זֹאת (zot)
zot
this
H:DemPQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 515 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:DemP
Word Overview
The Hebrew word zot is a demonstrative pronoun meaning "this" or "this one." It serves as the irregular feminine form of ze, pointing directly to a specific person, object, or idea close at hand. In the Old Testament, it appears over five hundred times, frequently anchoring narratives in Genesis and Jeremiah by identifying concrete realities within the text.
Its usage extends beyond simple identification. Zot often functions adverbially to add force or immediacy to a statement. For instance, when Eve names her son in Genesis 2:23, she declares "This is now bone of my bones," using zot to emphasize the profound closeness of the relationship. It can also link conditions to actions, as seen in legal texts where specific requirements are tied to divine promises.
The word’s flexibility allows it to act as a bridge between the speaker and the subject. By attaching enclitically to other words, it brings questions or declarations into sharper focus. This grammatical tightness helps readers grasp the immediate context of biblical events, making abstract concepts feel tangible and present.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word zot means “this,” but it carries a weight that simple labels often miss. In Hebrew, it points directly to what is present and real. When Eve says, “This is now bone of my bones,” she is not just identifying a person; she is declaring a profound, immediate connection. The word anchors abstract truths into concrete reality, reminding us that God’s promises are not distant ideas but tangible realities in our lives.
Throughout the Old Testament, zot appears in moments of covenant and decision. It marks the specific land given to Abraham, the token of Noah’s rainbow, and the conditions of circumcision. Each time it is used, it draws attention to a divine action that is happening right now. This immediacy invites us to see God’s faithfulness not as a historical footnote, but as a living presence that touches our current circumstances.
For your daily walk, this word offers comfort. It reminds you that the promises of God are specific and personal. When you read Scripture, notice how often God points to “this” moment, “this” land, or “this” covenant. He is not speaking in vague generalities. He is engaging with the concrete details of your life, offering a faithfulness that is as real and present as the air you breathe.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 515 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- <the>/ this248×
- this202×
- and/ this21×
- like/ this20×
- by/ this9×
- and/ like/ this7×
- this [one]6×
- this [thing]5×
- in/ this4×
- [is] this4×
- ¿/ [is] this3×
- and/ this [one]3×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- הַ/זֹּ֔את62×
- הַ/זֹּ֖את47×
- הַ/זֹּ֑את41×
- הַ/זֹּֽאת\׃32×
- זֹ֣את28×
- זֹ֑את25×
- הַ/זֹּאת֙21×
- זֹ֗את19×
- זֹ֥את16×
- זֹ֤את15×
- זֹ֖את15×
- הַ/זֹּ֛את15×
Key Verses
-
Genesis 2:23
The man said, “This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh. She will be called ‘woman,’ because she was taken out of Man.”
Eve uses zot to declare the immediate and profound kinship between man and woman, grounding the concept of marriage in tangible reality.
-
Genesis 9:12
God said, “This is the token of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations:
God identifies the rainbow as “this” token, anchoring His covenant promise in a visible, recurring sign for all generations.
-
Genesis 17:10
This is my covenant, which you shall keep, between me and you and your offspring after you. Every male among you shall be circumcised.
The word introduces the specific requirement of circumcision, linking the physical act directly to the maintenance of the covenant relationship.
-
Genesis 28:22
then this stone, which I have set up for a pillar, will be God’s house. Of all that you will give me I will surely give a tenth to you.”
Jacob points to “this” stone as God’s house, transforming a simple marker into a sacred site of divine encounter and commitment.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the Hebrew word zot mean?
How is zot different from other words for "this"?
Where does zot appear most frequently?
Why is zot important for understanding biblical covenants?
Every Occurrence (515 verses across 33 books)
Genesis 48 verses
The man said, “This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh. She will be called ‘woman,’ because she was taken…
Genesis 3:13Yahweh God said to the woman, “What have you done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”
Genesis 3:14Yahweh God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, you are cursed above all livestock, and above every animal…
Genesis 9:12God said, “This is the token of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with…
Genesis 9:17God said to Noah, “This is the token of the covenant which I have established between me and all flesh that is on the…
Genesis 12:7Yahweh appeared to Abram and said, “I will give this land to your offspring.” He built an altar there to Yahweh, who…
Genesis 12:12It will happen that when the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ They will kill me, but they will…
Genesis 12:18Pharaoh called Abram and said, “What is this that you have done to me? Why didn’t you tell me that she was your wife?
Genesis 15:7He said to Abram, “I am Yahweh who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldees, to give you this land to inherit it.”
Genesis 15:18In that day Yahweh made a covenant with Abram, saying, “I have given this land to your offspring, from the river of…
Genesis 17:10This is my covenant, which you shall keep, between me and you and your offspring after you. Every male among you shall…
Genesis 19:20See now, this city is near to flee to, and it is a little one. Oh let me escape there (isn’t it a little one?), and my…
Genesis 20:5Didn’t he tell me, ‘She is my sister’? She, even she herself, said, ‘He is my brother.’ I have done this in the…
Genesis 20:6God said to him in the dream, “Yes, I know that in the integrity of your heart you have done this, and I also withheld…
Genesis 21:10Therefore she said to Abraham, “Cast out this servant and her son! For the son of this servant will not be heir with my…
Genesis 21:30He said, “You shall take these seven ewe lambs from my hand, that it may be a witness to me, that I have dug this well.”
Genesis 24:5The servant said to him, “What if the woman isn’t willing to follow me to this land? Must I bring your son again to the…
Genesis 24:7Yahweh, 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…
Genesis 24:8If the woman isn’t willing to follow you, then you shall be clear from this oath to me. Only you shall not bring my son…
Genesis 26:3Live in this land, and I will be with you, and will bless you. For I will give to you, and to your offspring, all these…
Genesis 26:10Abimelech said, “What is this you have done to us? One of the people might easily have lain with your wife, and you…
Genesis 28:15Behold, I am with you, and will keep you, wherever you go, and will bring you again into this land. For I will not…
Genesis 28:22then this stone, which I have set up for a pillar, will be God’s house. Of all that you will give me I will surely give…
Genesis 29:25In the morning, behold, it was Leah! He said to Laban, “What is this you have done to me? Didn’t I serve with you for…
Genesis 29:27Fulfill the week of this one, and we will give you the other also for the service which you will serve with me for…
Genesis 29:28Jacob did so, and fulfilled her week. He gave him Rachel his daughter as wife.
Genesis 31:13I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed a pillar, where you vowed a vow to me. Now arise, get out from this land,…
Genesis 31:52May this heap be a witness, and the pillar be a witness, that I will not pass over this heap to you, and that you will…
Genesis 34:4Shechem spoke to his father, Hamor, saying, “Get me this young lady as a wife.”
Genesis 34:15Only on this condition will we consent to you. If you will be as we are, that every male of you be circumcised,
Genesis 34:22Only on this condition will the men consent to us to live with us, to become one people, if every male among us is…
Genesis 37:32They took the tunic of many colors, and they brought it to their father, and said, “We have found this. Examine it,…
Genesis 39:9No one is greater in this house than I am, and he has not kept back anything from me but you, because you are his wife.…
Genesis 41:39Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Because God has shown you all of this, there is no one so discreet and wise as you.
Genesis 42:15By this you shall be tested. By the life of Pharaoh, you shall not go out from here, unless your youngest brother comes…
Genesis 42:18Joseph said to them the third day, “Do this, and live, for I fear God.
Genesis 42:21They said to one another, “We are certainly guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the distress of his soul,…
Genesis 42:28He said to his brothers, “My money is restored! Behold, it is in my sack!” Their hearts failed them, and they turned…
Genesis 42:33The man, the lord of the land, said to us, ‘By this I will know that you are honest men: leave one of your brothers…
Genesis 43:11Their father, Israel, said to them, “If it must be so, then do this: Take from the choice fruits of the land in your…
Genesis 43:15The men took that present, and they took double money in their hand, and Benjamin; and got up, went down to Egypt, and…
Genesis 44:17He said, “Far be it from me that I should do so. The man in whose hand the cup is found, he will be my slave; but as…
Genesis 45:17Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Tell your brothers, ‘Do this: Load your animals, and go, travel to the land of Canaan.
Genesis 45:19Now you are commanded to do this: Take wagons out of the land of Egypt for your little ones, and for your wives, and…
Genesis 45:23He sent the following to his father: ten donkeys loaded with the good things of Egypt, and ten female donkeys loaded…
Genesis 48:4and said to me, ‘Behold, I will make you fruitful, and multiply you, and I will make of you a company of peoples, and…
Genesis 49:28All these are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father spoke to them, and blessed them. He blessed…
Genesis 50:24Joseph said to his brothers, “I am dying, but God will surely visit you, and bring you up out of this land to the land…