What does זָהָב (zāhāb) mean in the Bible?
זָהָב (zāhāb): Precious metal whose radiant yellow hue extends metaphorically to represent divine wealth, beauty, and covenant value throughout Scripture.
Hebrew · H2091
זָהָב
Gold , figuratively, something gold-colored (i.e. yellow), as oil , a clear sky
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זָהָב H2091
Pronunciation zāhāb
What does זָהָב (zāhāb) mean in the Bible?
זָהָב (zāhāb): Precious metal whose radiant yellow hue extends metaphorically to represent divine wealth, beauty, and covenant value throughout Scripture.
Full entry for זָהָב (H2091) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H2091?
The BSB source-word alignment has 389 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include gold (126), of gold (53), and gold (50), with gold (37), the gold (34).
Where does זָהָב (zāhāb) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Genesis 2:11. Its strongest book concentrations include Exodus (105), 2 Chronicles (49), 1 Kings (44), 1 Chronicles (24).
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 gold 126× Genesis 2:11, Genesis 24:22, Genesis 44:8, Exodus 12:35
of gold 53× Exodus 26:37, Exodus 30:3, Exodus 32:31, Exodus 35:22
and gold 50× Genesis 13:2, Genesis 24:35, Genesis 24:53, Exodus 3:22
with gold 37× Exodus 25:13, Exodus 25:28, Exodus 26:29, Exodus 26:32
the gold 34× Exodus 28:34, Exodus 32:2, Exodus 38:24, Exodus 39:38
in gold 9× Exodus 28:11, Exodus 28:20, Exodus 31:4, Exodus 35:32
a gold 8× Genesis 24:22, Genesis 41:42, Exodus 25:11, Exodus 25:24
. . . 6× Exodus 28:34, Exodus 38:24, 2 Kings 25:15, 1 Chronicles 28:14
of the gold 5× Numbers 31:50, Judges 8:26, 1 Chronicles 28:15, 1 Chronicles 28:18
for gold 4× 1 Kings 22:48, Proverbs 17:3, Proverbs 27:21, Isaiah 13:17
the golden 4× 1 Kings 7:48, 2 Chronicles 4:19, 2 Chronicles 13:8
And the gold 3× Genesis 2:12, 1 Kings 7:50, 2 Chronicles 4:22
their gold 3× Exodus 32:3, Exodus 35:22, Zephaniah 1:18
- 2× 1 Kings 10:14, 2 Chronicles 9:13
like gold 2× Zechariah 13:9, Malachi 3:3
or gold 2× Exodus 20:23, 2 Samuel 21:4
pure gold 2× 2 Kings 25:15, Jeremiah 52:19
were gold 2× 1 Kings 10:21, 2 Chronicles 9:20
[shekels] 1× Judges 8:26
[the enemies] had gold 1× Judges 8:24
[was] 1× 2 Chronicles 3:6
a solid gold 1× Zechariah 4:2
along with gold 1× Exodus 36:36
and its gold 1× 2 Chronicles 3:6
and my gold 1× 1 Kings 20:7
and the gold [is] 1× Haggai 2:8
and the golden 1× Ecclesiastes 12:6
and their 1× 1 Chronicles 28:15
and their gold 1× Ezekiel 7:19
as gold 1× Job 23:10
containing the gold 1× 1 Samuel 6:11
embroidered with gold 1× Exodus 39:2
for the gold articles 1× 1 Chronicles 29:2
for the gold work 1× 1 Chronicles 29:5
golden 1× 1 Kings 12:28
has gold 1× Exodus 32:24
in golden [splendor] 1× Job 37:22
Like a gold 1× Proverbs 11:22
May gold 1× Psalms 72:15
more than gold 1× Psalms 119:127
of each gold 1× 1 Chronicles 28:17
out of gold 1× Numbers 31:51
than gold 1× Psalms 19:10
the golden [oil] 1× Zechariah 4:12
The number of gold 1× 1 Samuel 6:18
the worship of the golden 1× 2 Kings 10:29
vvv 1× 1 Chronicles 29:5
was a gold 1× Jeremiah 51:7
weight of the gold 1× Numbers 7:86
where gold 1× Job 28:1
who had gold 1× Job 3:15
with hammered gold 1× 1 Kings 6:32
your gold 1× 1 Kings 20:5
yourself with gold 1× Jeremiah 4:30
Show sample aligned rows
Genesis 2:11 הַזָּהָֽב׃ to gold Article | Noun - masculine singular Genesis 2:12 וּֽזֲהַ֛ב to And the gold Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct Genesis 13:2 וּבַזָּהָֽב׃ to and gold Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular Genesis 24:22 זָהָ֔ב to a gold Noun - masculine singular Genesis 24:22 זָהָ֖ב to gold Noun - masculine singular Genesis 24:35 וְזָהָ֔ב to and gold Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular Genesis 24:53 זָהָב֙ to and gold Noun - masculine singular Genesis 41:42 הַזָּהָ֖ב to a gold Article | Noun - masculine singular Genesis 44:8 זָהָֽב׃ to gold Noun - masculine singular Exodus 3:22 זָהָ֖ב to and gold Noun - masculine singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Genesis 2:11
Aligned rows 389
Books represented 34
Genesis 9 Exodus 105 Leviticus 1 Numbers 24 Deuteronomy 4 Joshua 5 Judges 3 1 Samuel 7 2 Samuel 6 1 Kings 44 2 Kings 15 1 Chronicles 24 2 Chronicles 49 Ezra 13 Nehemiah 3 Esther 6 Job 8 Psalms 8 Proverbs 7 Ecclesiastes 2 Song Of Solomon 3 Isaiah 11 Jeremiah 6 Lamentations 1 Ezekiel 8 Daniel 3 Hosea 2 Joel 1 Nahum 1 Habakkuk 1 Zephaniah 1 Haggai 1 Zechariah 6 Malachi 1
Source forms
זָהָ֖ב 39x zā·hāḇ Genesis 24:22, Exodus 3:22, Exodus 12:35, Exodus 25:11
זָהָ֣ב 39x zā·hāḇ Exodus 25:11, Exodus 25:17, Exodus 25:24, Exodus 25:31
זָהָ֔ב 35x zā·hāḇ Genesis 24:22, Exodus 20:23, Exodus 25:12, Exodus 26:29
זָהָ֑ב 25x zā·hāḇ Exodus 25:18, Exodus 25:26, Exodus 25:28, Exodus 26:6
זָהָֽב׃ 25x zā·hāḇ Genesis 44:8, Exodus 11:2, Exodus 25:13, Exodus 26:29
זָהָ֥ב 20x zā·hāḇ Exodus 25:3, Exodus 25:29, Exodus 25:36, Exodus 25:38
הַזָּהָ֔ב 18x haz·zā·hāḇ Exodus 28:5, Exodus 28:24, Exodus 32:2, Exodus 39:17
זָהָב֙ 14x zā·hāḇ Genesis 24:53, Exodus 28:34, Numbers 31:50, Judges 8:24
Parsing patterns
Noun - masculine singular 238x Genesis 24:22, Genesis 24:53, Genesis 44:8, Exodus 3:22
Article | Noun - masculine singular 60x Genesis 2:11, Genesis 41:42, Exodus 28:5, Exodus 28:24
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular 30x Genesis 24:35, Numbers 22:18, Numbers 24:13, Deuteronomy 7:25
Preposition-l, Article | Noun - masculine singular 11x 1 Kings 22:48, 1 Chronicles 22:16, 1 Chronicles 28:14, 1 Chronicles 29:2
Conjunctive waw, Article | Noun - masculine singular 9x Joshua 6:24, 2 Samuel 8:11, 1 Kings 15:18, 2 Kings 23:35
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular 7x Exodus 31:4, Exodus 35:32, 2 Chronicles 2:7, 2 Chronicles 2:14
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine plural 4x Isaiah 60:9, Ezekiel 7:19, Hosea 8:4
Noun - masculine singular construct 4x Exodus 38:24, Numbers 7:86, Numbers 31:52, 2 Chronicles 3:6
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Precious metal whose radiant yellow hue extends metaphorically to represent divine wealth, beauty, and covenant value throughout Scripture.
Source Gloss
gold , figuratively, something gold-colored (i.e. yellow), as oil , a clear sky
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Precious metal whose radiant yellow hue extends metaphorically to represent divine wealth, beauty, and covenant value throughout Scripture.
gold, figuratively, something gold-colored (i.e. yellow), as oil, a clear sky BDB: gold Usage: gold(-en), fair weather.
Grammatical Forms
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
Selected Scripture Witnesses
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Biblical Witnesses
Gold as precious commodity compared to wisdom in value hierarchy
Gold refined by fire, metaphor for testing and purifying character
Gold and silver settings as fitting adornment for well-spoken words
Gold as crucible that tests and reveals human character and reputation
Showing 4 selected witnesses from 389 lexical occurrence verses.
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