זָכַךְ
𐤆𐤊𐤊
zâkak
H2141 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To be clear, clean, or pure; to become or be made free from impurity or admixture, whether literal (as in the clarity or purity of a substance) or figurative (as in moral blamelessness or innocence). In extended usage, the verb can also imply the process or state of refinement or purification.
Semantic Range
to be clear or bright (of a substance); to be clean or pure (of objects, people, or actions); to be morally innocent or blameless; to refine or purify (esp. metals); to be free of admixture or defilement
Root / Etymology
Root: זכה. The verb זָכַךְ is derived from the root ז־כ־ך, which is closely related to and often compared with זָכָה (zakhah), meaning 'to be clean, pure, innocent.' While זָכָה focuses on the result or state of being pure, זָכַךְ stresses the ongoing process or quality of purifying, clarifying, or refining.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In biblical Hebrew, זָכַךְ (zâkak) is rare and primarily appears with a focus on clarifying or refining, especially with reference to physical substances such as metals (e.g. refined silver) and by metaphorical extension to moral qualities. The term is found in Psalms and late biblical poetry, often as a poetic parallel to words for 'refining' or 'purifying.' In later Hebrew and related languages (Aramaic, Rabbinic Hebrew), the root continues to express ideas of purification and clarification. Care must be taken to distinguish זָכַךְ from זָכָה, which focuses more on innocence or acquittal, and טהר (ṭāhēr), which outlines ritual purification in priestly texts. Standard translations vary; English 'pure' or 'clean' sometimes fails to express the nuance of refinement or the process of making something pure. The development of the root does not convey specific legal or ritual purity, but rather a broader notion of clarity or lack of admixture.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
a primitive root (compare זָכָה); to be transparent or clean (phys. or morally); be (make) clean, be pure(-r).
Bantu Hebrew
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זכך (z-k-k) — to be clear, to be pure, to cleanse, to refine
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H2140 | זַכַּי | Zakkay the Pure |
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H2141-02 |
זַכּ֥וּ | zaku | HVqp3cp |
pure | they were pure | 3 |
H2141-01 |
וַ֝/הֲזִכּ֗וֹתִי | vahazikoti | HC/Vhq1cs |
and I cleanse | and I purified | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
4 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H2141-01 |
Job 9:30 | וַ֝/הֲזִכּ֗וֹתִי | vahazikoti | HC/Vhq1cs |
and I cleanse | and I purified |
H2141-02 |
Job 15:15 | זַכּ֥וּ | zaku | HVqp3cp |
pure | they were pure |
H2141-02 |
Job 25:5 | זַכּ֥וּ | zaku | HVqp3cp |
pure | they were pure |
H2141-02 |
Lamentations 4:7 | זַכּ֤וּ | zaku | HVqp3cp |
were purer | they were pure |