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גְּזֵלָה

𐤂𐤆𐤋𐤄

gᵉzêlâh

H1500 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

An act or instance of robbery, theft by force or violent seizure of property. In biblical usage, גְּזֵלָה refers specifically to property or goods obtained through wrongful, forceful taking, as distinct from deceitful acquisition (such as fraud). The term is used for both the act of robbing and, by extension, the actual property taken by such means. Semantic range includes the act of violent robbery, the goods plundered through such an act, and sometimes the overarching condition of wrongdoing involving forcible appropriation.

Semantic Range

robbery (violent taking of property), plunder (the goods taken by force), act of violent theft, property obtained by robbery, unlawful seizure by force, social wrong involving violent deprivation

Root / Etymology

Root גזל (g-z-l), meaning 'to tear away, seize by force, rob'. גְּזֵלָה is the noun feminine form, constructed from this root, signifying the concept or outcome of the action expressed by the verb.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the legal materials of the Torah (especially Leviticus 6:2-5; Ezekiel 18:7, 12, 16, 18), גְּזֵלָה describes theft accomplished through direct force or violence, usually contrasted with deceitful theft (as by stealth, רְשָׁעָה or גָּנֵב). Restitution laws differentiate between גְּזֵלָה (robbery by force) and גְּנֵבָה (theft by stealth), with specific types of compensation mandated in each case. In later biblical literature, the term can have general connotations of social injustice involving forcible deprivation of property, and appears in the prophetic critique of leaders and the wealthy who oppress the vulnerable. Standard English translations such as 'robbery', 'plunder', and 'spoil' generally reflect the primary sense but may obscure the distinction from other forms of theft in the Hebrew text.

Translation Consistency

primary "robbery" 5 occurrences

גְּזֵלָה most often refers to the violent, forcible taking of property and to the goods taken by such action. "Robbery" is the natural, commonly used English noun that captures both the act and the plunder, and it matches the majority of existing renderings while distinguishing forcible seizure from nonviolent or deceitful theft.

Alternatives (1 occurrence):
"violent robberies" (1x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

feminine of גָּזֵל and mean the same; {robbery, or (concretely) plunder}; that (he had robbed) (which he took violently away), spoil, violence.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

גזל (g-z-l) — to tear away, seize forcibly, rob

Root גזל to tear away, to seize forcibly, to rob
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H1469 גּוֹזָל his nestlings
H1497 גָּזַל he seized by force
H1498 גָּזֵל violent seizure
H1499 גֵּזֶל forcible plunder

Word Forms

5 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H1500-01 גְּזֵלָ֖ה gezelah HNcfsa robbery forcible robbery forcible robbery 2
H1500-03 גְּזֵל֣וֹת gezelot HNcfpa robberies violent robberies violent robberies 1
H1500-04 הַ/גְּזֵלָ֜ה hagezelah HTd/Ncfsa the robbery the violent robbery the robbery 1
H1500-05 וּ/גְזֵלָ֖ה ugezelah HC/Ncfsa or robbery violent robbery and robbery 1
H1500-02 גְּזֵלַ֥ת gezelat HNcfsc plunder robbery of robbery of 1

Occurrences in Scripture

6 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H1500-04 Leviticus 5:23 הַ/גְּזֵלָ֜ה hagezelah HTd/Ncfsa the robbery the violent robbery the robbery
H1500-02 Isaiah 3:14 גְּזֵלַ֥ת gezelat HNcfsc plunder robbery of robbery of
H1500-01 Ezekiel 18:7 גְּזֵלָ֖ה gezelah HNcfsa robbery forcible robbery forcible robbery
H1500-03 Ezekiel 18:12 גְּזֵל֣וֹת gezelot HNcfpa robberies violent robberies violent robberies
H1500-05 Ezekiel 18:16 וּ/גְזֵלָ֖ה ugezelah HC/Ncfsa or robbery violent robbery and robbery
H1500-01 Ezekiel 33:15 גְּזֵלָ֣ה gezelah HNcfsa what he has taken by robbery forcible robbery forcible robbery
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