Lexical Summary
azar: To help, to support, to assist
Original Word:אָזַר
Part of Speech:Verb
Transliteration:azar
Pronunciation:ah-ZAHR
Phonetic Spelling:(aw-zar')
KJV: bind (compass) about, gird (up, with)
NASB:gird, girded, binds, bound, encircle, girds
Word Origin:[a primitive root]
1. to belt
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
bind compass about, gird up, with
A primitive root; to belt -- bind (compass) about, gird (up, with).
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origina prim. root
Definitionto gird, encompass, equip
NASB Translationbinds (1), bound (1), encircle (1), gird (7), girded (5), girds (1).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
[] (Talmud
id., Arabic
, Aramaic in derivation Lag
BN 177 derives from
).
Perfect1 Samuel 2:4;Imperfect suffixJob 30:18; 2masculine singularJeremiah 1:17;ImperativeJob 38:3;Job 40:7;Passive participle2 Kings 1:8; —gird, gird on, followed by accusative of thingloinsJob 38:3;Job 40:7,Jeremiah 1:17; passive, subject ,2 Kings 1:8; compare active with accusative of personJob 30:18, subject see Di; figurative1 Samuel 2:4
Participle figurativePsalm 65:7 of God ( )girded with might.
Imperfect2masculine singular suffixPsalm 18:40;Psalm 30:12;2 Samuel 22:40 (Ges§ 68 R 2);Participle suffixPsalm 18:33; constructIsaiah 50:11 but compare below —gird, with 2 accusative (person & thing) figurative,Psalm 18:40 =2 Samuel 22:40;Psalm 18:33 ();Psalm 30:12 (); accusative of thing omittedIsaiah 45:5; accusative of person omittedIsaiah 50:12; but read rather compareIsaiah 27:11 ( Kn Brd Di).
PerfectPsalm 93:1;ImperativeIsaiah 8:9 (twice in verse) —gird oneself, for warIsaiah 8:9 (twice in verse); withPsalm 93:1 (subject ).
Topical Lexicon
Overviewאָזַר conveys the action of girding, strapping on, or equipping, whether with physical garments, weapons, or inward strength. In Scripture it consistently underscores preparation, empowerment, and readiness granted either by God or demanded by God of His servants.
Old Testament Usage
1.Empowerment for Battle and Victory
•1 Samuel 2:4 – “The bows of the mighty are broken, but the feeble are equipped with strength.”
•2 Samuel 22:40;Psalm 18:32, 39 – David credits the LORD for arming him, not merely with weapons but with the strength that secures triumph. The verb frames every victory as derivative of divine enablement rather than human prowess.
•Isaiah 45:5 – The LORD promises to “strengthen” Cyrus, proving that even pagan rulers achieve success only because God girds them for His purposes.
2.Personal Preparation under Divine Commission
•Job 38:3; 40:7 – “Brace yourself like a man.” The verb calls Job to muster courage under God’s searching questions, illustrating that right response to revelation requires girded resolve.
•Jeremiah 1:17 – “But you must brace yourself, stand up and tell them everything that I command you.” Prophetic ministry demands a firmly cinched will, steadfast despite opposition.
3.Liturgical and Poetic Portraits of Yahweh’s Majesty
•Psalm 65:6 – Creation imagery depicts God “having girded Yourself with strength,” stressing His sovereign power over the cosmos.
•Psalm 93:1 – “The LORD has clothed and armed Himself with strength.” Majesty and might are inseparable garments of the enthroned King.
4.Transformation of Circumstance
•Psalm 30:11 – “You removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy.” The same verb that arms for war also wraps the worshiper in celebratory garments, highlighting God’s power to alter inward conditions as surely as external battles.
5.Physical Description and Daily Dress
•2 Kings 1:8 – Elijah is recognized by “a leather belt around his waist,” a practical emblem of a prophet constantly ready for action.
•Job 30:18 – The suffering patriarch laments that his garment “binds” him, a painful counter-image to the protective girding God provides.
6.Warnings to a Rebellious World
•Isaiah 8:9 – “Prepare for battle, and be shattered.” The nations may gird themselves, yet without God such preparation guarantees defeat.
•Isaiah 50:11 – Those who “encircle” themselves with their own firelight inherit torment, a stark contrast to those armed by the Lord.
Historical Context
Occurrences span the eras of the Judges (Hannah’s song), united monarchy (Davidic psalms), divided kingdom (Elijah), exile anticipation (Isaiah, Jeremiah), and post-exilic reflection (later psalms). Across these centuries the same idea prevails: true security flows from God’s strengthening, while self-made girding proves futile.
Thematic Links Across Canon
The Old Testament call to be girded finds New Testament resonance inEphesians 6:14, “Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist,” where spiritual warfare demands the believer be armed by God’s own provision. The imagery also anticipatesRevelation 1:13, where the glorified Christ is “girt about the chest with a golden sash,” the ultimate picture of divinely endowed authority.
Theological and Ministry Significance
• Dependence: Every human endeavor—political, military, prophetic, or personal—succeeds only when God supplies strength.
• Readiness: Servants of God are called to active preparedness; sloth is incompatible with divine commission.
• Transformation: The Lord not only equips for conflict but also wraps His people with joy, honor, and salvation.
• Sovereignty: Nations may brace themselves, yet divine girding determines outcomes, reinforcing trust in God’s absolute rule.
Practical Application
Believers today draw upon God’s strength through prayer, Scripture, and the indwelling Spirit, consciously “girding up the loins of the mind” (echoed in1 Peter 1:13) for holiness and witness. Ministry that rests on human ability will fracture; ministry armed by亞zar-strength stands firm.
Related Concepts
• חָזַק (to strengthen) – complements אָזַר by describing inward fortification.
• חָגוֹר / חֲגוֹרַת (girdle, belt) – tangible symbols of readiness.
• σπείρω (to gird) in Septuagint parallels – bridges Old and New Testament imagery of preparation.
In every occurrence אָזַר points beyond human capacity to the enabling grace of the covenant-keeping God, who alone girds His people with unassailable strength.
Forms and Transliterations
אֱזָר־ אֲאַזֶּרְךָ֖ אָ֥זְרוּ אָז֣וּר אאזרך אזור אזר־ אזרו הִֽתְאַזְּר֖וּ הִתְאַזְּר֣וּ הִתְאַזָּ֑ר הַמְאַזְּרֵ֣נִי המאזרני התאזר התאזרו וַֽתְּאַזְּרֵ֥נִי וַתְּאַזְּרֵ֣נִי וַתַּזְרֵ֥נִי ותאזרני ותזרני יַֽאַזְרֵֽנִי׃ יאזרני׃ מְאַזְּרֵ֣י מאזרי נֶ֝אְזָ֗ר נאזר תֶּאְזֹ֣ר תאזר ’ă’azzerḵā ’ă·’az·zer·ḵā ’ā·zə·rū ’ā·zūr ’āzərū ’āzūr ’ĕ·zār- ’ĕzār- aazzerCha Azeru aZur ezor ham’azzərênî ham·’az·zə·rê·nî hamazzeReni hiṯ’azzār hiṯ’azzərū hiṯ·’az·zār hiṯ·’az·zə·rū hitazZar hitazzeRu mə’azzərê mə·’az·zə·rê meazzeRei ne’·zār ne’zār neZar te’·zōr te’zōr teZor vattazReni vatteazzeReni wat·taz·rê·nî wat·tə·’az·zə·rê·nî wattazrênî wattə’azzərênî ya’azrênî ya·’az·rê·nî YaazReni
Links
Interlinear Greek •
Interlinear Hebrew •
Strong's Numbers •
Englishman's Greek Concordance •
Englishman's Hebrew Concordance •
Parallel Texts
