זְנוּת (ze.nut)
ze.nut
fornication
H:N-FQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 6 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-F
Word Overview
The Hebrew noun zĕnûth denotes sexual immorality or harlotry, functioning as an abstract noun derived from the verb for "to commit fornication." In the Old Testament, it rarely refers merely to private sin; instead, it often describes a collective state of unfaithfulness. The term appears six times in Scripture, with significant weight in the prophetic books of Hosea and Jeremiah.
Its most striking usage is theological rather than purely legal. Prophets like Hosea employ zĕnûth to describe Israel’s spiritual adultery—worshipping other gods as if breaking a marriage covenant (Hosea 4:12-13). This metaphor transforms the word from a simple description of sexual acts into a powerful image of broken loyalty to Yahweh. Similarly, in Numbers, it marks the communal sin at Peor, linking idolatry directly with sexual immorality.
Translators typically render zĕnûth as "fornication," "harlotry," or "sexual immorality." While "fornication" can sound archaic to modern ears, it captures the specific biblical link between physical unfaithfulness and religious apostasy. The word serves as a stark warning that covenant faithfulness involves both moral purity and exclusive devotion to God.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The Hebrew word zĕnûth points to more than private moral failure; it describes a state of broken loyalty. In the prophetic books, this term links physical unfaithfulness with spiritual apostasy. When Hosea and Jeremiah use it, they are not just listing sins. They are describing a heart that has turned away from its covenant partner.
This imagery reminds us that faithfulness is holistic. It involves both how we live morally and who we choose to trust spiritually. The prophets warn that idolatry pollutes the land just as sexual immorality does. God desires exclusive devotion, not just outward compliance. This word calls us to examine where our ultimate allegiance lies.
Understanding this deep connection between love and loyalty helps us appreciate the seriousness of our relationship with God. It invites us to return to Him with a sincere heart, acknowledging that true worship requires undivided attention. May we find comfort in knowing that He pursues us even when we wander.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 6 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- prostitution/ your2×
- prostitution2×
- prostitution/ her1×
- by/ prostitution/ your1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- זְנוּתָ֔/הּ1×
- זְנוּתֵי/כֶ֑ם1×
- זְנוּתֵ֔/ךְ1×
- זְנ֣וּת1×
- זְנ֛וּת1×
- בִּ/זְנוּתַ֖יִ/ךְ1×
Key Verses
-
Hosea 4:11
Prostitution, wine, and new wine take away understanding.
This verse connects zĕnûth directly with wine and new wine, showing how intoxicants can cloud spiritual discernment and lead to unfaithfulness.
-
Jeremiah 3:9
Because she took her prostitution lightly, the land was polluted, and she committed adultery with stones and with wood.
Here the term highlights how treating prostitution lightly results in widespread pollution of the land through idolatry with stones and wood.
-
Numbers 14:33
Your children shall be wanderers in the wilderness forty years, and shall bear your prostitution, until your dead bodies are consumed in the wilderness.
This occurrence shows the generational consequence of collective unfaithfulness, where children bear the weight of their parents' spiritual prostitution.