רָזָה (ra.zah)
ra.zah
to starve
H:VQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 2 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:V
Word Overview
The Hebrew verb razah describes the physical state of becoming lean, gaunt, or emaciated. It is a stark term used in only two biblical passages, both found in prophetic literature: Isaiah 32:11 and Zephaniah 1:17. In these contexts, the word paints a vivid picture of severe deprivation, where the body wastes away due to lack of sustenance.
The sources indicate that razah functions in both active and passive forms. In the Qal stem, it can mean to make someone lean, while the Niphal form describes the state of being made lean or growing weak from hunger. This linguistic flexibility allows the prophets to describe famine not just as a lack of food, but as a tangible, physical wasting that affects the entire community.
Its rarity in Scripture underscores the gravity of the situation it depicts. When Isaiah and Zephaniah use razah, they are not speaking of mild discomfort or temporary hunger. They are describing the catastrophic results of divine judgment, where the physical reality of starvation becomes a visible sign of spiritual crisis. The word serves as a powerful metaphor for the consequences of turning away from God, linking moral failure directly to bodily suffering.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The Hebrew word razah paints a stark picture of physical wasting and starvation. It appears only twice in the prophetic books to describe severe famine as a consequence of turning away from God. This imagery reminds us that our spiritual health is deeply connected to our physical well-being, and that neglecting our relationship with God can lead to profound emptiness.
When we face times of scarcity or hardship, this word invites us to look beyond the surface. The prophets used razah not just to describe hunger, but to signal a deeper spiritual crisis. Yet, even in these dark descriptions, there is an invitation to return to God, who alone can satisfy our deepest needs and restore what has been lost.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 2 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- it will be made lean1×
- he will make lean1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- רָזָ֔ה1×
- יֵרָזֶֽה\׃1×
Key Verses
-
Isaiah 17:4
“It will happen in that day that the glory of Jacob will be made thin, and the fatness of his flesh will become lean.
This verse uses the concept of becoming lean to describe the loss of Jacob's glory, linking physical wasting directly to spiritual decline.
-
Zephaniah 2:11
Yahweh will be awesome to them, for he will famish all the gods of the land. Men will worship him, everyone from his place, even all the shores of the nations.
Here the idea of famishing is extended to the gods of the land, showing that true judgment leaves no source of sustenance except Yahweh.