech, utterance (1235×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G4771 2. you (singular address) (1077×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)H8085 1. Qal: hear, perceive aurally (921×)G1537 1. from, out of (source/origin) (886×)H8034 1. Name (designation / identifier) (856×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† זְרוֹעַ, זְרֹעַ n.f. Ex 6:6 and (rare) m. Is 51:5, cf. infr. arm, shoulder, strength (NH id.; Assyrian (Tel el Amarna102, 1. 12, etc.) zurû, cf. Jastrow JBL, xi, 1892, 123; Arabic ذِرَاعٌ; Aramaic דְּרָעָא, ܕܪܳܥܳܐ; Ethiopic መዝራዕት )—abs. זְרוֹעַ Ex 6:6 +, זְרֹעַ Dt 7:19 +; cstr. זְרוֹעַ ψ 10:15 +, זְרֹעַ ψ 89:11 +; sf. זְרוֹעִי Je 27:5 ψ 89:2, זְרֹעִי Is 51:5; 63:5; זְרוֹעֲךָ ψ 71:18 +, זְרֹעֲךָ…