Lexical Summary
zakar: Male
Original Word:זָכָר
Part of Speech:noun masculine; Adjective
Transliteration:zakar
Pronunciation:zah-KAR
Phonetic Spelling:(zaw-kawr')
KJV: X him, male, man(child, -kind)
NASB:male, males, man, boy
Word Origin:[fromH2142 (זָכַר - remember)]
1. (properly) remembered, i.e. a male (of man or animals, as being the most noteworthy sex)
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
him, male, manchild,
Fromzakar; properly, remembered, i.e. A male (of man or animals, as being the most noteworthy sex) -- X him, male, man(child, -kind).
see HEBREWzakar
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom
zakarDefinitionmale
NASB Translationboy (2), intimately* (3), male (56), males (19), man (4).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
&
(Assyrianzikaru, zikru, COTGloss LyonManual, Gloss; Arabic
; Aramaic ,
; Sabean [] DHMZMG 1876, 675; relation to above √ obscure; male asmentioned, talked of, Lane969f.; from assumed original sensebe sharp (traces of this in Arabic: see Lane), BöProb 207 Fl in ChWBi. 422, compare Arabic
male organ; SchwZAW 1891, 176 ff. (against Schwally's view see JPeritzWoman in the Ancient Hebrew Cult, JBL xvii {1898}, 111 ff.) from =call upon in worship; hencemale ascompetent to worship) — always absoluteGenesis 1:27 +; pluralExodus 13:12 +; see also []: —
substantivemale, offspring of men and animalsExodus 13:12,15 (plural, both J E); opposed toDeuteronomy 4:16; specifically of men:
in phraseJudges 21:12 (BuRS 153 DrIntr. 151), compareJudges 21:11,Numbers 31:17,18,35 (all 3 P);Ezekiel 16:17.
alone =manJeremiah 30:6 ( "" ); usually collective,men, male persons (of all ages)Judges 21:11;1 Kings 11:15,16;Genesis 34:25;Leviticus 6:11;Leviticus 6:22;Leviticus 7:6;Numbers 1:2,20,22;Numbers 3:28,34,39;Numbers 18:10;Numbers 26:62;Numbers 31:7,17 (all P); plural 2Chronicles 31:16;Ezra 8:3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14, so alsoJoshua 5:4 ("" , and ),Joshua 17:2 (gloss? compare DrIntr. 104); especially of individual, in connection with circumcisionGenesis 17:10,12,14,23;Genesis 34:15,22,24;Exodus 12:48 (all P); of male childLeviticus 12:2 (P)Isaiah 66:7; opposed toGenesis 1:27;Genesis 5:2;Leviticus 12:7 (child)Leviticus 15:33;Leviticus 27:3,5,6,7;Numbers 5:3 (all P; compare Sabean DHMl.c.); opposed to in command ag. sodomyLeviticus 18:22;Leviticus 20:13 (both H).
Exodus 34:19 (J E; read for );Exodus 12:5;Leviticus 1:3,10;Leviticus 4:23 (all P)Leviticus 22:19 (H),Malachi 1:14; opposed toGenesis 6:19;Genesis 7:3,9,16;Leviticus 3:1,6 (all P).
adjective singularmale (only human beings)Jeremiah 20:15;Numbers 3:40,43 (both P).
Topical Lexicon
Definition and Scope of UsageStrong’s Hebrew term 2145 זָכָר designates a male—whether man, boy, or male animal. It appears in narrative, legal, genealogical, liturgical, and poetic contexts across the Hebrew Scriptures, roughly eighty-two times. The word marks biological sex, establishes ritual qualifications, frames inheritance rights, and contributes to typological contours that anticipate the ultimate Male Son, Jesus Christ.
Creation and Divine Order
From the outset, the term signals God’s intentional design of humanity in two complementary sexes.
•Genesis 1:27 – “So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.”
•Genesis 5:2 – “He created them male and female, and He blessed them. And in the day they were created, He called them ‘man.’”
These foundational texts establish male identity as part of the imago Dei, not a cultural accident. Gender difference is therefore a creational good, providing the framework for marriage, dominion, and the multiplication mandate (Genesis 1:28).
Covenantal Significance
1. Circumcision
Genesis 17:10–14 commands that “every male among you must be circumcised,” making זָכָר the locus of covenant sign and responsibility. The males bear in their flesh the token of belonging to Yahweh, prefiguring the heart-circumcision promised inDeuteronomy 30:6 and fulfilled by the Spirit (Romans 2:29).
2. Firstborn Consecration
Exodus 13:2 – “Consecrate to Me every firstborn male.” The male firstborn represents the whole family before God, recalling the substitutionary redemption of Israel’s sons at Passover and foreshadowing the unique Firstborn Son (Colossians 1:15).
3. Priestly Counting
Numbers 3:15 ties the census of Levites to “every male a month old or more,” reinforcing male headship in cultic service.
Sacrificial and Cultic Requirements
•Exodus 12:5 – “Your lamb must be an unblemished year-old male.”
•Leviticus 1:3 – “If one’s offering is a burnt offering from the herd, he is to present an unblemished male.”
The demand for an unblemished male offering heightens the value of substitution: the costliest member of the flock yields life for the worshiper. Malachi later indicts those who violate this principle:
Malachi 1:14 – “But cursed is the deceiver who has in his flock a male that is unblemished, yet makes a vow and sacrifices a blemished animal to the Lord!”
These sacrificial males typify Jesus Christ, the sinless Son offered “once for all” (Hebrews 10:10).
Genealogical and Inheritance Concerns
Biblical genealogies frequently employ זָכָר to distinguish male offspring, underscoring paternal lines through which covenant promises run (e.g.,Genesis 6:19;Exodus 34:19). Property inheritance, tribal allotments, and royal succession typically pass through sons, shaping Israel’s social structure and preserving messianic expectancy.
Royal and Messianic Associations
Isaiah and Jeremiah use male imagery to anticipate David’s righteous Branch (Isaiah 9:6;Jeremiah 23:5). Though זָכָר itself is not in those verses, the broader male motif directs attention to the promised Son whose kingship fulfills2 Samuel 7:14. The lineage lists of Chronicles and Matthew hinge on male succession, yet also highlight God’s sovereign grace by including women, revealing the fullness of redemption.
Ethical and Social Dimensions
Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13 prohibit sexual relations with a male as with a woman, affirming biblical sexual ethics rooted in creation order. Conversely, provisions likeDeuteronomy 15:19—regarding firstborn males of herd and flock—combine devotion with compassion, as such animals sustain priestly livelihood.
Representative Occurrences
–Genesis 7:3; 17:23
–Exodus 13:12–15; 34:19
–Leviticus 4:23; 6:18; 12:2; 27:3
–Numbers 1:2; 18:10
–Deuteronomy 12:6
–Judges 21:22
–Ezekiel 34:31
Implications for Ministry Today
1. Upholding Creational Distinctions
Teaching and counseling must honor the God-given difference of male and female as essential, not optional, to human flourishing and doctrinal fidelity.
2. Modeling Sacrificial Leadership
Old Testament emphasis on unblemished male offerings culminates in Christ’s perfect sacrifice. Male leaders in home and church are called to similar self-giving love (Ephesians 5:25).
3. Guarding Sexual Holiness
The ethical boundaries marked by זָכָר inform pastoral care, discipleship, and cultural engagement regarding sexuality and gender debates.
4. Celebrating Redemptive Headship
While male representation pervades Scripture, redemption gathers “every tribe and tongue” without erasing sexual distinction (Revelation 5:9). The church proclaims a gospel that dignifies both sexes under Christ, the ultimate Son who restores creation’s harmony.
Thus, Strong’s 2145 זָכָר weaves through Scripture as a thread of creation order, covenant privilege, sacrificial typology, and messianic promise, inviting God’s people to live in the fullness of His wise design.
Forms and Transliterations
הַזְּכָרִ֔ים הַזְּכָרִ֖ים הַזְּכָרִ֜ים הַזְּכָרִֽים׃ הַזָּכָ֔ר הַזָּכָ֖ר הזכר הזכרים הזכרים׃ זָכָ֑ר זָכָ֔ר זָכָ֕ר זָכָ֖ר זָכָ֗ר זָכָ֛ר זָכָ֜ר זָכָ֞ר זָכָ֣ר זָכָ֥ר זָכָ֨ר זָכָֽר׃ זָכָר֙ זכר זכר׃ לִזְכָרִ֖ים לִזְכָרִ֗ים לַזָּכָ֖ר לזכר לזכרים מִזָּכָ֤ר מזכר haz·zā·ḵār haz·zə·ḵā·rîm hazzaChar hazzāḵār hazzechaRim hazzəḵārîm laz·zā·ḵār lazzaChar lazzāḵār liz·ḵā·rîm lizchaRim lizḵārîm miz·zā·ḵār mizzaChar mizzāḵār zā·ḵār zaChar zāḵār
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