Lexical Summary
zikkaron: Memorial, remembrance, record
Original Word:זִכְרוֹן
Part of Speech:Noun Masculine
Transliteration:zikrown
Pronunciation:zik-kaw-rone'
Phonetic Spelling:(zik-rone')
KJV: memorial, record
NASB:memorial, reminder, remembrance, memorable sayings, records, sign
Word Origin:[fromH2142 (זָכַר - remember)]
1. a memento (or memorable thing, day or writing)
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
memorial, record
Fromzakar; a memento (or memorable thing, day or writing) -- memorial, record.
see HEBREWzakar
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom
zakarDefinitionmemorial, remembrance
NASB Translationmemorable sayings (1), memorial (12), records (1), remembrance (4), reminder (5), sign (1).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
,
Ecclesiastes 1:11 (compare Lg
BN 199, 200) — absolute
Joshua 4:7 +;
Exodus 28:12 (twice in verse);
Exodus 28:29; construct
Ecclesiastes 1:11 2t.; suffix
Isaiah 57:8; plural
Esther 6:1; suffix
Job 13:12; —
memorial, reminder:
Exodus 12:14 (P).
Exodus 13:9 (JE).
Numbers 17:5 (P); stones in JordanJoshua 4:7 (JE); crowns in templeZechariah 6:14; inIsaiah 57:8 is symbol of strange god (Di), or perhaps phallus-image, as sign of harlot (Che), compare > Du (who proposes , from ).
; in a bookExodus 17:14 (E); compareMalachi 3:16,Esther 6:1; memorial, as proof of citizenshipNehemiah 2:20 ("" , ); reminder of Israel, , ofExodus 30:16; spoils of warNumbers 31:54; inscribed stones of ephodExodus 28:12,29, calledExodus 28:12 =Exodus 39:7; blowing of trumpetsNumbers 10:10 (foregoing all P), compareLeviticus 23:24 (H; where, however, no , see Di);Numbers 5:15,18 (P);memorial-sentence, apophthegmJob 13:12.Job 13:12your memorial words are ashen sayings (i.e. worthless), compare Bu Du; Margolis (privately) suggests that seems to have read [? < ]your exultation shall be like ashes.
remembranceEcclesiastes 1:11 (construct before preposition Ges§ 130, 1),Ecclesiastes 1:11;Ecclesiastes 2:16.
Topical Lexicon
Overviewזִכְרוֹן (zikron) denotes a memorial, remembrance, or record—any tangible or verbal means by which an event, person, or covenant is kept before the mind of God or His people. The word appears twenty-four times, spanning law, history, wisdom, and prophecy. Its usages cluster around four themes: ritual memorials, covenant remembrance, historical records, and the fleeting nature of human fame.
Memorials in Israel’s Worship
1. Annual Feasts
• Passover inaugurates the concept: “This day is to be a memorial for you, and you must celebrate it as a feast to the LORD” (Exodus 12:14).
• The Feast of Unleavened Bread carries the same purpose (Exodus 13:9).
• The Feast of Trumpets is “a memorial of blowing of trumpets” (Leviticus 23:24), calling the nation to sacred assembly and future hope.
2. Audible Reminders
• Trumpets sound over offerings “and they will be a reminder for you before your God” (Numbers 10:10). The piercing blast both commemorates former deliverances and announces ongoing dependence on the LORD.
3. Priestly Garments
• Onyx stones on the ephod and the names on the breastpiece are “memorial stones for the sons of Israel” (Exodus 28:12; 28:29; 39:7). Every priestly entrance into the Holy Place bears the tribes on the high priest’s shoulders and heart, proclaiming perpetual intercession.
4. Atonement Money and Offerings
• The half-shekel census silver becomes “a memorial for the Israelites before the LORD” (Exodus 30:16).
• The jealousy grain offering is thrice called a “reminder-offering” (Numbers 5:15, 18), bringing hidden sin into the light of divine justice.
• Spoils from Midian are deposited “as a memorial” (Numbers 31:54), a visible confession that victory and wealth belong to God.
Stones, Crowns, and Sacred Objects
• Twelve stones from the Jordan stand “a memorial to the Israelites forever” (Joshua 4:7), fixing the miracle of crossing in national consciousness.
• Bronze censers from Korah’s rebels are hammered into altar plating “as a reminder to the Israelites” (Numbers 16:40), warning against unauthorized access.
• Zechariah’s crown in the post-exilic temple acts “as a memorial” (Zechariah 6:14), calling future generations to anticipate the Branch who will combine priesthood and royalty.
Written Records before God and Kings
• The LORD commands, “Write this on a scroll as a reminder” (Exodus 17:14), ensuring Amalek’s defeat will not fade.
• Persian archives preserve Mordecai’s loyalty (Esther 6:1), illustrating how providence uses human records.
• “A scroll of remembrance was written before Him for those who feared the LORD” (Malachi 3:16). While earthly books can be misplaced, heaven’s registry perfectly preserves every act of godliness.
Civic and Territorial Rights
Nehemiah tells hostile neighbors, “You have no part or share or historic right in Jerusalem” (Nehemiah 2:20). Zikron here defines lawful memory—only covenant participants possess enduring claim to the holy city.
Human Memory’s Limits
Ecclesiastes laments, “There is no remembrance of those who came before” (Ecclesiastes 1:11), and “the wise man, like the fool, will not be remembered” (Ecclesiastes 2:16). Apart from divine remembrance, human achievement dissolves into obscurity.
False Memorials
Isaiah exposes idolatry: “Behind your doors and your doorposts you have set up your memorial sign” (Isaiah 57:8). The perversion lies not in remembering but in memorializing rebellion.
Theological and Christological Trajectory
1. God’s Faithful Memory
Zikron underscores that the covenant depends ultimately on God’s recollection, not human sentiment. The Passover’s perpetual observance culminates in the table where Christ says, “Do this in remembrance of Me” (Luke 22:19).
2. Priestly Representation
The high priest’s memorial stones prefigure the greater High Priest who “always lives to intercede” (Hebrews 7:25). In Him, believers are continually before the Father.
3. Eschatological Assurance
Malachi’s scroll guarantees that righteous deeds are never lost. Revelation echoes, “Their works follow them” (Revelation 14:13). Eternal remembrance counters Ecclesiastes’ despair.
Pastoral and Liturgical Applications
• Worship services benefit from tangible memorials—baptismal waters, Communion bread and cup, Scripture reading—each rehearsing God’s mighty acts.
• Personal disciplines (journaling, Scripture memory) function as zikron, safeguarding testimony against spiritual amnesia.
• Corporate anniversaries, mission milestones, and physical monuments echo Joshua’s stones, teaching future generations.
Summary
זִכְרוֹן weaves through Scripture as a thread binding past deliverance, present obedience, and future hope. Whether etched on stones, sounded by trumpets, stitched into garments, or inscribed in heavenly books, every memorial points to the God who remembers His covenant and invites His people to remember Him.
Forms and Transliterations
הַזִּכְרֹנוֹת֙ הַזִּכָּר֔וֹן הזכרון הזכרנות וְזִכָּר֖וֹן וּלְזִכָּרוֹן֙ וזכרון ולזכרון זִֽ֭כְרֹנֵיכֶם זִכְר֖וֹן זִכְר֥וֹן זִכְר֧וֹן זִכְרוֹנֵ֑ךְ זִכָּר֔וֹן זִכָּר֖וֹן זִכָּר֞וֹן זִכָּר֤וֹן זִכָּר֥וֹן זִכָּרֹ֖ן זִכָּרוֹן֙ זכרון זכרונך זכרן זכרניכם לְזִכָּר֔וֹן לְזִכָּר֖וֹן לְזִכָּר֛וֹן לְזִכָּרֹ֥ן לְזִכָּרֹֽן׃ לְזִכָּרוֹן֙ לזכרון לזכרן לזכרן׃ haz·zik·kā·rō·wn haz·ziḵ·rō·nō·wṯ hazzichronOt hazzikkaRon hazzikkārōwn hazziḵrōnōwṯ lə·zik·kā·rō·wn lə·zik·kā·rōn lezikkaRon ləzikkārōn ləzikkārōwn ū·lə·zik·kā·rō·wn ulezikkarOn ūləzikkārōwn vezikkaRon wə·zik·kā·rō·wn wəzikkārōwn zichRon zichroNech Zichroneichem zik·kā·rō·wn zik·kā·rōn ziḵ·rō·nê·ḵem ziḵ·rō·w·nêḵ ziḵ·rō·wn zikkarOn zikkārōn zikkārōwn ziḵrōnêḵem ziḵrōwn ziḵrōwnêḵ
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