Hebrew · H2181, G4204 · unreviewed

זוֹנָה

To commit adultery (usually of the female, and less often of simple fornication, rarely of involuntary ravishment); figuratively, to commit idolatry (the Jewish people being regarded as the spouse of Jehovah) · a strumpet; figuratively, an idolater

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Words in this compound — expand to study each participant

זָנָה H2181 to commit adultery (usually of the female, and less often of simple fornication, rarely of involuntary ravishment); figuratively, to commit idolatry (the Jewish people being regarded as the spouse of Jehovah)
Pronunciation zanah
Metaphor of covenant betrayal: Israel's idolatry portrayed as marital unfaithfulness to Yahweh.
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πόρνη G4204 a strumpet; figuratively, an idolater
Pronunciation pórnē
Woman engaged in sexual immorality; metaphorically, a city/system in idolatrous rebellion against God.
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What does זוֹנָה (zonah) mean in the Bible?

זָנָה · πόρνη is a Hebrew word meaning "a woman engaged in sexual immorality".

Full entry for זוֹנָה (H2181, G4204) · Browse the biblical lexicon

Meaning

a woman engaged in sexual immorality
Grammatical Forms

How the stem changes the meaning of this verb across the biblical text.

Qal basic active stem — the word in its most common, direct sense 40×
Participle active Deut 23:19 · Ezek 16:30 · Ezek 16:33 · Ezek 16:35 · Ezek 20:30 · Ezek 23:44 · Hos 4:15 · Isa 23:16 · Jer 2:20 · Jer 3:3 · Jer 5:7 · Josh 2:1 · Judg 11:1 · Judg 16:1 · Lev 17:7 · Mic 1:7 24×
Imperfect Amos 7:17 · Hos 1:2 · Lev 19:29 · Hos 4:13 · Hos 4:14 · Ezek 23:43 · Hos 3:3
Perfect Ezek 23:19 · Gen 38:24 · Hos 2:7 · Ezek 23:3 · Judg 2:17 · Hos 9:1 · Jer 3:1
Infinitive absolute Hos 1:2
Hiphil causative active — the subject causes someone else to perform the action
Perfect Hos 4:10 · Hos 4:18 · Hos 5:3
Infinitive absolute Hos 4:18
Pual intensive passive — intensive action received by the subject
Perfect Ezek 16:34
Hebrew Verb Forms

How this verb appears across 45 occurrences in the Hebrew OT (OSHB Leningrad Codex).

Aspect / Form
Participle 24 Perfect 11 Imperfect 8 Infinitive absolute 2
Stem
Qal 40 Hiphil 4 Pual 1
Mood
Indicative 11 Indicative/jussive 8

Aspect in Hebrew reflects grammatical form, not tense. "Perfect" (Perfective) typically denotes completed action; "Imperfect" (Imperfective) denotes incomplete or ongoing action. Stem modifies the action type (Qal=simple, Niphal=passive, Piel=intensive, etc.).

Morphology: OSHB WLC (Open Scriptures, CC BY 4.0) · STEPBible TEHMC (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0)

Word Pictures (Robertson)

A.T. Robertson's Word Pictures in the New Testament (1930–31) discusses this term in the following chapters. Open any chapter and go to the Word Pictures tab to read his verse-by-verse commentary.

A.T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament (1930–31) — public domain

Sources