בָּזַר (ba.zar)
ba.zar
to scatter
H:VQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:V
Word Overview
The Hebrew verb bāzar means to scatter or disperse things widely. It appears only once in the Bible, in Daniel 12:7, where an angel speaks of a time when the power of the holy people is finally broken. In this context, the word describes a chaotic scattering, likely referring to the dispersion of believers under persecution.
Lexical sources note that bāzar functions in both the Qal and Piel stems with essentially the same meaning. This rarity makes its single occurrence significant. The image is not of gentle separation, but of forceful dispersal, emphasizing the vulnerability of the community when divine protection seems withdrawn.
Because it is so uncommon, the word carries a specific weight in Daniel’s apocalyptic vision. It highlights the intensity of the trial before restoration. Translators often render it as "scatter" or "shatter," capturing the suddenness and completeness of the event described by the angel to Daniel.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word bāzar appears in Scripture to describe a forceful scattering, often associated with chaos or the dispersion of people under pressure. In Daniel 12:7, it paints a picture of holy people being broken and scattered when their power is finally ended. This imagery speaks to times when believers feel vulnerable, isolated, or overwhelmed by circumstances that seem beyond their control.
Yet this single occurrence carries a deeper hope for those who trust in God’s sovereignty. Even in the midst of such intense trial and dispersal, the vision points toward a future restoration. The scattering is not the final word; it is a moment within a larger divine plan where justice and deliverance ultimately prevail.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- he will scatter1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- יִבְז֑וֹר1×