Lexical Summary
zuwr: To be a stranger, to estrange, to turn aside, to be foreign
Original Word:זוּר
Part of Speech:Verb
Transliteration:zuwr
Pronunciation:zoor
Phonetic Spelling:(zoor)
KJV: (come from) another (man, place), fanner, go away, (e-)strange(-r, thing, woman)
Word Origin:[a primitive root]
1. to turn aside (especially for lodging)
2. hence to be a foreigner, strange, profane
3. specifically (active participle) to commit adultery
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
come from another man, place, fanner, go away, estranger, thing, woman
A primitive root; to turn aside (especially for lodging); hence to be a foreigner, strange, profane; specifically (active participle) to commit adultery -- (come from) another (man, place), fanner, go away, (e-)strange(-r, thing, woman).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
I. [] (Arabic
(medial
)
incline toward, repair to, visit; II.
honour as visitor or guest; IX.
decline, turn aside;
visitor; Aramaic , often = Hebrew
turn aside, turn aside to visit) —
Perfect3pluralPsalm 58:4 (Köi. 445),Psalm 78:30;Job 19:13;ParticipleExodus 30:33 27t.; feminineExodus 30:9 7t.; masculine pluralHosea 5:7 30t.; feminine pluralProverbs 22:14;Proverbs 23:33; = suffixIsaiah 29:5;
Perfectbecome estrangedPsalm 58:4, withfromJob 19:13;Psalm 78:30.
as adjectivestrange, or as nounstranger:
,Deuteronomy 25:5, elsewhere1 Kings 3:18;Job 19:15;Proverbs 6:1;Proverbs 11:15;Proverbs 20:16;Proverbs 27:13;Psalm 109:11;Proverbs 5:10,17; , children of another household than God'sHosea 5:7; especially of another family than priests'Leviticus 22:12 (H)Numbers 17:5 (P);Leviticus 22:10,13 (H)Exodus 29:33;Exodus 30:33;Numbers 3:10,38;Numbers 18:7 (P); not belonging to the tribe of Levi,Numbers 1:51;Numbers 18:4 (P).
,anotherJob 19:27;Proverbs 14:10;Proverbs 27:2; ()strange woman, harlotProverbs 2:16;Proverbs 5:3,20;Proverbs 7:5;Proverbs 22:14;Proverbs 23:33.
,foreign,foreigners (as such usually enemies)Hosea 7:9;Hosea 8:7;Isaiah 1:7 (twice in verse);Isaiah 25:2,5;Isaiah 29:5;Isaiah 61:5;Jeremiah 5:19;Jeremiah 30:8;Jeremiah 51:2,51;Lamentations 5:2;Ezekiel 7:2;Ezekiel 11:9;Ezekiel 16:32;Ezekiel 28:7,10;Ezekiel 30:12;Ezekiel 31:12; Joel 4:17; Obadiah 11;Job 15:19;Psalm 54:5;foreign godPsalm 44:21;Psalm 81:10 =Isaiah 43:12; soDeuteronomy 32:16 and (in figurative)Jeremiah 2:25;Jeremiah 3:13;foreign waters2 Kings 19:24;Jeremiah 18:14;Isaiah 17:10vine-slip of a stranger;Hosea 8:12they are regarded as foreign;Isaiah 28:21his work is foreign (as if dealing with enemies).
strange to the law;strange incenseExodus 30:9 (P);strange fireLeviticus 10:1;Numbers 3:4;Numbers 26:61(P).
PerfectIsaiah 1:4;Ezekiel 14:5;be estrangedIsaiah 1:4, pregnantly, followed by (compare RV);Ezekiel 14:5.
ParticipleestrangedPsalm 69:9.
II. [, ] , Bö§ 1142 (Arabic
fastidivit, abhorruit; Assyrianzâru,resist,Imperfect izîru, DlPr 65 SchrCOT Gloss); — only 3 feminine singularJob 19:17my breath is loathsome to my wife ( in "" clause); > most, who derive from I. ,become strange and sorepugnant.
,Numbers 11:20 (JE)and it (the flesh)become to you a loathsome thing ( ,in nauseam), probably error for ()
Topical Lexicon
Thematic OverviewStrong’s Hebrew 2114 marks whatever is outside the covenantal sphere of Israel’s life with God—whether persons, objects, worship, or conduct. About seventy-seven times the term warns against intrusion, calls God’s people to purity, or foretells judgment that comes when the boundary between holy and profane is ignored.
Cultic Holiness and Priestly Boundaries
From the inauguration of the priesthood the term guards the sanctuary.Exodus 29:33 rules that “an outsider shall not eat” the ordination meal.Leviticus 22:10–13 repeats the restriction for holy food, even extending it to a priest’s daughter who marries “a stranger.”Numbers 1:51; 3:10; 18:7 establish the death penalty for any non-priest who approaches the sacred furniture. These texts underline that access to God is always by His provision, never by human presumption—a principle that persists from tabernacle to cross.
Unauthorized Offerings and the Tragedy of Nadab and Abihu
The most dramatic occurrence isLeviticus 10:1, where Aaron’s sons “presented unauthorized fire before the LORD.” The consuming fire that follows testifies that creativity or enthusiasm cannot substitute for obedience. Later generations remembered the episode whenever the term is linked with “strange fire” or “strange incense” (Exodus 30:9), reinforcing reverence in worship.
Exclusivity of the Table of Yahweh
The root also polices the priestly provisions. Grain offerings, portions of sacrifices, and shewbread belong to those whom God designates. By labeling any other eater “an outsider,” Scripture portrays holiness as contagious in the wrong direction if ignored, but life-giving when honored. The theme later blossoms in the Lord’s Supper, where unexamined participation likewise invites judgment (1 Corinthians 11:27-30).
National Identity and Covenant Protection
Numbers 3:38 warns that “any outsider who approaches shall be put to death,” embedding national security in spiritual fidelity. When that fidelity collapses, the vocabulary is inverted:Isaiah 1:7 laments, “Your fields are being stripped before you by strangers.” What Israel refused to keep out in spirit eventually marches in with swords.
Foreign Gods and Idolatrous Syncretism
Psalm 81:9 commands, “There must be no strange god among you.”Psalm 44:20 pictures apostasy as lifting hands to “a foreign god.” The term highlights how idolatry is more than theological confusion; it is covenant treachery. Hosea’s marriage imagery and Paul’s later teaching on spiritual adultery stand in continuity with this Old Testament vocabulary.
The “Strange Woman” in Wisdom Literature
Proverbs transfers the language from temple to bedroom. “It will rescue you from the forbidden woman, from the stranger with seductive words” (Proverbs 2:16). In chapters 5–7 the “stranger” represents any relationship that violates God’s design for marriage. The repeated warning—“do not embrace the bosom of a stranger” (Proverbs 5:20)—makes sexual purity an extension of covenant holiness.
Divine Judgment Through Foreign Invaders
Prophets use the root to describe incoming armies. “The fortress of strangers is a city no more” (Isaiah 25:2); “foreigners will drain the River Nile” (Ezekiel 30:12). Strangers function as both rod and ruin. Their appearance signals divine discipline against covenant breakers, yet their ultimate overthrow vindicates God’s righteousness.
Hope Beyond Estrangement
Paradoxically, the same Scriptures anticipate a day when outsiders will no longer be alien. Isaiah envisions nations streaming to Zion, though he often chooses different Hebrew terms for that inclusion. The persistent message is that holiness remains uncompromised even as grace extends the covenant border through the Messiah (Ephesians 2:12-19).
Ministry Application
1. Worship must prioritize God’s revealed pattern over innovation.
2. Leaders bear responsibility to guard the congregation from doctrinal and moral intrusion.
3. Sexual ethics are a gospel issue, not a private matter.
4. Church discipline, rightly practiced, reflects the Old Testament concern for holiness while offering restoration to the formerly estranged.
Summary of Occurrences
• Cultic exclusions and priestly food: Exodus; Leviticus; Numbers.
• Unauthorized worship elements:Exodus 30:9;Leviticus 10:1.
• Priestly access laws:Numbers 1:51; 3:10; 18:7.
• Idolatry: Psalms 44:20; 81:9;Isaiah 43:12.
• Foreign invaders:Isaiah 1:7; 25:2;Ezekiel 28:7;Joel 3:17.
• Moral warnings (strange woman):Proverbs 2:16; 5:3-20; 6:24; 7:5.
• Descriptions of literal foreigners: Samuel, Psalms, Job.
Through these varied settings Strong’s 2114 weaves a unified call: remain separate from sin, devoted to the Lord, and expectant of His redemptive plan that turns once-estranged people into His household.
Forms and Transliterations
בְּזָרִ֑ים בְזָרָ֑ה בזרה בזרים הַזָּרִים֙ הזרים וְהַזָּ֥ר וְזָ֖ר וְזָ֥ר וְזָרִ֥ים והזר וזר וזרים זָ֑ר זָ֖ר זָ֗ר זָ֣ר זָ֣רָה זָ֤ר זָ֥רוּ זָֽר׃ זָר֑וֹת זָר֥וּ זָרִ֑ים זָרִ֔ים זָרִ֖ים זָרִ֛ים זָרִ֣ים זָרִ֥ים זָרִ֨ים ׀ זָרִֽים׃ זָרִים֙ זָרָ֑ה זָרָ֑יִךְ זָרָ֔ה זָרָ֖ה זָרָ֜ה זֹ֣רוּ זר זר׃ זרה זרו זרות זריך זרים זרים׃ לְזָ֣ר לְזָרִ֔ים לְזָרִ֣ים לַזָּ֣ר לַזָּרִ֗ים לזר לזרים מ֭וּזָר מוזר נָזֹ֙רוּ֙ נָזֹ֥רוּ נזרו ḇə·zā·rāh bə·zā·rîm ḇəzārāh bezaRim bəzārîm haz·zā·rîm hazzaRim hazzārîm laz·zā·rîm laz·zār lazZar lazzār lazzaRim lazzārîm lə·zā·rîm lə·zār leZar ləzār lezaRim ləzārîm mū·zār mūzār Muzor nā·zō·rū naZoru nāzōrū vehazZar veZar vezaRah vezaRim wə·haz·zār wə·zā·rîm wə·zār wəhazzār wəzār wəzārîm zā·rā·yiḵ zā·rāh zā·rîm zā·rō·wṯ zā·rū Zar zār zaRah zārāh zaRayich zārāyiḵ zaRim zārîm zaRot zārōwṯ Zaru zārū zō·rū Zoru zōrū
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