זֵידוֹן (ze.don)
ze.don
raging
H:AQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:A
Word Overview
The noun zēḏôn describes a state of violent agitation or arrogant pride, appearing only once in the Hebrew Bible at Psalm 124:5. Its core meaning conveys turbulent force, akin to churning waters or an insolent attack that refuses to yield. In this specific context, it characterizes the overwhelming pressure faced by Israel’s ancestors, depicted as a flood rising to swallow them alive.
While often translated simply as "raging" or "proud," the word carries a visceral sense of chaotic energy. It is not merely an emotional state but an active, destructive force directed against others. The imagery suggests water that has lost its bounds, crashing with insolent power against those who stand in its path.
Translators must choose between emphasizing the physical turbulence or the moral arrogance inherent in the term. Both aspects are present: the pride of the attacker and the violent motion of their assault. This single usage highlights how ancient Hebrew poetry linked social injustice with natural disasters, portraying oppression as a deluge that threatens to drown the community.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word zēḏôn captures a violent, arrogant force, like floodwaters rising to swallow everything in their path. In Psalm 124:5, it describes the overwhelming pressure that threatened Israel’s ancestors. This image reminds us that some struggles feel less like personal failures and more like chaotic forces beyond our control.
When life feels like it is drowning you, remember that this raging power did not succeed in that ancient story. The psalmist acknowledges the terror but points to deliverance. You are not alone when facing overwhelming odds. God’s protection stands firm against even the most turbulent storms.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- <the>/ raging1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- הַ/זֵּֽידוֹנִֽים\׃1×
Key Verses
-
Psalms 124:5
Then the proud waters would have gone over our soul.
This verse uses zēḏôn to depict proud waters rising over the soul, illustrating how oppression can feel like a drowning force that threatens total destruction.