בָּזָה (ba.zah)
ba.zah
to despise
H:VQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 32 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:V
Word Overview
The Hebrew verb bazah means to treat someone or something with deep contempt, regarding them as worthless or insignificant. In the Old Testament, it appears in contexts ranging from personal insults to serious religious rebellion. For instance, Psalm 22 describes the psalmist feeling rejected by God, while passages like 1 Samuel 2:30 link this attitude directly to disrespecting divine commands and authority.
A key feature of bazah is its contrast with kabad, which means to honor or weigh heavily. To despise is essentially to make light of what should be valued. This moral weight is clear in Proverbs 19:16, where the text warns that those who despise God’s way are ultimately destroying their own lives. The word also describes a person’s character, labeling someone as "vile" or "despicable" when they lack reverence.
Translators often render bazah as "despise," "contemn," or "think to scorn." Its usage in Isaiah 53:3 highlights its emotional power, describing the Messiah as one who was despised and rejected by men. This term captures not just a fleeting feeling of dislike, but a settled attitude of dismissal toward what is holy or valuable.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The Hebrew word bazah describes more than simple dislike; it is a deep dismissal of value. When someone despises, they treat what is holy or important as worthless. This attitude often begins in the heart before showing up in actions. It is a failure to recognize the weight and worth that God has placed on people, commands, and relationships.
Scripture warns us that despising God’s word leads to brokenness. Yet it also shows us a different path. In Isaiah 53:3, we see Jesus described as one who was despised by men. He faced rejection yet remained faithful to the Father. His example invites us to value what God values, even when the world does not.
Reflecting on this word helps us examine our own hearts. Do we treat divine instructions with casual disregard? Do we look down on those who serve quietly? The call is to honor what is sacred and to treat others with the dignity they deserve as image-bearers of God.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 32 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- despised3×
- she has despised2×
- and/ she despised2×
- and/ he despised2×
- [is] despised2×
- [is] despicable2×
- [he was] despised2×
- you will despise1×
- you despised/ me1×
- to/ make despicable1×
- to/ despise1×
- he has despised1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- נִבְזֶ֥ה2×
- וַ/תִּ֥בֶז2×
- בָּזָ֨ה2×
- תִּבְזֶֽה\׃1×
- נִבְזֶה֙1×
- נִבְזֶ֤ה\׀1×
- נִבְזֶ֜ה1×
- נִבְזֶ֖ה1×
- נִבְזֶ֔ה1×
- נִבְזִ֥ים1×
- לִ/בְזֹה\־1×
- לְ/הַבְז֥וֹת1×
Key Verses
-
Isaiah 53:3
He was despised and rejected by men, a man of suffering and acquainted with disease. He was despised as one from whom men hide their face; and we didn’t respect him.
This verse applies bazah to the Messiah, showing that he endured deep human rejection while remaining faithful.
-
Genesis 25:34
Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil stew. He ate and drank, rose up, and went his way. So Esau despised his birthright.
Esau’s despising of his birthright illustrates how immediate desire can lead to a permanent loss of spiritual privilege.
-
Proverbs 19:16
He who keeps the commandment keeps his soul, but he who is contemptuous in his ways shall die.
This proverb connects keeping God’s commandments with preserving one’s life, while contempt leads to destruction.