בַּז (baz)
baz
plunder
H:N-MQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 13 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-M
Word Overview
The Hebrew noun baz refers to plunder or spoil taken by force. It describes the goods seized during war or robbery, representing the tangible results of violent conquest. In the Old Testament, this term appears thirteen times, with significant usage in Jeremiah, Numbers, and Isaiah.
Its meaning centers on the act of stripping a defeated enemy of their possessions. The word often carries a negative connotation, highlighting the injustice of taking what belongs to others through aggression rather than fair exchange. When prophets like Jeremiah use it, they frequently describe the consequences of national disobedience, where Israel itself becomes the object of such plunder by foreign powers.
Translators typically render baz as "spoils," "booty," or "plunder." This choice preserves the concrete reality of material loss and the humiliation associated with being stripped of one’s wealth. The term underscores the severity of divine judgment, where even the most valued possessions are taken away as a direct result of covenant failure.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word baz describes the tangible loss that comes when a community is stripped of its possessions by force. In the Old Testament, it often appears in warnings about judgment, showing how covenant failure can lead to the seizure of wealth and security. It reminds us that material stability is fragile and ultimately dependent on God’s sovereignty.
Yet this theme also carries a promise of restoration. When Israel became the object of plunder, God declared that those who preyed upon them would themselves become prey. This reversal offers hope: injustice does not have the final word. Even in seasons of loss, we can trust that God sees the wrongs done and works toward justice.
For believers today, this word invites humility about our possessions. It challenges us to hold what we have lightly, knowing that true security lies not in accumulated goods but in faithfulness to God. When life feels like it is being stripped away, we can look forward to the day when all wrongs are made right.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 13 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- <into>/ plunder4×
- <into>/ spoil3×
- to/ plunder2×
- spoil2×
- the/ plunder1×
- into/ spoil1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- לָ/בַ֣ז3×
- לָ/בַֽז\׃2×
- לָ/בַז֙1×
- לָ/בַ֥ז1×
- לָ/בַ֗ז1×
- לָ/בַ֑ז1×
- לְ/בַ֛ז1×
- הַ/בָּ֔ז1×
- בַּ֔ז1×
- בַֽז\׃1×
Key Verses
-
Jeremiah 15:13
I will give your substance and your treasures for a plunder without price, and that for all your sins, even in all your borders.
God declares He will give Israel’s treasures as plunder without price, directly linking material loss to national sin.
-
Isaiah 42:22
But this is a robbed and plundered people. All of them are snared in holes, and they are hidden in prisons. They have become captives, and no one delivers, and a plunder, and no one says, ‘Restore them!’
This verse describes Israel itself as a robbed and plundered people, highlighting their helpless state before deliverance comes.
-
Jeremiah 30:16
Therefore all those who devour you will be devoured. All your adversaries, everyone of them, will go into captivity. Those who plunder you will be plunder. I will make all who prey on you become prey.
Here God promises that those who plunder Israel will themselves be plundered, showing a divine reversal of injustice.
-
Numbers 31:32
Now the plunder, over and above the booty which the men of war took, was six hundred seventy-five thousand sheep,
This verse quantifies the vast amount of sheep taken as plunder after battle, illustrating the concrete reality of war spoils.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the Hebrew word baz mean?
How is baz different from other words for wealth?
Where does this word appear most often?
Every Occurrence (13 verses across 5 books)
Numbers 3 verses
Why does Yahweh bring us to this land, to fall by the sword? Our wives and our little ones will be captured or killed!…
Numbers 14:31But I will bring in your little ones that you said should be captured or killed, and they shall know the land which you…
Numbers 31:32Now the plunder, over and above the booty which the men of war took, was six hundred seventy-five thousand sheep,