גָּזַל (ga.zal)
ga.zal
to plunder
H:VQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 23 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:V
Word Overview
The Hebrew verb gāzal describes the violent act of tearing something away from its rightful owner, whether it is property, a person, or even life itself. Its core image is one of forceful removal, akin to flaying skin or plucking an object from a hand. This intensity distinguishes it from quieter forms of taking; it implies aggression and the violation of boundaries, as seen when David’s mighty men are described as snatching a spear from an Egyptian’s grip (2 Samuel 23:21).
While the word can refer to physical theft, the biblical texts often apply it to social injustice. Prophets like Micah and Jeremiah condemn leaders who "tear" land or rights from the vulnerable, using gāzal to highlight how power is abused against the weak (Micah 2:2; Jeremiah 22:3). The sources note that this robbery can be overt violence or fraudulent claim-making, but in every case, it involves seizing what belongs to another by force.
The emotional weight of gāzal is evident in its rare figurative use. In Job 24:19, drought and heat are personified as agents that "consume" or strip away snow waters, showing how the word captures any destructive taking. Translators typically render it as "rob," "plunder," or "tear away," preserving the sense of sudden, forceful loss that defines this root throughout Scripture.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The Hebrew word gāzal describes a violent taking, where someone uses force to strip another of what is rightfully theirs. This might look like stealing property, but in Scripture it often points to deeper injustices against the vulnerable. When leaders or the powerful seize land, wages, or rights from the poor, they are practicing this kind of robbery. It is not a quiet disagreement; it is an aggressive violation of boundaries that hurts those who have no voice.
God’s heart is clearly on the side of the oppressed. The prophets repeatedly call for justice, urging leaders to deliver those who are being torn away by force. This word reminds us that our faith requires us to protect the weak and refuse to participate in systems that exploit others. We are called to be people who restore rather than take, reflecting a God who defends the fatherless and the widow.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 23 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- [one who] has been robbed2×
- you will rob [him]1×
- you should tear away1×
- you rob1×
- they snatch away1×
- they seized1×
- they seize1×
- they had seized1×
- tearers away of1×
- people tear away1×
- he has seized1×
- from/ [one who] robs/ him1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- וַ/יִּגְזֹ֤ל2×
- גָז֖וּל2×
- תִּגְזֹ֥ל1×
- תִּגְזָל\־1×
- תִגְזֹ֑ל1×
- מִ/גֹּזְלֽ/וֹ\׃1×
- יִגְזְל֥וּ1×
- יִ֭גְזְלוּ1×
- וַ/יִּגְזְל֗וּ1×
- וְֽ/נִגְזְלָ֥ה1×
- וְ/לִ/גְזֹ֕ל1×
- וְ/גָזָ֔לוּ1×
Key Verses
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Jeremiah 22:3
Yahweh says: “Execute justice and righteousness, and deliver him who is robbed out of the hand of the oppressor. Do no wrong. Do no violence to the foreigner, the fatherless, or the widow. Don’t shed innocent blood in this place.
This verse commands leaders to actively deliver those being violently taken by oppressors, linking gāzal directly to social justice duties.
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Micah 2:2
They covet fields and seize them, and houses, then take them away. They oppress a man and his house, even a man and his heritage.
Here the word describes how powerful people covet and seize fields and houses from their neighbors, highlighting economic exploitation.
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Leviticus 19:13
“‘You shall not oppress your neighbor, nor rob him. “‘The wages of a hired servant shall not remain with you all night until the morning.
The law prohibits withholding a hired worker's wages overnight, treating this delay as a form of robbery against the vulnerable.
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Genesis 21:25
Abraham complained to Abimelech because of a water well, which Abimelech’s servants had violently taken away.
Abraham confronts Abimelech because his servants violently took a well, showing that even water rights were protected from forceful seizure.