זְוָעָה (ze.va.ah)
ze.va.ah
trembling
H:N-FQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-F
Word Overview
The noun zeva’ah describes a state of intense trembling or horror, functioning as both the internal feeling of fear and the external cause that provokes it. In Hebrew thought, this word bridges the gap between the subjective experience of dread and the objective reality of something terrifying. It is not merely nervousness but a profound, visceral reaction to a threat that shakes one’s very stability.
This term appears only once in the Hebrew Bible, in Isaiah 13:8, where it depicts the panic of Babylon’s fall. The text describes people being seized by pains and anguish, becoming like a woman in labor as they look at each other in terror. Here, zeva’ah captures the collective shock and helplessness of a society collapsing under divine judgment.
Its usage highlights how fear can be contagious and paralyzing. When applied to nations or individuals facing overwhelming power, the word emphasizes that true terror strips away composure. It serves as a reminder in Scripture that human strength is fragile when confronted with forces beyond control.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word zeva’ah captures a profound, visceral reaction to a threat that shakes one’s very stability. It is not merely nervousness but a deep, internal feeling of fear that manifests externally as trembling. In Isaiah 13:8, this term depicts the panic of Babylon’s fall, where people are seized by pains and anguish, looking at each other in terror.
This single occurrence reminds us that human strength is fragile when confronted with forces beyond control. When we face overwhelming challenges, our composure can easily slip away. Yet, recognizing this fragility invites us to look beyond our own stability to the One who holds all power.
Understanding zeva’ah helps us see fear not just as a personal emotion, but as a universal human response to divine reality. It grounds our faith in the humility of acknowledging our limits, pointing us toward reliance on God’s enduring strength rather than our own.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- terror1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- זְוָעָ֖ה1×
Key Verses
-
Isaiah 28:19
As often as it passes through, it will seize you; for morning by morning it will pass through, by day and by night; and it will be nothing but terror to understand the message.”
This verse uses a related term for terror to describe how judgment seizes people morning by morning, illustrating the inescapable nature of divine correction.