מְזָרֶה
𐤌𐤆𐤓𐤄
mᵉzâreh
H4215 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Instrument or agent that scatters, specifically referencing a wind that disperses, typically identified with the north wind in poetic usage. The term refers to a force or element that causes dispersion, particularly of clouds or chaff, and by extension is employed metaphorically for the wind blowing from the north.
Semantic Range
scatterer, wind that scatters, north wind, agent of dispersal
Root / Etymology
From the root זרה (z-r-h), which means 'to scatter, winnow.' מְזָרֶה is a noun of agency or instrument, denoting 'one who scatters' or 'that which scatters.' The form indicates an active participial agent derived from the root's core sense of dispersal.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In Hebrew poetry and wisdom literature, such as in Proverbs 25:23, מְזָרֶה is used in the plural to denote the 'north winds'—understanding them as those which drive away rain or scatter clouds. Unlike more common Hebrew terms for cardinal directions (צָפוֹן for 'north'), מְזָרֶה emphasizes the function or role of the wind rather than strict geography. Its usage is rare and poetic, restricted to contexts that highlight the active role of wind in scattering or dispersing. Later Hebrew restricted the use of the root זרה to physical acts of winnowing, but the noun retains this vivid, meteorological sense in the biblical period. Standard English translations may render the term 'north wind'; however, the underlying imagery is of dispersal and scattering, not merely directional orientation. The association with 'north' is functional due to the climatology of the Levant, where the north wind is typically associated with clear, dispersing conditions.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
apparently from זָרָה; properly, a scatterer, i.e. the north wind (as dispersing clouds; only in plural); north.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
זרה (z-r-h) — to scatter, disperse, winnow
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H2219 | זָרָה | in your being scattered |
| H2239 | זֶרֶת | in the hand-span |
| H4214 | מִזְרֶה | with a winnowing shovel |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H4215-01 |
וּֽ/מִ/מְּזָרִ֥ים | umimezarim | HC/R/Ncmpa |
and from the scattering winds | and from scatterers | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 total occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H4215-01 |
Job 37:9 | וּֽ/מִ/מְּזָרִ֥ים | umimezarim | HC/R/Ncmpa |
and from the scattering winds | and from scatterers |