Lexical Summary
zavith: Corner, angle
Original Word:זָוִית
Part of Speech:Noun Feminine
Transliteration:zaviyth
Pronunciation:zah-VEETH
Phonetic Spelling:(zaw-veeth')
KJV: corner(stone)
NASB:corner, corners
Word Origin:[apparently from the same root asH2099 (זִו - Ziv) (in the sense of prominence)]
1. an angle (as projecting)
2. (by implication) a corner-column (or anta)
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
cornerstone
Apparently from the same root asZiv (in the sense of prominence); an angle (as projecting), i.e. (by implication) a corner-column (or anta) -- corner(stone).
see HEBREWZiv
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom an unused word
Definitiona corner
NASB Translationcorner (1), corners (1).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
[] (late (Aramaic ,
(often for Hebrew , ), hence, as loan-word (Frä
Aramaic Fremdw. 11, 168) Arabic
); — Plural absolute
Psalm 144:12; construct
Zechariah 9:15; —
Zechariah 9:15 simil. of warriors streaming with blood, see
Leviticus 1:5,11 etc.;
Psalm 144:12out daughters like corner (-pillar)
s, carved (so Che and others, but see II. ) in palace-fashion.
Topical Lexicon
Meaning in Everyday Architecture and Worshipזָוִית points to the outermost angle, edge, or corner of a structure. In the ancient Near Eastern imagination corners mattered: they bore weight, framed beauty, and served as points of defense. Whether in a palace façade or an altar’s horns, the corner embodied strength joined to symmetry. Scripture draws on this everyday reality to teach about covenant nurture, victorious protection, and sacrificial cleansing.
Occurrences in Scripture
Psalm 144:12 describes daughters “like corner pillars carved to adorn a palace”, identifying זָוִית with the ornately fashioned supports that complete and beautify royal dwellings.
Zechariah 9:15 foretells warriors “filled like the bowl, like the corners of the altar”, where זָוִית marks the projecting horns on which sacrificial blood was daubed (Exodus 29:12).
Imagery of Security and Strength
Corners receive and redistribute the stresses of an entire building. By comparing daughters to such pillars,Psalm 144 celebrates covenant households in which the next generation stands strong, reinforcing communal life. The verse pictures a nation at peace: sturdy sons thriving like well-watered plants and daughters firmly established like architectural anchors. The stable family thus mirrors the secure kingdom God promises to bless (Psalm 144:15).
Connection to Worship and Sacrifice
Zechariah links זָוִית to the altar’s horns, the very points where atoning blood was applied. In prophetic vision God’s shielded people become as fully saturated with victory as those horns are with sacrificial blood. The image joins triumph and atonement: military deliverance flows from covenant mercy. Every corner of the altar testified that forgiveness reaches the whole structure; so too the entire community inherits the triumph of the LORD of Hosts.
Prophetic and Messianic Resonance
Although a different Hebrew term designates the promised “cornerstone” ofIsaiah 28:16, both words share the architectural motif. Zechariah’s vision of blood-touched corners anticipates the climactic sacrifice of Messiah, whose cross provided shelter from judgment and formed the unshakable corner of the redeemed temple (Ephesians 2:20). In Him the strength ofPsalm 144’s palace and the purity ofZechariah 9’s altar meet.
Practical Ministry Applications
1. Family Discipleship: Teach youth to see themselves as load-bearing “corners” in God’s house, called to display carved beauty through holiness and service.
2. Corporate Worship: Highlight the altar corners when preaching Christ’s atonement, showing that redemption covers every edge of life.
3. Spiritual Warfare: Encourage believers that the same LORD who fills altar horns with cleansing blood also equips His people for victory “with slingstones” (Zechariah 9:15).
Related Concepts
Cornerstone – the foundational stone that aligns a structure (Isaiah 28:16;1 Peter 2:6).
Pillars – vertical supports often symbolizing strength and testimony (Galatians 2:9;Revelation 3:12).
Altar Horns – projections on each corner signifying atonement and refuge (Exodus 29:12;1 Kings 1:50).
Forms and Transliterations
כְּזָוִיּ֖וֹת כְזָוִיֹּ֑ת כזויות כזוית chezaviYot kə·zā·wî·yō·wṯ ḵə·zā·wî·yōṯ kezaviYot ḵəzāwîyōṯ kəzāwîyōwṯ
Links
Interlinear Greek •
Interlinear Hebrew •
Strong's Numbers •
Englishman's Greek Concordance •
Englishman's Hebrew Concordance •
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