What does גָּזַל (gāzal) mean in the Bible?
גָּזַל (gāzal): Violent seizure of what belongs to another; ranges from physical stripping to metaphorical deprivation through coercive force.
Hebrew · H1497
גָּזַל
To pluck off ; specifically to flay , strip or rob
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גָּזַל H1497
Pronunciation gāzal
What does גָּזַל (gāzal) mean in the Bible?
גָּזַל (gāzal): Violent seizure of what belongs to another; ranges from physical stripping to metaphorical deprivation through coercive force.
Full entry for גָּזַל (H1497) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H1497?
The BSB source-word alignment has 30 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include . . . (2), snatched (2), the victim of robbery (2), [that are] stolen (1), and committed robbery (1).
Where does גָּזַל (gāzal) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Genesis 21:25. Its strongest book concentrations include Ezekiel (5), Job (4), Proverbs (3), Deuteronomy (2).
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders It . . . 2× Leviticus 6:4, Ezekiel 18:12
snatched 2× 2 Samuel 23:21, 1 Chronicles 11:23
the victim of robbery 2× Jeremiah 21:12, Jeremiah 22:3
[that are] stolen 1× Malachi 1:13
and committed robbery 1× Ezekiel 22:29
and plundered 1× Deuteronomy 28:29
and seize them 1× Micah 2:2
and they robbed 1× Judges 9:25
and withhold 1× Isaiah 10:2
by force 1× Genesis 31:31
commit 1× Ezekiel 18:7
consume 1× Job 24:19
from the robber 1× Psalms 35:10
had seized 1× Genesis 21:25
he has seized 1× Job 20:19
He who robs 1× Proverbs 28:24
is snatched 1× Job 24:9
or commit 1× Ezekiel 18:16
rob 1× Proverbs 22:22
rob him 1× Leviticus 19:13
robbed 1× Ezekiel 18:18
steal 1× Psalms 69:4
stolen 1× Job 24:2
they are deprived 1× Proverbs 4:16
they caught 1× Judges 21:23
will be taken away 1× Deuteronomy 28:31
You tear 1× Micah 3:2
Show sample aligned rows
Genesis 21:25 גָּזְל֖וּ to had seized Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural Genesis 31:31 תִּגְזֹ֥ל to by force Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular Leviticus 6:4 גָּזָ֗ל to . . . Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular Leviticus 19:13 תִגְזֹ֑ל to rob him Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular Deuteronomy 28:29 וְגָז֛וּל to and plundered Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - masculine singular Deuteronomy 28:31 גָּז֣וּל to will be taken away Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - masculine singular Judges 9:25 וַיִּגְזְל֗וּ to and they robbed Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural Judges 21:23 גָּזָ֑לוּ to they caught Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural 2 Samuel 23:21 וַיִּגְזֹ֤ל to snatched Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular 1 Chronicles 11:23 וַיִּגְזֹ֤ל to snatched Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Genesis 21:25
Aligned rows 30
Books represented 14
Genesis 2 Leviticus 2 Deuteronomy 2 Judges 2 2 Samuel 1 1 Chronicles 1 Job 4 Psalms 2 Proverbs 3 Isaiah 1 Jeremiah 2 Ezekiel 5 Micah 2 Malachi 1
Source forms
גָז֖וּל 2x ḡā·zūl Jeremiah 21:12, Jeremiah 22:3
וַיִּגְזֹ֤ל 2x way·yiḡ·zōl 2 Samuel 23:21, 1 Chronicles 11:23
גּוֹזֵ֤ל׀ 1x gō·w·zêl Proverbs 28:24
גָּז֣וּל 1x gā·zūl Deuteronomy 28:31
גָּז֗וּל 1x gā·zūl Malachi 1:13
גָזָ֑ל 1x ḡā·zāl Ezekiel 18:16
גָּ֝זַ֗ל 1x gā·zal Job 20:19
גָּזַל֙ 1x gā·zal Ezekiel 18:18
Parsing patterns
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular 5x Leviticus 6:4, Job 20:19, Ezekiel 18:12, Ezekiel 18:16
Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - masculine singular 4x Deuteronomy 28:31, Jeremiah 21:12, Jeremiah 22:3, Malachi 1:13
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular 3x Genesis 31:31, Leviticus 19:13, Proverbs 22:22
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural 3x Genesis 21:25, Judges 21:23, Job 24:2
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural 2x Ezekiel 22:29, Micah 2:2
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular 2x 2 Samuel 23:21, 1 Chronicles 11:23
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural 2x Job 24:9, Job 24:19
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Conjunctive perfect - third person feminine singular 1x Proverbs 4:16
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Violent seizure of what belongs to another; ranges from physical stripping to metaphorical deprivation through coercive force.
Strong's H1497
Lexical occurrences 30 verses Word forms 1 form 21 references Verse guides 0 guides
Study link Leviticus 19:13-14 Source Gloss
to pluck off ; specifically to flay , strip or rob
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Violent seizure of what belongs to another; ranges from physical stripping to metaphorical deprivation through coercive force.
to pluck off; specifically to flay, strip or rob BDB: tear away Usage: catch, consume, exercise (robbery), pluck (off), rob, spoil, take away (by force, violence), tear.
Grammatical Forms
How the stem changes the meaning of this verb across the biblical text.
This verb appears through different tense, voice, mood, or stem patterns. Those forms help readers see how the action is presented in context.
Form groups 1 Aligned forms 21
Qal basic active stem — the word in its most common, direct sense 21×
Perfect Ezek 18:12 · Ezek 18:16 · Ezek 18:18 · Job 20:19 · Lev 5:23 · Gen 21:25 · Job 24:2 · Judg 21:23 · Ps 69:5 9×
Imperfect Gen 31:31 · Lev 19:13 · Job 24:9 · Job 24:19 · Ezek 18:7 5×
Participle passive Deut 28:31 · Jer 21:12 · Jer 22:3 · Mal 1:13 4×
Participle active Mic 3:2 · Prov 28:24 2×
Jussive Prov 22:22 1×
Selected Scripture Witnesses
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Biblical Witnesses
Unlawful taking of wages or property from another person
Violent seizure of possessions from the poor and vulnerable
Theft or stripping of property, especially familial betrayal
Showing 3 selected witnesses from 30 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
גָּזַל is a primitive root - no further derivation.
Part of These Phrases
Compound and idiomatic phrases that include this word. Follow a link to study the phrase and how its parts work together.
Sources
MorphGNT Strong's Dictionary XML — CC0 1.0 Public Domain
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (morphhb/OSHB) — CC BY 4.0
Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon — CC BY 4.0
Berean Standard Bible (BSB) source-word alignment - CC0 Public Domain