What does זָרַע (zara) mean in the Bible?
זָרַע (zara): Sowing extends from literal agriculture to covenant multiplication—God's seed-promise ensures generational fruitfulness and inheritance.
Hebrew · H2232
זָרַע
To sow ; figuratively, to disseminate , plant , fructify
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זָרַע H2232
Pronunciation zara
What does זָרַע (zara) mean in the Bible?
זָרַע (zara): Sowing extends from literal agriculture to covenant multiplication—God's seed-promise ensures generational fruitfulness and inheritance.
Full entry for זָרַע (H2232) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H2232?
The BSB source-word alignment has 56 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include sow (5), to sow (4), You will sow (3), seed-bearing (2), They sow (2).
Where does זָרַע (zara) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Genesis 1:11. Its strongest book concentrations include Leviticus (9), Isaiah (7), Genesis (6), Jeremiah (6).
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 sow 5× Leviticus 25:20, Ecclesiastes 11:6, Jeremiah 4:3, Jeremiah 35:7
to sow 4× Genesis 47:23, Leviticus 25:4, Ecclesiastes 11:4, Isaiah 55:10
You will sow 3× Leviticus 26:16, 2 Kings 19:29, Isaiah 37:30
seed-bearing 2× Genesis 1:11, Genesis 1:12
They sow 2× Psalms 107:37, Hosea 8:7
- 1× Leviticus 11:37
. . . 1× Deuteronomy 29:23
[are] those who sow 1× Isaiah 32:20
and able to conceive 1× Numbers 5:28
And I will sow her 1× Hosea 2:23
and set out cuttings 1× Isaiah 17:10
and sowed 1× Judges 9:45
and sown 1× Ezekiel 36:9
and those who sow 1× Job 4:8
are they sown 1× Isaiah 40:24
becomes pregnant 1× Leviticus 12:2
but he who sows 1× Proverbs 11:18
contains 1× Genesis 1:29
descendants 1× Nahum 1:14
for planting 1× Isaiah 28:24
He who sows 1× Proverbs 22:8
or sown 1× Deuteronomy 21:4
plant 1× Deuteronomy 22:9
planted their crops 1× Judges 6:3
shines 1× Psalms 97:11
sowed seed 1× Genesis 26:12
sown 1× Jeremiah 2:2
the sower 1× Jeremiah 50:16
They have sown 1× Jeremiah 12:13
Those who sow 1× Psalms 126:5
Though I sow them 1× Zechariah 10:9
to sow [the land] 1× Leviticus 25:11
vvv 1× Genesis 1:29
what I have sown 1× Job 31:8
when I will sow 1× Jeremiah 31:27
While you are sowing 1× Leviticus 25:22
will sow 1× Micah 6:15
you are to sow 1× Exodus 23:10
You have planted 1× Haggai 1:6
you have sown 1× Isaiah 30:23
you may sow 1× Leviticus 25:3
you plant 1× Deuteronomy 22:9
you shall not sow 1× Leviticus 19:19
you sow 1× Exodus 23:16
you sowed 1× Deuteronomy 11:10
Show sample aligned rows
Genesis 1:11 מַזְרִ֣יעַ to seed-bearing Verb - Hifil - Participle - masculine singular Genesis 1:12 מַזְרִ֤יעַ to seed-bearing Verb - Hifil - Participle - masculine singular Genesis 1:29 זֹרֵ֣עַ to vvv Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular Genesis 1:29 זֹרֵ֣עַ to contains Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular Genesis 26:12 וַיִּזְרַ֤ע to sowed seed Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular Genesis 47:23 וּזְרַעְתֶּ֖ם to to sow Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine plural Exodus 23:10 תִּזְרַ֣ע to you are to sow Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular Exodus 23:16 תִּזְרַ֖ע to you sow Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular Leviticus 11:37 יִזָּרֵ֑עַ to - Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular Leviticus 12:2 תַזְרִ֔יעַ to becomes pregnant Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person feminine singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Genesis 1:11
Aligned rows 56
Books represented 19
Genesis 6 Exodus 2 Leviticus 9 Numbers 1 Deuteronomy 5 Judges 2 2 Kings 1 Job 2 Psalms 3 Proverbs 2 Ecclesiastes 2 Isaiah 7 Jeremiah 6 Ezekiel 1 Hosea 3 Micah 1 Nahum 1 Haggai 1 Zechariah 1
Source forms
תִּזְרַ֣ע 3x tiz·ra‘ Exodus 23:10, Leviticus 25:3, Isaiah 30:23
זֹרֵ֣עַ 2x zō·rê·a‘ Genesis 1:29
זִרְע֧וּ 2x zir·‘ū 2 Kings 19:29, Isaiah 37:30
יִזָּרֵ֑עַ 2x yiz·zā·rê·a‘ Leviticus 11:37, Deuteronomy 21:4
אֶ֭זְרְעָה 1x ’ez·rə·‘āh Job 31:8
הַזֹּרְעִ֥ים 1x haz·zō·rə·‘îm Psalms 126:5
וְאֶזְרָעֵם֙ 1x wə·’ez·rā·‘êm Zechariah 10:9
וְזֹרֵ֥עַ 1x wə·zō·rê·a‘ Proverbs 11:18
Parsing patterns
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular 10x Exodus 23:10, Exodus 23:16, Leviticus 19:19, Leviticus 25:3
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular 4x Genesis 1:29, Proverbs 22:8, Jeremiah 50:16
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine plural 3x Genesis 47:23, Leviticus 25:22, Leviticus 26:16
Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular 3x Leviticus 11:37, Deuteronomy 21:4, Nahum 1:14
Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine plural 3x 2 Kings 19:29, Isaiah 37:30, Hosea 10:12
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine plural 3x Leviticus 25:11, Jeremiah 4:3, Jeremiah 35:7
Verb - Hifil - Participle - masculine singular 2x Genesis 1:11, Genesis 1:12
Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural 1x Psalms 126:5
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Sowing extends from literal agriculture to covenant multiplication—God's seed-promise ensures generational fruitfulness and inheritance.
Strong's H2232
Lexical occurrences 56 verses Word forms 4 forms 39 references Verse guides 0 guides
Study link Hosea 10:9-15 Source Gloss
to sow ; figuratively, to disseminate , plant , fructify
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Sowing extends from literal agriculture to covenant multiplication—God's seed-promise ensures generational fruitfulness and inheritance.
to sow; figuratively, to disseminate, plant, fructify BDB: sow Usage: bear, conceive seed, set with sow(-er), yield.
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 4 Aligned forms 39
Qal basic active stem — the word in its most common, direct sense 31×
Imperfect Deut 11:10 · Deut 22:9 · Exod 23:10 · Exod 23:16 · Isa 30:23 · Lev 19:19 · Lev 25:3 · Lev 25:4 · Mic 6:15 · Jer 35:7 · Lev 25:11 · Eccl 11:4 · Hos 8:7 · Lev 25:20 15×
Participle active Gen 1:29 · Isa 32:20 · Jer 50:16 · Prov 22:8 5×
Sequential imperfect 2Kgs 19:29 · Hos 10:12 · Isa 37:30 · Eccl 11:6 4×
Perfect Hag 1:6 · Jer 12:13 · Judg 6:3 3×
Participle passive Jer 2:2 · Ps 97:11 2×
Jussive Jer 4:3 1×
Cohortative Job 31:8 1×
Niphal passive or reflexive — the subject receives or experiences the action 4×
Imperfect Deut 21:4 · Lev 11:37 · Nah 1:14 · Deut 29:22 4×
Hiphil causative active — the subject causes someone else to perform the action 3×
Participle active Gen 1:11 · Gen 1:12 2×
Imperfect Lev 12:2 1×
Pual intensive passive — intensive action received by the subject 1×
Perfect Isa 40:24 1×
Selected Scripture Witnesses
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Old Testament Witnesses
to sow
to sow
to scatter seed for planting
Showing 3 selected witnesses from 56 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
זָרַע is a primitive root - no further derivation.
Why This Word Matters
The metaphor illustrates how moral actions function like seeds producing future outcomes. Hosea 10:9-15
Central metaphor of moral causation. Hosea 2:14-23
Reverses Jezreel judgment into restoration imagery. Proverbs 11:18
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