זָכוּר (za.khur)
za.khur
male
H:N-MQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 4 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-M
Word Overview
The Hebrew noun za.khur means simply "male," serving as the standard term to distinguish a man or boy from a female in ancient Israelite society. It appears only four times in the entire Hebrew Bible, making it a rare lexical item compared to its more common counterpart, ish. Its usage is concentrated in the legal and ritual texts of Exodus and Deuteronomy, where precise gender identification was often necessary for applying specific laws or ceremonial instructions.
While the word carries no inherent moral or emotional weight, its scarcity highlights how biblical authors typically preferred other terms like ish ("man" or "husband") orgever ("strong man/adult male") for general descriptions. Za.khur is reserved for contexts requiring strict biological or ritual distinction, such as listing participants in a covenant ceremony or defining eligibility for certain offerings. This limited scope underscores its function as a technical descriptor rather than a poetic or relational term.
The word’s root is associated with the concept of memory or being remembered, though this etymological link does not influence its practical meaning in these four verses. Translators consistently render it as "male" to maintain clarity in legal passages, ensuring that readers understand the specific gender requirements of the text without adding interpretive layers.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word za.khur appears in the Hebrew Bible to designate a male individual, specifically within legal and ritual contexts. It is not used for general conversation but rather to establish clear boundaries for religious obligations. In Exodus and Deuteronomy, this term identifies who must appear before God during specific festivals or who falls under certain wartime regulations.
For your faith life, this precision reminds us that God cares about the details of how we worship. The requirement for all males to appear three times a year at the appointed feasts shows that community participation is central to Israel’s relationship with Yahweh. It was not optional but a structured part of their spiritual rhythm.
While the term itself is technical, the underlying principle remains relevant today. We are called to gather together in obedience and remembrance. This word highlights the seriousness with which ancient Israel treated their covenant duties, inviting us to consider how we prioritize our own gatherings and commitments to God.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 4 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- male/ your3×
- male/ its1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- זְכ֣וּרְ/ךָ֔2×
- זְכוּרָ֖/הּ1×
- זְכוּרְ/ךָ֜1×
Key Verses
-
Exodus 23:17
Three times in the year all your males shall appear before the Lord Yahweh.
This verse establishes the baseline requirement for all males to appear before Yahweh three times a year, setting a precedent for communal worship.
-
Deuteronomy 16:16
Three times in a year all of your males shall appear before Yahweh your God in the place which he chooses: in the feast of unleavened bread, in the feast of weeks, and in the feast of booths. They shall not appear before Yahweh empty.
Here the word specifies that every male must attend the three major feasts without coming empty-handed, linking presence with tangible offering.
-
Exodus 34:23
Three times in the year all your males shall appear before the Lord Yahweh, the God of Israel.
Repeating the command in a covenant renewal context, this occurrence emphasizes that appearing before God is tied to His identity as the God of Israel.