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מָזוֹן

𐤌𐤆𐤅𐤍

mâzôwn

H4203 noun

SILEX Entry

Root זון to feed, provide food, supply

Definition

Provision of food, sustenance, nourishment. In biblical contexts, מָזוֹן specifically refers to that which is consumed to sustain physical life, most often denoting material food or edible provisions.

Semantic Range

food, provisions, sustenance, nourishment, supply of food (especially official or administrative)

Root / Etymology

Derived from the root זו"ן (זון), which is not attested as a native Hebrew root in the standard qal paradigm but is widely recognized in Aramaic and later Hebrew usage. The core meaning of this root in cognate Semitic languages is 'to feed, provide, supply food.' The word may have entered Biblical Hebrew as an Aramaic loan or represents a shared Northwest Semitic vocabulary.

Historical & Contextual Notes

The term מָזוֹן is rare in the Hebrew Bible and is primarily found in post-exilic or later biblical texts with Aramaic influence, such as Ezra 7:22 (in the Aramaic section). In these contexts, it denotes physical sustenance, especially food provisions taxed or supplied for the needs of the temple or administration. This distinguishes it from other Hebrew terms for food (such as לֶחֶם, which can more broadly mean 'bread,' 'food,' or even symbolically 'provision'). In post-biblical Hebrew (Mishnaic and later rabbinic sources), מָזוֹן becomes much more common and refers generally to food and sustenance, such as in the traditional term 'Birkat HaMazon' (Grace After Meals). English translations as 'food' or 'provisions' are accurate for the biblical context, but miss the specific nuance of official or administrative provisioning present in some usages. 'Meat,' as in the KJV rendering, is misleading in modern English, as the term is not restricted to animal flesh but indicates all types of nourishing food.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

(Aramaic) corresponding to מָזוֹן; {food}; meat.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

זון (z-w-n) — to feed, provide food, supply

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H2109 זוּן sustained ones
H2110 זוּן he will sustain himself
H2126 זִינָא Nourished-one
H2177 זַן kind
H4202 מָזוֹן the sustenance

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H4203-01 וּ/מָז֨וֹן umazon AC/Ncmsa and-food and food-provision 2

Occurrences in Scripture

2 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H4203-01 Daniel 4:9 וּ/מָז֨וֹן umazon AC/Ncmsa and-food and food-provision
H4203-01 Daniel 4:18 וּ/מָז֨וֹן umazon AC/Ncmsa and-food and food-provision
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