Lexical Summary
zanah: To commit fornication, to be unfaithful, to play the harlot
Original Word:זָנָה
Part of Speech:Verb
Transliteration:zanah
Pronunciation:zah-NAH
Phonetic Spelling:(zaw-naw')
KJV: (cause to) commit fornication, X continually, X great, (be an, play the) harlot, (cause to be, play the) whore, (commit, fall to) whoredom, (cause to) go a-whoring, whorish
NASB:played the harlot, harlot, play the harlot, harlots, harlotry, playing the harlot, harlot's
Word Origin:[a primitive root (highly-fed and therefore wanton)]
1. to commit adultery (usually of the female, and less often of simple fornication, rarely of involuntary ravishment)
2. (figuratively) to commit idolatry (the Jewish people being regarded as the spouse of Jehovah)
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
cause to commit fornication, continually, great, be an, play the harlot
A primitive root (highly-fed and therefore wanton); to commit adultery (usually of the female, and less often of simple fornication, rarely of involuntary ravishment); figuratively, to commit idolatry (the Jewish people being regarded as the spouse of Jehovah) -- (cause to) commit fornication, X continually, X great, (be an, play the) harlot, (cause to be, play the) whore, (commit, fall to) whoredom, (cause to) go a-whoring, whorish.
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origina prim. root
Definitionto commit fornication, be a harlot
NASB Translationadulterous (1), become a harlot (1), commit adultery (1), commits flagrant harlotry (1), fall to harlotry (1), harlot (22), harlot continually (1), harlot's (2), harlot's* (2), harlot* (3), harlotry (3), harlots (5), making her a harlot (1), play the harlot (18), play the harlot continually (1), played the harlot (24), playing the harlot (3), plays the harlot (1), prostitute (1), unfaithful (1).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
(Arabic
commit fornication, Aramaic
, ; compare Ethiopic
effusio seminis virilis, seman effusum, Di
1055; on this and
(compare by Ges and others) see Prät
BAS i. 32, Anm.) —
PerfectDeuteronomy 31:16,Genesis 38:34 3t., etc.;Imperfect (Kt)Ezekiel 23:43;Leviticus 19:29 4t.;Jeremiah 3:8;Ezekiel 23:5;Hosea 3:3;Jeremiah 3:6 (but read probably isnot Aramaic form of 3 feminine singular, see Köi. 540 Kau§ 47 gb)Ezekiel 16:15 4t.;Ezekiel 16:28; (Qr)Ezekiel 23:43;Judges 8:27 4t.;Hosea 4:13,14;Ezekiel 23:3;Infinitive absoluteHosea 1:2; constructLeviticus 20:5 3t.;Leviticus 20:6; suffixEzekiel 23:30;ParticiplePsalm 73:27;Ezekiel 6:9;Hosea 4:15; pluralLeviticus 17:7 3t.;Deuteronomy 23:19 25t.;Leviticus 21:7 2t.;Proverbs 29:3;Hosea 4:14 4t. —
be oract as a harlot, absoluteGenesis 38:24 (J),Deuteronomy 22:21 (D),Leviticus 21:9 (H),Hosea 4:13,14;Amos 7:17; +Joshua 2:1;Joshua 6:22 (J),Leviticus 21:7 (H),Judges 11:1;Judges 16:1;Proverbs 6:26;Jeremiah 3:3;Ezekiel 16:30;Ezekiel 23:44;Genesis 34:31;Genesis 38:15;Joshua 6:17,25 (all J),Deuteronomy 23:19;Leviticus 21:14 (H),Proverbs 7:10;Proverbs 23:27;Isaiah 23:15,16; Joel 4:3;Micah 1:7 (twice in verse);Ezekiel 16:31;1 Kings 3:16;1 Kings 22:38;Proverbs 29:3;Hosea 3:3;Hosea 4:14;Ezekiel 16:33;Jeremiah 5:7;commit fornication, man's actNumbers 25:1 (J); of woman's actJudges 19:2; of land given to harlotryLeviticus 19:29.
figurativeof improper intercourse with foreign nations (religious reference sometimes involved)Isaiah 23:17;Ezekiel 23:30;Ezekiel 16:26,28 (twice in verse);Ezekiel 23:43;Nahum 3:4;and Ohola committed fornication (whilst)under meEzekiel 23:5 (compareNumbers 5:19).
of intercourse with other deities, considered as harlotry, sometimes involving actual prostitution,Exodus 34:15,16;Deuteronomy 31:16 (all J),Leviticus 17:7;Leviticus 20:5 (twice in verse) (all H),Judges 2:17;Judges 8:27,33;1 Chronicles 5:25;Ezekiel 6:9;Ezekiel 20:30; after , etc.Leviticus 20:6 (H), one's own heart & eyesNumbers 15:39 (H); especially of Israel, Judah, and Jerusalem under figure of lewd womanEzekiel 16:15 (absolute)Ezekiel 16:16 (),Ezekiel 16:17 ( ),Ezekiel 23:3 (twice in verse);Ezekiel 23:19 (absolute),Jeremiah 3:1 (with accusative);Jeremiah 3:6;Jeremiah 3:8 (absolute); absolute elsewhereHosea 2:7;Hosea 4:15;Isaiah 57:3;Psalm 106:39; as leaving , followed byHosea 9:1;Hosea 1:2 (twice in verse);Hosea 4:12; followed by alonePsalm 73:27;Jeremiah 2:20;Ezekiel 16:35,41;Jeremiah 5:7;their whorish heartEzekiel 6:9.
of moral defectionIsaiah 1:21.
Perfect3masculine singularfornication was not done (in going)after theeEzekiel 16:34 (but strike out Co).
Perfect2masculine singularHosea 5:3; 3pluralHosea 4:10,18;Exodus 34:16;Imperfect 2Chronicles 21:11; 2Chronicles 21:13;Infinitive absoluteHosea 4:18;construct 2Chronicles 21:13; suffixLeviticus 19:29.
cause to commit fornication:
Leviticus 19:29 (H).
Exodus 34:16 (J), 2 Chronicles 21:11,13 (twice in verse).
commit fornication:
Hosea 4:10.
Hosea 4:18 (twice in verse);Hosea 5:3.
Topical Lexicon
Definition and Scopeזָנָה (zanah) describes both literal sexual prostitution and figurative covenant infidelity. The verb appears about ninety-three times, spanning Torah, Historical Books, Wisdom Literature, and Prophets. Its cognate nouns—זֹנָה (zonah, prostitute), תַּזְנוּת or זְנוּת (taznuth / zenuth, harlotry), and מְזִמָּה (mezimmah, lewdness)—share the same theological weight: abandonment of the exclusive covenant bond.
Literal Prostitution and Sexual Immorality
1. Personal misconduct: Tamar’s ruse (Genesis 38:24), the assumed guilt of a suspected adulteress (Numbers 5:12-31), and the fornication condemned inDeuteronomy 22:21 illustrate zanah as illicit sexual behavior within Israel’s community life.
2. Family holiness: Leviticus warns, “Do not profane your daughter by making her a prostitute, lest the land fall into harlotry and become full of wickedness” (Leviticus 19:29).
3. National purity: Military camps were to remain free from ritual and moral defilement (Deuteronomy 23:17).
Covenant Unfaithfulness and Idolatry
Zanah quickly becomes a metaphor for spiritual betrayal.Exodus 34:15 cautions that covenant meals with Canaanites would lead Israel to “play the harlot” after their gods. This theme dominates the prophets:
•Judges 2:17: “They prostituted themselves with other gods.”
•Psalm 106:39: “They were defiled by their own works and prostituted themselves by their deeds.”
•Hosea 1–4 uses marital unfaithfulness to expose Israel’s idolatry: “A spirit of prostitution leads them astray” (Hosea 4:12).
•Jeremiah 3:6-9 andEzekiel 16; 23 portray Judah and Samaria as sisters whose political alliances and idol worship equal harlotry.
Historical Context
Sacred prostitution was integral to Canaanite and Mesopotamian fertility cults. Israel’s proximity to such practices explains stringent laws (Leviticus 18; 20) and prophetic denunciations. Alliances with Egypt, Assyria, and Babylon (Isaiah 30:1-5;Ezekiel 16:26-28) are labeled zanah because they replaced reliance on Yahweh with trust in pagan powers.
Occurrences in the Pentateuch
• Preventative legislation (Exodus 34:15-16;Leviticus 17:7; 20:5-6).
• Case law on suspected adultery (Numbers 5).
• The apostasy at Baal-peor (Numbers 25:1-3) where Israel “began to prostitute themselves with the daughters of Moab.”
• Warnings to the second generation (Deuteronomy 31:16).
Occurrences in the Historical Books
• National relapse under the Judges (Judges 8:27, 2:17).
• Kingship records note cult prostitution around the high places (1 Kings 14:24;2 Kings 17:21).
• The fall of the Northern Kingdom is traced to zanah after idols (2 Kings 17:7-18).
Occurrences in the Prophets
• Hosea’s marriage narrative crystallizes God’s grief (Hosea 1:2: “Go, take yourself a prostitute…”).
•Isaiah 1:21 laments, “The faithful city has become a prostitute!”
•Jeremiah 13:27; 23:14; 51:7 identify zanah as both moral and political treachery.
•Ezekiel 16; 23 expand the metaphor into an extended courtroom indictment.
•Nahum 3:4 indicts Nineveh: “All because of the countless whorings of the prostitute, the charming one, the mistress of sorceries.”
Theological Insights
1. Exclusivity of Worship: Zanah underscores monotheism; any deviation is spiritual adultery.
2. Holiness of Marriage: By linking sexual sin with idolatry, Scripture establishes marriage as a covenant shadowing Israel’s relationship with God (Malachi 2:14-15).
3. Consequences of Infidelity: Exile, social collapse, and divine judgment often follow zanah (Leviticus 26:33;Hosea 4:13-19).
4. Hope of Restoration: Even after grievous harlotry, divine grace seeks reconciliation—“I will allure her and speak comfort to her” (Hosea 2:14).
Ministry Applications
• Moral Purity: Believers are called to “flee from sexual immorality” (1 Corinthians 6:18) as a practical rejection of zanah’s literal dimension.
• Spiritual Fidelity: Guarding against modern idols—whether materialism, ideology, or self—fulfills the prophetic warning against spiritual prostitution.
• Pastoral Care: Hosea models redemptive pursuit of the wayward; church discipline and restoration mirror this pattern.
• Cultural Engagement: Proclaiming the sanctity of marriage and exclusive worship confronts societies that normalize promiscuity and pluralism, echoing Israel’s counter-cultural calling.
Related Terms
• זֹנָה (zonah, prostitute): Rahab (Joshua 2:1); an object of redemption by faith.
• תַּזְנוּת / זְנוּת (taznuth / zenuth, prostitution):Hosea 4:12.
• פּוּת / סָרַר (turned aside, rebellious): Frequently paired with zanah to stress apostasy.
Key Representative Passages
Genesis 38:24;Exodus 34:15-16;Leviticus 19:29;Numbers 25:1-3;Judges 2:17;Psalm 106:39;Jeremiah 3:6-9;Hosea 4:12;Ezekiel 16:28;Nahum 3:4.
Forms and Transliterations
בִּזְנוֹתֵךְ֙ בַּזּוֹנָ֔ה בזונה בזנותך הִזְנ֔וּ הִזְנ֖וּ הִזְנֵ֣יתָ הַ֠זּוֹנָה הַזְנֵ֣ה הַזֹּנ֕וֹת הַזֹּנ֣וֹת הַזֹּנִ֣ים הַזּוֹנֶ֗ה הַזּוֹנָ֑ה הַזּוֹנָ֜ה הַזּוֹנָֽה׃ הַכְזוֹנָ֕ה הזונה הזונה׃ הזנה הזנו הזנות הזנים הזנית הכזונה וְהִזְנוּ֙ וְזָֽנְתָ֛ה וְזָנ֣וּ וְזָנ֣וּ ׀ וְזָנָ֣ה ׀ וַ֝יִּזְ֗נוּ וַיִּזְנ֖וּ וַיִּזְנ֗וּ וַיִּזְנ֧וּ וַיֶּ֙זֶן֙ וַתִּ֥זֶן וַתִּזְנִ֕ים וַתִּזְנִ֖י וַתִּזְנִ֧י וַתִּזְנִי֙ וַתִּזְנִי־ וַתִּזְנֶ֣ינָה וַתִּזְנֶ֤ה וַתִּזְנֶֽה׃ וַתַּזְנֶ֤ה והזנו וזנה וזנו וזנתה ויזן ויזנו ותזן ותזנה ותזנה׃ ותזני ותזני־ ותזנים ותזנינה ז֝וֹנ֗וֹת ז֝וֹנָ֗ה זְנוּנֵ֣י זָֽנְתָה֙ זָנ֑וּ זָנ֗וּ זָנְתָ֖ה זָנִ֖יתָ זָנִית֙ זָנֹ֤ה זֹנ֖וֹת זֹנִ֖ים זֹנִֽים׃ זֹנֶ֤ה זֹנָ֔ה זֹנָ֤ה זֹנָֽה׃ זוֹנֶ֥ה זוֹנָ֑ה זוֹנָ֔ה זוֹנָ֖ה זוֹנָ֗ה זוֹנָ֛ה זוֹנָ֜ה זוֹנָ֣ה זוֹנָה֙ זוּנָּ֑ה זונה זונות זנה זנה׃ זנו זנוני זנות זנים זנים׃ זנית זנתה יִזְנ֥וּ יזנו כְּהַזְנ֖וֹת כַּזּוֹנָ֖ה כהזנות כזונה לְהַזְנוֹתָ֑הּ לְזוֹנָ֑ה לְזוֹנָ֔ה לִזְנ֑וֹת לִזְנ֖וֹת לִזְנ֛וֹת להזנותה לזונה לזנות מִזּוֹנָ֔ה מזונה תִּזְנֶ֙ינָה֙ תִּזְנֶה֙ תִזְנִ֔י תִזְנֶ֗ינָה תִזְנֶ֣ה תִזְנֶה֙ תזנה תזני תזנינה baz·zō·w·nāh bazzoNah bazzōwnāh biz·nō·w·ṯêḵ biznoteCh biznōwṯêḵ hachzoNah haḵ·zō·w·nāh haḵzōwnāh haz·nêh haz·zō·nîm haz·zō·nō·wṯ haz·zō·w·nāh haz·zō·w·neh hazNeh haznêh hazzoNah hazzoNeh hazzoNim hazzōnîm hazzoNot hazzōnōwṯ hazzōwnāh hazzōwneh hiz·nê·ṯā hiz·nū hizNeita hiznêṯā hizNu hiznū kaz·zō·w·nāh kazzoNah kazzōwnāh kə·haz·nō·wṯ kehazNot kəhaznōwṯ lə·haz·nō·w·ṯāh lə·zō·w·nāh lehaznoTah ləhaznōwṯāh lezoNah ləzōwnāh liz·nō·wṯ lizNot liznōwṯ miz·zō·w·nāh mizzoNah mizzōwnāh tiz·ne·nāh ṯiz·ne·nāh tiz·neh ṯiz·neh ṯiz·nî tizneh ṯizneh tizNeinah tiznenāh ṯiznenāh tizNi ṯiznî vaiYezen vaiyizNu vattazNeh vatTizen vattizNeh vattizNeinah vattizni vattizNim vehizNu vezaNah vezaneTah vezaNu wat·taz·neh wat·ti·zen wat·tiz·ne·nāh wat·tiz·neh wat·tiz·nî wat·tiz·nî- wat·tiz·nîm wattazneh wattizen wattizneh wattiznenāh wattiznî wattiznî- wattiznîm way·ye·zen way·yiz·nū wayyezen wayyiznū wə·hiz·nū wə·zā·nāh wə·zā·nə·ṯāh wə·zā·nū wəhiznū wəzānāh wəzānəṯāh wəzānū yiz·nū yizNu yiznū zā·nə·ṯāh zā·nî·ṯā zā·nîṯ zā·nōh zā·nū zaneTah zānəṯāh zaNit zānîṯ zaNita zānîṯā zaNoh zānōh zaNu zānū zə·nū·nê zənūnê zenuNei zō·nāh zō·neh zō·nîm zō·nō·wṯ zō·w·nāh zō·w·neh zō·w·nō·wṯ zoNah zōnāh zoNeh zōneh zoNim zōnîm zoNot zōnōwṯ zōwnāh zōwneh zōwnōwṯ zūn·nāh zunNah zūnnāh
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