זוּרֶה (zu.reh)
zu.reh
crushed
H:N-FQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-F
Word Overview
The noun zureh describes a substance that has been pressed down until it is flattened or pulverized. It refers to the physical result of crushing, such as grain turned into flour or ore reduced to powder by heavy pressure. In its single biblical occurrence in Isaiah 40:15, the word illustrates the overwhelming power of God by comparing nations to a drop from a bucket or dust on the scales.
The term derives from a verb meaning to press down and out, emphasizing the force applied to change the form of the material. This imagery highlights insignificance against vastness; just as crushed dust is too light to register weight, so human kingdoms are negligible before divine majesty. Translators typically render it as "dust" or "powder" to convey this sense of being reduced to a fine, light state.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
When we feel small or overwhelmed by the weight of our circumstances, Isaiah 40:15 offers a striking reminder of God’s perspective. The Hebrew word zureh describes something crushed into fine dust, so light it barely registers on a scale. This image assures us that no matter how heavy the burdens we carry, they are insignificant compared to the majesty of the Creator who holds all things together.
This truth brings comfort rather than discouragement. If nations and powers are like dust before God, then our personal struggles are held in hands far greater than our own. We do not need to carry the weight of the world alone, because He sees us with clarity and care, valuing every detail of our lives even when we feel invisible.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- and/ the/ pressed [egg]1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- וְ/הַ/זּוּרֶ֖ה1×
Key Verses
-
Isaiah 59:5
They hatch adders’ eggs and weave the spider’s web. He who eats of their eggs dies; and that which is crushed breaks out into a viper.
This verse uses the word to describe a viper emerging from crushed eggs, illustrating how fragile or broken origins can still produce dangerous results.