זֶ֫רַע
seed
also: sowing, offspring fuller range ↓
Full lexicon entry — Brown-Driver-Briggs (BDB)
From Brown-Driver-Briggs (BDB)
Where this word appears
See every Construct-state word in the Hebrew Bible →
Grammar key — what these labels mean
Part of speech
- Noun
- A naming word — a person, place, thing, or idea.
Noun type
- Common
- A common noun — a general class of person, place, or thing (“king,” “city,” “water”), not a specific name.
State
- Absolute
- The independent form of a noun, not bound to a following word.
- Construct
- A noun bound to a following noun in a possessive / “of” relationship (the construct chain).
Gender
- Masculine
- Grammatically masculine.
Number
- Singular
- One.
- Plural
- More than one (in Hebrew, generally three or more).
36 verses where H2233 appears in the Construct state in the Book of Genesis. Filtered view — show all forms. Click any verse to open its interlinear word-by-word view. Verse text shown in the World English Bible for context — . Each verse’s Hebrew form is shown with its reference; the English is not keyword-highlighted, since the data carries no word-level English alignment. Use “Compare translations” on any verse to read it across multiple English versions. This concordance covers the Hebrew Bible; Septuagint (Greek Old Testament) occurrences are not indexed here.
Genesis
- Genesis 1:11 זֶ֔רַע זַרְע/וֹ n c ms n c ms cs + sfx pers 3ms God said, "Let the earth put forth grass, herbs yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit after their kind, with its seed in it, on the earth," and it was so.
- Genesis 1:12 זֶ֨רַע֙ זַרְע/וֹ n c ms n c ms cs + sfx pers 3ms The earth brought forth grass, herbs yielding seed after their kind, and trees bearing fruit, with its seed in it, after their kind: and God saw that it was good.
- Genesis 3:15 זַרְעֲ/ךָ֖ זַרְעָ֑/הּ n c ms cs + sfx pers 2ms n c ms cs + sfx pers 3fs I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. He will bruise your head, and you will bruise his heel."
- Genesis 9:9 זַרְעֲ/כֶ֖ם n c ms cs + sfx pers 2mp "As for me, behold, I establish my covenant with you, and with your offspring after you,
- Genesis 12:7 לְ/זַ֨רְעֲ/ךָ֔ prep + n c ms cs + sfx pers 2ms Yahweh appeared to Abram, and said, "I will give this land to your seed." He built an altar there to Yahweh, who appeared to him.
- Genesis 13:15 וּֽ/לְ/זַרְעֲ/ךָ֖ conj + prep + n c ms cs + sfx pers 2ms for all the land which you see, I will give to you, and to your offspring forever.
- Genesis 13:16 זַרְעֲ/ךָ֖ זַרְעֲ/ךָ֖ n c ms cs + sfx pers 2ms n c ms cs + sfx pers 2ms I will make your offspring as the dust of the earth, so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then your seed may also be numbered.
- Genesis 15:5 זַרְעֶֽ/ךָ n c ms cs + sfx pers 2ms Yahweh brought him outside, and said, "Look now toward the sky, and count the stars, if you are able to count them." He said to Abram, "So shall your seed be."
- Genesis 15:13 זַרְעֲ/ךָ֗ n c ms cs + sfx pers 2ms He said to Abram, "Know for sure that your seed will live as foreigners in a land that is not theirs, and will serve them. They will afflict them four hundred years.
- Genesis 15:18 לְ/זַרְעֲ/ךָ֗ prep + n c ms cs + sfx pers 2ms In that day Yahweh made a covenant with Abram, saying, "To your seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates:
- Genesis 16:10 זַרְעֵ֑/ךְ n c ms cs + sfx pers 2fs The angel of Yahweh said to her, "I will greatly multiply your seed, that they will not be numbered for multitude."
- Genesis 17:7 זַרְעֲ/ךָ֧ וּֽ/לְ/זַרְעֲ/ךָ֖ n c ms cs + sfx pers 2ms conj + prep + n c ms cs + sfx pers 2ms I will establish my covenant between me and you and your seed after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God to you and to your seed after you.
- Genesis 17:8 וּ/לְ/זַרְעֲ/ךָ֨ conj + prep + n c ms cs + sfx pers 2ms I will give to you, and to your seed after you, the land where you are traveling, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession. I will be their God."
- Genesis 17:9 וְ/זַרְעֲ/ךָ֥ conj + n c ms cs + sfx pers 2ms God said to Abraham, "As for you, you will keep my covenant, you and your seed after you throughout their generations.
- Genesis 17:10 זַרְעֲ/ךָ֖ n c ms cs + sfx pers 2ms This is my covenant, which you shall keep, between me and you and your seed after you. Every male among you shall be circumcised.
- Genesis 17:12 מִֽ/זַּרְעֲ/ךָ֖ prep + n c ms cs + sfx pers 2ms He who is eight days old will be circumcised among you, every male throughout your generations, he who is born in the house, or bought with money of any foreigner who is not of your seed.
- Genesis 17:19 לְ/זַרְע֥/וֹ prep + n c ms cs + sfx pers 3ms God said, "No, but Sarah, your wife, will bear you a son. You shall call his name Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant for his seed after him.
- Genesis 21:13 זַרְעֲ/ךָ֖ n c ms cs + sfx pers 2ms Also of the son of the handmaid will I make a nation, because he is your seed."
- Genesis 22:17 זַרְעֲ/ךָ֙ זַרְעֲ/ךָ֔ n c ms cs + sfx pers 2ms n c ms cs + sfx pers 2ms that in blessing I will bless you, and in multiplying I will multiply your seed as the stars of the heavens, and as the sand which is on the seashore. Your seed will possess the gate of his enemies.
- Genesis 22:18 בְ/זַרְעֲ/ךָ֔ prep + n c ms cs + sfx pers 2ms In your seed will all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice."
- Genesis 24:7 לְ/זַ֨רְעֲ/ךָ֔ prep + n c ms cs + sfx pers 2ms Yahweh, the God of heaven, who took me from my father's house, and from the land of my birth, who spoke to me, and who swore to me, saying, 'I will give this land to your seed.' He will send his angel before you, and you shall take a wife for my son from there.
- Genesis 24:60 זַרְעֵ֔/ךְ n c ms cs + sfx pers 2fs They blessed Rebekah, and said to her, "Our sister, may you be the mother of thousands of ten thousands, and let your seed possess the gate of those who hate them."
- Genesis 26:3 וּֽ/לְ/זַרְעֲ/ךָ֗ conj + prep + n c ms cs + sfx pers 2ms Sojourn in this land, and I will be with you, and will bless you. For to you, and to your seed, I will give all these lands, and I will establish the oath which I swore to Abraham your father.
- Genesis 26:4 זַרְעֲ/ךָ֙ לְ/זַרְעֲ/ךָ֔ בְ/זַרְעֲ/ךָ֔ n c ms cs + sfx pers 2ms prep + n c ms cs + sfx pers 2ms prep + n c ms cs + sfx pers 2ms I will multiply your seed as the stars of the sky, and will give to your seed all these lands. In your seed will all the nations of the earth be blessed,
- Genesis 26:24 זַרְעֲ/ךָ֔ n c ms cs + sfx pers 2ms Yahweh appeared to him the same night, and said, "I am the God of Abraham your father. Don't be afraid, for I am with you, and will bless you, and multiply your seed for my servant Abraham's sake."
- Genesis 28:4 וּ/לְ/זַרְעֲ/ךָ֣ conj + prep + n c ms cs + sfx pers 2ms and give you the blessing of Abraham, to you, and to your seed with you, that you may inherit the land where you travel, which God gave to Abraham."
- Genesis 28:13 וּ/לְ/זַרְעֶֽ/ךָ conj + prep + n c ms cs + sfx pers 2ms Behold, Yahweh stood above it, and said, "I am Yahweh, the God of Abraham your father, and the God of Isaac. The land whereon you lie, to you will I give it, and to your seed.
- Genesis 28:14 זַרְעֲ/ךָ֙ וּ/בְ/זַרְעֶֽ/ךָ n c ms cs + sfx pers 2ms conj + prep + n c ms cs + sfx pers 2ms Your seed will be as the dust of the earth, and you will spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south. In you and in your seed will all the families of the earth be blessed.
- Genesis 32:12 זַרְעֲ/ךָ֙ n c ms cs + sfx pers 2ms You said, 'I will surely do you good, and make your seed as the sand of the sea, which can't be numbered because there are so many.'"
- Genesis 35:12 וּֽ/לְ/זַרְעֲ/ךָ֥ conj + prep + n c ms cs + sfx pers 2ms The land which I gave to Abraham and Isaac, I will give it to you, and to your seed after you will I give the land."
- Genesis 46:6 זַרְע֥/וֹ n c ms cs + sfx pers 3ms They took their cattle, and their goods, which they had gotten in the land of Canaan, and came into Egypt-- Jacob, and all his seed with him,
- Genesis 46:7 זַרְע֑/וֹ n c ms cs + sfx pers 3ms his sons, and his sons' sons with him, his daughters, and his sons' daughters, and he brought all his seed with him into Egypt.
- Genesis 47:24 לְ/זֶ֨רַע prep + n c ms cs It will happen at the harvests, that you shall give a fifth to Pharaoh, and four parts will be your own, for seed of the field, for your food, for them of your households, and for food for your little ones."
- Genesis 48:4 לְ/זַרְעֲ/ךָ֥ prep + n c ms cs + sfx pers 2ms and said to me, 'Behold, I will make you fruitful, and multiply you, and I will make of you a company of peoples, and will give this land to your seed after you for an everlasting possession.'
- Genesis 48:11 זַרְעֶֽ/ךָ n c ms cs + sfx pers 2ms Israel said to Joseph, "I didn't think I would see your face, and, behold, God has let me see your seed also."
- Genesis 48:19 וְ/זַרְע֖/וֹ conj + n c ms cs + sfx pers 3ms His father refused, and said, "I know, my son, I know. He also will become a people, and he also will be great. However, his younger brother will be greater than he, and his seed will become a multitude of nations."
About this entry
At a glance — auto-summarized from this page’s data, not written by a person. Every figure links to its source below. This summary describes the numbers; it doesn’t interpret them.
At its core, זרע (zeraʻ) means “seed.” Its English rendering has broadened — “seed” classically, “descendants” (Berean Standard Bible) in modern versions; see the renderings breakdown. Spanning 204 verses in 28 books, it ranks among the common words of the Hebrew Bible. It first appears in Genesis 1:11. Beyond its headline sense, its full sense range takes in “sowing” and “offspring”. Dig into 204-verse concordance and the renderings breakdown below.
Gloss history
Strong's 1890 vs modern scholarship
About this word
Strong's H2233 catalogs a Hebrew word from the Hebrew Old Testament.
These counts are not copied from any lexicon or concordance. They are computed here, from the morphology-tagged Hebrew Old Testament. What Lemma adds →
- 204
- distinct verses
- The word appears in 204 distinct verses.
- 28 / 39
- OT books
- The word appears in 28 of 39 Old Testament books.
- #207
- by frequency
- Top 250 most frequent Hebrew words (rank 207 of 8,640 Hebrew words by occurrence).
View all 204 occurrences in the concordance →
By section of the Old Testament
By traditional corpus
Conventional, traditional groupings — biblical authorship is debated, so this is a traditional corpus grouping, not an authorship claim. Each share is this word’s portion of its verses in that division of the Hebrew canon. Each figure is a share of the word’s 204 distinct verses.
- Torah (Pentateuch) 98 verses · 48%
- Prophets (Nevi'im) 67 verses · 33%
- Writings (Ketuvim) 39 verses · 19%
How translations render this word
Counts come from each version’s own published word-to-Strong’s tagging or interlinear alignment — an approximate guide to how each version renders this word, not a word-level alignment the data otherwise carries. Because each total is that version’s own tagged count, the per-version totals vary from one another and need not match the appearance or distinct-verse counts above. These counts may also differ from a printed concordance because Lemma counts each distinctly tagged rendering and does not collapse phrase taggings into a single head-word total. This is a fixed set of word-tagged versions (KJV, ASV, BSB, ULT) and does not change with the reading translation you choose elsewhere. Each version’s license is shown beside its name below (and on Sources).
- King James Version: Seed 163×, All the seed 4×, Thee and to thy seed 4×
- American Standard Version: Seed 143×, All the seed 4×, 's seed 3×
- Berean Standard Bible: Descendants 76×, Offspring 40×, Seed 32×
- unfoldingWord Literal Text: Seed 105×, Offspring 48×, Seed of 34×
King James Version Public Domain
Renders H2233 across 228 tagged occurrences — most commonly:
Plus 39 renderings that appear only once — usually multi-word phrases or single function words the recovered tagging swept in, not distinct renderings. Not rendered by a distinct English word in 1 further occurrence.
American Standard Version Public Domain
Renders H2233 across 228 tagged occurrences — most commonly:
Plus 62 renderings that appear only once — usually multi-word phrases or single function words the recovered tagging swept in, not distinct renderings. Not rendered by a distinct English word in 1 further occurrence.
Berean Standard Bible Public Domain
Renders H2233 across 220 tagged occurrences — most commonly:
Plus other, less common renderings. Plus 34 renderings that appear only once — usually multi-word phrases or single function words the recovered tagging swept in, not distinct renderings. Not rendered by a distinct English word in 8 further occurrences.
unfoldingWord Literal Text CC BY-SA 4.0
Renders H2233 across 219 tagged occurrences — most commonly:
Plus 20 renderings that appear only once — usually multi-word phrases or single function words the recovered tagging swept in, not distinct renderings.
19 senses and sub-senses in the full BDB
What do BDB’s symbols mean?
BDB uses these scholarly abbreviations:
| Symbol | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 𝔊 | the Septuagint (the ancient Greek translation, LXX) |
| 𝔙 | the Vulgate (the Latin translation) |
| 𝔖 | the Syriac version (the Peshitta) |
| 𝔗 | the Targum (the Aramaic translation) |
| ψ | the Psalms |
| √ | root (the underlying root or stem) |
| ‖ | parallel passage (a synonymous or contrasted parallel) |
| † | the dagger: every passage where the word occurs is cited |
The 19 senses and sub-senses the full Brown-Driver-Briggs lexicon distinguishes for this word, in lexicon order (not ranked by frequency), with BDB’s own verbatim wording and sub-sense lettering. Shown in Hebrew script with BDB’s own scholarly abbreviations. The condensed entry is in the Lexicon Entry tab. See also the Forms in the corpus table below.
- 1. lit.:
- a. a sowing לְז׳ הַשָּׂדֶה Gn 47:24 (J; + אָכְלְכֶם; otherwise Lv 27:16 b, v. infr. 2 c); לֹא מְקוֹם ז׳ Nu 20:5 no place for sowing (JE; + וּתְאֵנָה וְגֶפֶן וְרִמּוֹן); cf. שְׂדֵה ז׳ Ez 17:5 a field suitable for sowing; hence e.g. Genesis 47:24
- b. sowing as regularly recurring at its season Gn 8:22 (J; ‖ קָצִיר, + קֹר וָחֹם וְקַיִץ וָחֹרֶף וְיוֹם וָלַיְלָה), Lv 26:5 (H; ‖ דַּיִשׁ, בָּצִיר;—cf. Am 9:13 infr. 2 a). e.g. Genesis 8:22
- 2. seed:
- a. lit., sown, to raise crops for food, usually corn (wheat, barley, etc.) Gn 47:19, 23 (J; cf. v 14 f.), Nu 24:7 (JE); נָתַן ז׳ לַזֹּרֵעַ Is 55:10 (‖ לֶחֶם), Dt 28:38 (ז׳ רַב), Lv 26:16 (H; c. זָרַע), 27:16a, ז׳ חֹמֶר שְׂעֹרִים v 16b (both P), cf. Is 5:10. e.g. Genesis 47:19
- b. fig., of idolatry of Judah Is 17:11 (‖ קציר); of fortunes of Zion מֶשֶׁךְ הַזּ׳ ψ 126:6 the dropping of seed, i.e. the proper quantity for sowing (opp. אֲלֻמֹּת); Je 35:7 (c. זָרַע, ‖ כֶּרֶם לֹא תִטָּ֔עוּ), cf. v 9 (‖ כרם, שׂדה); מְטַר ז׳ Is 30:23 (c. זָרַע ‖ לֶחֶם תְּבוּאַת הָאֲדָמָה); also Dt 11:10 (c. זָרַע), Ec 11:6 (c. id.); ז׳ זֵרוּעַ Lv 11:37, cf. v 38 (both P); as yielding the crop תְּבוּאַת זַרְעֶ֑ךָ Dt 14:22 the product of thy seed, cf. d infr.; וְנִגַּשׁ חוֹרֵשׁ בַּקּוֹצֵר וְדֹרֵךְ עֲנָבִים בְּמשֵׁךְ הַזּ׳ Am 9:13, in fig. of rapid and plentiful growth in the coming time; ז׳ הָאָרֶץ producing a vine Ez 17:5, of growth and prosperity of Isr.; הַזּ׳ Mal 2:3, read perhaps הַזְּרֹעַ (cf. VB). e.g. Isaiah 17:11
- c. seed as product; the manna is comp. with ז׳ גַּד, coriander seed in Nu 11:7 (JE), Ex 16:31 (P); seed of herbs and trees Gn 1:11(×2), 12(×2), 29(×2) (all P). Especially e.g. Numbers 11:7
- d. seed as 3, so (although not quite clearly) Dt 22:9 (c. זָרַע; ‖ תְּבוּאַת הַכָּ֑רֶם); pl. 1 S 8:15 (perhaps better arable lands, cf. supr. As zêru; ‖ כרמים), ז׳ הָאָרֶץ Lv 27:30 (‖ פְּרִי־עֵץ; otherwise Gn 47:24, cf. supr. 1 a); ז׳ שִׁחֹר Is 23:3 (‖ קְצִיר יְאוֹר); הַעוֹד הַזּ׳ בַּמְּגוּרָה Hg 2:19 (‖ גֶּפֶן, תְּאֵנָה, רִמּוֹן, עֵץ הַזַּיִת); יָשִׁו֯ב זַרְעֶ֑ךָ וְגָרְנְךָ יֶאֱסֹף Jb 39:12 (of harvest); so perhaps כְּבֵית סָאתַיִם ז׳ 1 K 18:32. e.g. Deuteronomy 22:9
- e. זֶרַע הַשָּׁלוֹם הַגֶּפֶן Zc 8:12, read perhaps הַזּ׳ שׁלוֹם the crop is security (=secure), so 𝔖 Or al.; > Ew Hi al. who transl. ז׳ הַשּׁ׳ the growth of peace, making הַגֶּפֶן appos.—Vbs. used c. ז׳ in these senses are:—usually זָרַע Gn 1:11 Lv 26:16 Je 35:7 +; הִפְרִיחַ Is 17:11; נָתַן בְּ=plant, sow Ez 17:5; נָתַן yield Is 55:10; מָשַׁךְ Am 9:13. e.g. Zechariah 8:12
- 3. seed=semen virile, וְנִזְרְעָה זָ֑רַע Nu 5:28, and she shall be made pregnant with seed; usually שִׁכְבַת־ז׳, flow of semen Lv 22:4 (H), Lv 15:16, 32 (P; all c. תֵּצֵא) 15:17 (P; c. הָיָה); as acc. modi שׁכב את־אִשָּׁה שׁ׳ ז׳ Lv 19:20 (H), 15:18 Nu 5:13 (both P); so also נתן שְׁכָבְתּוֹ לְזרע Lv 18:20 (לְ genitiv.); cf. ז׳ אָדָם וז׳ בְּהֵמָה Je 31:27 (as 2nd acc. after זָרַע q.v. 3 b). e.g. Numbers 5:28
- 4. seed = off spring:
- a. rarely of animals, coll. Gn 3:15; 7:3 (both J). Usually e.g. Genesis 3:15
- b. of mankind, coll. =descendants, posterity; seed of the woman Gn 3:15 (J); seed of the patriarchs (especially Abr.) 12:17; 13:15, 16(×2); 16:10; 22:17(×2), 18; 24:7; 26:3, 4(×3), 24; 28:13, 14(×2); 32:13 (all J), 15:13, 18 Ex 32:13(×2); 33:1 (all JE), Gn 21:12 Jos 24:3 (both E; in both promised seed of Abr. restricted to line of Isaac), Dt 11:9; 34:4 Ne 9:8; = a son as involving posterity Gn 15:3, 5 (JE) cf. infr.; phr. זַרְעָם אַחֲרֵיהֶם Dt 1:8, cf. 4:37; 10:15, so P, Gn 17:7(×2), 8, 9, 10, 19; 35:12; 48:4; זַרְעֲךָ אִתָּךְ Gn 28:4 (P; cf. Nu 18:19); v. also infr. c. e.g. Genesis 3:15
- c. seed(= posterity) of other individuals Gn 21:13 (E; of Ishmael) 24:60; 48:19 (both J), Nu 14:24 (JE), Lv 21:21; 22:3, 4 (all H), Nu 17:5 (P), 1 S 20:42(×2) 24:22 2 S 4:8 1 K 2:33(×2) 11:39 2 K 5:27 Je 29:32 Ez 43:19 Jb 5:25 (‖ צֶאֱצָאֶיךָ), 21:8 (‖ id.); especially of seed of David as anointed to reign ψ 18:51 = 2 S 22:51 (‖ לִמְשִׁיחוֹ), as sitting on throne Je 33:21, cf. v 22, 26, ψ 89:5, 30, 37; of Jehoiachin Je 22:28, 30, Jehoiakim 36:31 (cf. v 30); of child (son) as involving posterity Gn 38:8, 9(×2) (of Er’s seed by Onan), 48:11 (all J), cf. 19:32, 34 (J), 2 S 7:12 Ru 4:12 Lv 21:15 (H); phr. זַרְעָם אַחֲרֵיהֶם of seed of Noah and his sons Gn 9:9; of Aaron Ex 28:43; of Phinehas Nu 25:13 (all P); of David 1 Ch 17:11; לְזַרְעוֹ לְדֹרֹתָם Ex 30:21 (P), cf. Lv 21:17 (H; both of Aaron), v. also b supr. ז׳, of seed of righteous, especially ψψ:—ψ 25:13; 37:25, 26; 69:37; 102:29 (‖ בָּנִים), 112:2 (‖ דּוֹר ישׁרים), cf. 22:31 (on text v. Che); of wicked ψ 21:11; 37:28. e.g. Genesis 21:13
- d. specif. of a particular child (son) ז׳ אַחֵר Gn 4:25 (J); ז׳ אֲנָשִׁים 1 S 1:11; of children Lv 18:21; 20:2, 3, 4; 22:13 (all H), 1 S 2:20 (cf. בָּנִים, בָּנוֹת v 21); children and grandchildren Gn 46:6, 7 (P). e.g. Genesis 4:25
- e. = family Gn 17:12 (P; cf. Assyrian zêr bit abišu Asrb.Annals iii. 10); note especially of royal family ז׳ הַמֶּלֶךְ 1 K 11:14; ז׳ הַמַּמְלָכָה 2 K 11:1 = 2 Ch 22:10; ז׳ הַמְּלוּכָה 2 K 25:25 = Je 41:1, Ez 17:13 Dn 1:3; = pedigree בית אבותם וְזַרְעָם Ezr 2:59 = Ne 7:61; = one’s nation, as of same blood Est 10:3 (‖ עַם).—Some vbs. used c. ז׳ in these senses are:—נָתַן, God subj. Gn 15:3 Ru 4:12 (sq. מִן of woman); שִׂים 1 S 2:20; c. man as subj. נתן Gn 38:9; הֵקִים v 8; חִיָּה ז׳, keep alive, or give life to, of animals Gn 7:3; of woman 19:32, 34 (sq. מִן of man). e.g. Genesis 17:12
- f. especially as name for people of Isr., seed of Abr. Is 41:8 2 Ch 20:7 (‖ עַמְּךָ יִשְׂרָאֵל), Je 33:26 ψ 105:6 (‖ בְּנֵי יעקב); of Isr. or Jacob 2 K 17:20 Ne 9:2 (‖ בני ישׂראל v 1), Is 43:5; 45:19, 25 Je 31:36, 37; 33:26 ψ 22:24(×2) 1 Ch 16:13 (‖ בני יעקב); so ז׳ בֵּית ישׂראל Je 23:8 Ez 44:22 (𝔖 𝔊 codd. Co del. בית); ז׳ בית יעקב Ez 20:5; in Est. ז׳ הַיְהוּדִים Est 6:13; so of Edom (seed of Esau) Je 49:10, cf. מִזֶּרע מָדַי Dn 9:1. e.g. Isaiah 41:8
- g. seed of Isr. (or Jacob, or the people), is used also, by (later) prophets, of future generations, in addressing the people:—Dt 28:46, 59; 30:6, 19; 31:21, cf. Nu 18:19 (P; לְזַרְעֲךָ אִתָּ֑ךְ, ‖ וּלְבָנֶיךָ וְלִבְנוֹתֶיךָ), Je 30:10 = 46:27 (Jacob and Isr. here = people), ψ 106:27; ‖ צֶאֱצָא(יך) Is 44:3 (Jacob and Jeshurun), 48:19, cf. 61:9; also Je 7:15 Is 54:3; 66:22 (‖ שִׁמְכֶם); מִפִּי וַרְעֲךָ וּמִפִּי זֶרַע זַרְעֲךָ Is 59:21; of Jews (יהודים) Est 9:27, 28, 31. e.g. Deuteronomy 28:46
- 5. seed as marked by moral quality = persons (or community) of such a quality; transition to this through such cases as those of ז׳ בְּרוּכֵי י׳ Is 65:23 (‖ צֶאֱצָאִים), cf. 61:9; 65:9; ז׳ הַקֹּדֶשׁ Ezr 9:2 (of Isr.),0 cf. Is 53:10; note, in good sense ז׳ צַדִּיקִים Pr 11:21 (opp. רַע); ז׳ אֱמֶת Je 2:21 (‖ שׂוֹרֵק); ז׳ אלהים Mal 2:15;—ז׳ קֹדֶשׁ Is 6:13 is a gloss;—in bad sense ז׳ מְרֵעִים Is 1:4 2 (‖ גּוֹי־חֹטֵא, עַם כֶּבֶד עָוֹן, בָּנִים מַשְׁחִיתִים), 14:20; ז׳ מְנָאֵף 57:3 (‖ בני עֹנֲנָה); ז׳־שָׁ֑קֶר v 4 (‖ יִלְדֵי־פֶשַׁע). e.g. Isaiah 65:23
Senses from the full Brown-Driver-Briggs lexicon (Brown, Driver, Briggs; Oxford 1906 — public domain), digitized via Sefaria, supplemented by the OpenScriptures HebrewLexicon (CC BY 4.0). Full attribution on Sources.
Word origin
n.m. Dt. 28:38 sowing, seed, offspring (NH id., Aramaic זְרַע, ܙܪܰܥ; Ph. זרע; Zinj. id.; Arabic زَرْعٌ 2 Ethiopic ዘርእ; Assyrian zêru, cultivated land, BelserBAS ii. 130, cf. Arabic زَرْعَةٌ )—abs. ז׳ Gn 47:23 +; זָ֑רַע Gn 1:29 +; cstr. זֶרַע Is 5:10 +; זְרַע־ Nu 11:7; sf. זַרְעִי 1 S 20:42; 24:22; זַרְעֲךָ Dt 11:10 +; זַרְעֶ֑ךָ Ec 11:6 +, etc.; pl. sf. זַרְעֵיכֶם 1 S 8:15;—
— Brown-Driver-Briggs (Oxford 1906, public domain), digitized via Sefaria, supplemented by the OpenScriptures HebrewLexicon (CC BY 4.0). See Sources.
Derived from זרע (zâraʻ) (H2232) — to sow.
Jastrow Dictionary
A second Hebrew/Aramaic lexicon for comparison, covering Aramaic and post-biblical (Talmudic, Targumic, Midrashic) usage that the biblical-Hebrew BDB does not. Matched by lemma rather than by Strong’s number, so a lemma may carry more than one Jastrow headword (shown separately below), and the entries cover usage well beyond the Bible.
זָרַע
- to strew, sow. Kil. I, 9. Ib. II, 3 אֶזְרַע, v. אָפַךְ; a. fr.—Part. pass. זָרוּעַ, f. זְרוּעָה; pl. זְרוּעִים &c. Ib. ז׳ חטים sown with wheat; a. fr.—Y. Sot. I, 17ᵇ top כשם … בנותיהן זרועות וכ׳ as well as their vineyards are sown with mixed seeds, so are their daughters &c. (faithless wives).
- to be sown, to be stocked with seed. Gen. R. s. 83, end, a. e. בשבילי נִזְרְעָה וכ׳ the field has been sown for my sake. Shebi. IV, 2 תִּזָרֵעַ may be sown; a. fr.
- to emit semen(also used of women emitting a secretion at coition). Ber. 60ᵃ, a. e. איש מַזְרִיעַ תחלה when the male is the first to emit semen; אשה מַזְרַעַת וכ׳ when the female is the first &c.; a. fr.
זְרַע I
- Targ. Jud. VI, 3; a. fr.—Part. זָרֵעַ, (זְרִיעַ) זָרֵיעַ. Targ. Prov. XI, 18; a. fr.—Targ. Is. XXVIII, 25 זָרְעֵי. Ib. XXXII, 20 זָרְעִין.—R. Hash. 16ᵃ לִיזְרַע חרפא let him sow early seed (barley &c.). Y. Peah VII, 20ᵇ top הוה ז׳ חקלא וכ׳ planted carrots on his field; a. fr.
- as preced. Nif. Targ. O. Deut. XXIX, 22; a. e.—Y. Peah l. c. אִזְדַּרְעוּן they have been planted.
- as preced. Hif. Y. Kil. I, 27ᵃ bot. ומַזְרְעִין and they copulated.
זֶרַע
- preced.) seed; animalic semen (mostly שִׁכְבַת ז׳). Gen. R. s. 73 נעשו המים ז׳ וכ׳ the water in their bellies turned into semen. Y. Kil. I, 27ᵃ bot. נוטל הימנו ז׳ he may take seed thereof. Shebi. II, 8 שזרעו לז׳ which he planted for the sake of obtaining seed, opp. לירק for using it as vegetable; a. fr.—Trnsf. issue, descent. Gen. R. s. 23; s. 51 אותו ז׳ שהוא וכ׳ that issue which was to come from a foreign place (Moab). Ber. 31ᵇ ז׳ שמושח וכ׳ a descendant who will anoint two men; a. fr.—Pl. זְרָעִים. Peah II, 3 הכל מפסיק לז׳ all of them form a partition with regard to seeds (making each field separately subject to Peah), opp. to trees. Kil. III, 2 כל מין ז׳ all kinds of seeds (small vegetable), opp. ירקות large beans &c.; a. fr.—Y. Shebi. II, 34ᵃ top ששה זְרָעִין six sowing seasons during a Sabbatical period.—סֶרֶר ז׳ or ז׳ Order of Seeds, Z’raim, the first of the six orders of the Mishnah a. Tosefta. Sabb. 31ᵃ. Esth. R. to I, 2.
זְרַע II
- Targ. O. Gen. I, 11; a. fr. בר ז׳ that which is fit for propagation, seed-capsule, v. בִּיזְרָא. Targ. Prov. XI, 21; a. fr.—Targ. Ps. XXXVII, 26 Ms. (ed. דרעיה, v. דְּרַע II).—Y. Snh. VII, end, 25ᵈ ז׳ דכיתן flax-seed.
A Dictionary of the Targumim, the Talmud Babli and Yerushalmi, and the Midrashic Literature (Marcus Jastrow; London, Luzac, 1903) — Public Domain. Digitized via Sefaria. Digitized via Sefaria. Full attribution on Sources.
Forms in the corpus
The 117 distinct written forms H2233 takes in the Hebrew Bible, most frequent first — each parse links to that state’s occurrences in the concordance. Hebrew forms include their vowel points and cantillation, so a single lemma takes many written forms.
The 60 most common forms are shown; 57 rarer forms follow in the full concordance.
Same root — word family
Other BDB entries built from the same root as H2233, grouped by Strong’s listed origin. These share a root / origin per the lexicon — not necessarily a shared meaning. Each links to that word’s own entry.
Derives from
Shares the same root
Derived from this word
Proper names from this root
People and places named from this root — a name, not an additional meaning of the word.
Compare all same-root words → Showing 4 of 8 — not the complete family. 1 of the same-root words is a proper name (a person or place). They share a root, not necessarily a meaning.
Septuagint verse parallels
This word appears in 183 verses that also exist in the Greek Old Testament (Septuagint), out of the 204 Hebrew verses it occurs in. You can read those verses in Greek by switching the Old Testament edition to the Septuagint.
Read these verses in the Septuagint
- Genesis 1:11
- Exodus 16:31
- Leviticus 11:37
- Numbers 5:13
- Deuteronomy 1:8
- Joshua 24:3
- Ruth 4:12
- 1 Samuel 1:11
- 2 Samuel 4:8
- 1 Kings 2:33
- 2 Kings 5:27
- 1 Chronicles 16:13
This is a verse-level parallel only — the same verses exist in both the Hebrew and Greek Old Testaments. No word-level Hebrew↔Greek correspondence is claimed: the data carries no such alignment, so no Greek word is shown as this Hebrew word’s translation. Coverage is not total — the Septuagint omits the deuterocanon and renumbers the Psalms, so some Hebrew verses have no direct Greek parallel.
