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כְּזִיב

𐤊𐤆𐤉𐤁

Keziv

H3580 noun

SILEX Entry

Root כזב to lie, to deceive, to disappoint

Definition

Kezib – a place name occurring in the Hebrew Bible, likely denoting a location characterized by its association with the root 'deceive' or 'be false.' As a toponym, it refers specifically to a city in the territory allotted to Judah, listed among other towns in the historical records. The semantic nuance of the name may allude to local tradition, geography, or a reputation for unreliability or transience, though specifics are not detailed in biblical texts. There is no evidence for the use of the word outside of its function as a place name.

Semantic Range

place name; settlement; possibly 'place of deception' by association with the root meaning; only attested as a proper noun designating a town in Judah

Root / Etymology

From the root כָּזַב (kazav), meaning 'to lie, deceive, disappoint,' with the toponymic form likely signifying 'place of deception' or 'disappointing place.' The root connotes deception or unreliability, but in this context it is applied uniquely as a place name rather than an abstract noun or verb.

Historical & Contextual Notes

Kezib appears in Joshua 15:44 within the boundary descriptions of the tribe of Judah. In the biblical period, place names derived from abstract root meanings were often given based on local tradition, topography, or events, though the specific rationale for 'Kezib' is not recorded. The Septuagint renders it as Achzeib, paralleling other sites called Achzib in the Hebrew Bible, but these should not necessarily be conflated. In post-biblical tradition and English translations (such as KJV's 'Chezib'), the original sense tied to 'deception' is generally lost, with focus placed simply on the identification of the locale. There is no evidence that Kezib functioned as an ethnic or social designation; its use is restricted to the naming of a site within the historical territory of the Judahites. Modern identification of Kezib is uncertain, and its precise location remains debated.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from כָּזַב; falsified; Kezib, a place in Palestine; Chezib.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

כזב (k-z-b) — to lie, to deceive, to disappoint

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H3538 כְּדַב deceitful
H3576 כָּזַב I falsely-declare
H3577 כָּזָב falsehood
H3578 כֹּזְבָא Kozeba
H3579 כֹּזְבִי She-who-deceives

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H3580-01 בִ/כְזִ֖יב vikheziv HR/Np at Chezib Deception-Place 1

Occurrences in Scripture

1 total occurrence

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H3580-01 Genesis 38:5 בִ/כְזִ֖יב vikheziv HR/Np at Chezib Deception-Place
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