← H4216 H4218 →

מִזְרָח

𐤌𐤆𐤓𐤇

mizrâch

H4217 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

Direction of the sunrise, i.e., 'east'; also the place or region toward which the sun rises. In poetic and narrative contexts, it can refer to the eastern region or the act of sunrise ('rising of the sun') itself. The term is used both literally for orientation and metaphorically for new beginnings or light.

Semantic Range

east, the direction of sunrise, place of sunrise, sunrise/the act of rising, eastern side/region, (metaphorically:) beginning or newness

Root / Etymology

From the root זרח (z-r-ḥ), meaning 'to rise (especially of light/the sun),' 'to shine,' 'to appear.' מִזְרָח is a noun of place or direction derived from this root, signifying 'the place of arising/shining' (i.e., 'east' or 'rising').

Historical & Contextual Notes

מִזְרָח occurs throughout the Hebrew Bible as the regular term for 'east' or 'eastern side,' especially in geographical, cultic, and orientation contexts (e.g., the east gate of the temple, or eastward regions as seen from Israel). In poetic usage, it may symbolize beginnings, hope, or illumination due to its association with the sunrise. While later translations sometimes render the term as 'sunrising' or 'rising of the sun,' its primary meaning remains spatial or directional. מִזְרָח can sometimes overlap with קֶדֶם (qedem), another term for 'east,' but קֶדֶם additionally connotes 'ancient times' and is often used with temporal nuance, while מִזְרָח is more strictly geographical or directional. In post-exilic literature and later Hebrew, the term retains its core spatial sense, occasionally gaining symbolic resonance associated with light and renewal. English translations often capture the main sense, but rarely reflect the full association with shining or dawn implicit in the Hebrew.

Translation Consistency

primary "east" 48 occurrences

“East” is the most natural, common, and flexible rendering for מִזְרָח. It directly matches the primary sense (the direction/place of sunrise or the eastern region), is attested far more often than alternatives, and can be inflected or extended in English (eastward, the east, toward the east) to cover related uses such as orientation, region, and the metaphor of new beginning or sunrise while keeping a single consistent base word.

Alternatives (2 occurrences):
"eastward" (2x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from זָרַח; sunrise, i.e. the east; east (side, -ward), (sun-) rising (of the sun).

Bantu Hebrew

No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been recorded for this word yet.

Root Family

זרח (Zerach) — to shine, emit light, radiate, rise

Root זרח to rise (of light/sun), to shine, to appear
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H2224 זָרַח as shining forth
H2225 זֶרַח your shining-forth
H2226 זֶרַח to Shining-One
H2227 זַרְחִי the Zerahite
H2228 זְרַחְיָה and Yah-has-shone-forth

Word Forms

11 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H4217-07 מִזְרָ֑חָ/ה mizerachah HNcmsa/Sd eastward sunrise-ward toward the east 27
H4217-05 מִ/מִּזְרָ֖ח mimizerach HR/Ncmsa from the east from the sunrise-place from the east 16
H4217-06 מִזְרָ֥ח mizerach HNcmsa eastward place of rising east of 15
H4217-01 הַ/מִּזְרָֽח hamizerach HTd/Ncmsa the east the rising-place the east 3
H4217-02 לַ/מִּזְרָ֖ח lamizerach HRd/Ncmsa to the east to the sunrise-place to the east 3
H4217-08 מִזְרְחָ֖/ה mizerechah HNcmsc/Sd eastward toward the sunrise toward the east 3
H4217-04 לְ/מִזְרַ֣ח lemizerach HR/Ncmsc eastward toward the rising-place toward the rising-place 2
H4217-11 וְ/לַ/מִּזְרָ֗ח velamizerach HC/Rd/Ncmsa and to the east and to the rising-place and to the east 2
H4217-03 לַ/מִּזְרָ֔חָ/ה lamizerachah HRd/Ncmsa/Sd toward the east toward the rising-place toward the east 1
H4217-09 וּ/מִ/מִּזְרַח umimizerach HC/R/Ncmsc and from the east and from the rising-place and from the east 1

Occurrences in Scripture

74 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H4217-07 Exodus 27:13 מִזְרָ֖חָ/ה mizerachah HNcmsa/Sd toward the sunrise sunrise-ward toward the east
H4217-07 Exodus 38:13 מִזְרָ֖חָ/ה mizerachah HNcmsa/Sd toward the sunrise sunrise-ward toward the east
H4217-07 Numbers 2:3 מִזְרָ֔חָ/ה mizerachah HNcmsa/Sd toward the sunrise sunrise-ward toward the east
H4217-07 Numbers 3:38 מִזְרָ֜חָ/ה mizerachah HNcmsa/Sd eastward sunrise-ward toward the east
H4217-05 Numbers 21:11 מִ/מִּזְרַ֖ח mimizerach HR/Ncmsc from the east from the sunrise-place from the east
H4217-07 Numbers 32:19 מִזְרָֽחָ/ה mizerachah HNcmsa/Sd eastward sunrise-ward toward the east
H4217-07 Numbers 34:15 מִזְרָֽחָ/ה mizerachah HNcmsa/Sd toward-sunrise sunrise-ward toward the east
H4217-07 Deuteronomy 3:17 מִזְרָֽחָ/ה mizerachah HNcmsa/Sd eastward sunrise-ward toward the east
H4217-10 Deuteronomy 3:27 וּ/מִזְרָ֖חָ/ה umizerachah HC/Ncmsa/Sd and eastward and toward the sunrise-place and eastward
H4217-08 Deuteronomy 4:41 מִזְרְחָ֖/ה mizerechah HNcmsc/Sd eastward toward the sunrise toward the east
H4217-06 Deuteronomy 4:47 מִזְרַ֖ח mizerach HNcmsc eastward place of rising east of
H4217-07 Deuteronomy 4:49 מִזְרָ֔חָ/ה mizerachah HNcmsa/Sd eastward sunrise-ward toward the east
H4217-06 Joshua 1:15 מִזְרַ֥ח mizerach HNcmsc eastward place of rising east of
H4217-06 Joshua 4:19 מִזְרַ֥ח mizerach HNcmsc east place of rising east of
H4217-05 Joshua 11:3 מִ/מִּזְרָ֣ח mimizerach HR/Ncmsa from the east from the sunrise-place from the east
H4217-07 Joshua 11:8 מִזְרָ֑חָ/ה mizerachah HNcmsa/Sd eastward sunrise-ward toward the east
H4217-08 Joshua 12:1 מִזְרְחָ֣/ה mizerechah HNcmsc/Sd eastward toward the sunrise toward the east
H4217-07 Joshua 12:1 מִזְרָֽחָ/ה mizerachah HNcmsa/Sd eastward sunrise-ward toward the east
H4217-07 Joshua 12:3 מִזְרָ֗חָ/ה mizerachah HNcmsa/Sd eastward sunrise-ward toward the east
H4217-07 Joshua 12:3 מִזְרָ֔חָ/ה mizerachah-2 HNcmsa/Sd eastward sunrise-ward toward the east
H4217-06 Joshua 13:5 מִזְרַ֣ח mizerach HNcmsc eastward place of rising east of
H4217-07 Joshua 13:8 מִזְרָ֔חָ/ה mizerachah HNcmsa/Sd eastward sunrise-ward toward the east
H4217-07 Joshua 13:27 מִזְרָֽחָ/ה mizerachah HNcmsa/Sd eastward sunrise-ward toward the east
H4217-07 Joshua 13:32 מִזְרָֽחָ/ה mizerachah HNcmsa/Sd eastward sunrise-ward toward the east
H4217-07 Joshua 16:1 מִזְרָ֑חָ/ה mizerachah HNcmsa/Sd eastward sunrise-ward toward the east
H4217-07 Joshua 16:5 מִזְרָ֔חָ/ה mizerachah HNcmsa/Sd eastward sunrise-ward toward the east
H4217-07 Joshua 16:6 מִזְרָ֖חָ/ה mizerachah HNcmsa/Sd eastward sunrise-ward toward the east
H4217-05 Joshua 16:6 מִ/מִּזְרַ֖ח mimizerach HR/Ncmsc on the east from the sunrise-place from the east
H4217-05 Joshua 17:10 מִ/מִּזְרָֽח mimizerach HR/Ncmsa on the east from the sunrise-place from the east
H4217-07 Joshua 18:7 מִזְרָ֔חָ/ה mizerachah HNcmsa/Sd eastward sunrise-ward toward the east
H4217-06 Joshua 19:12 מִזְרַ֣ח mizerach HNcmsc toward the sunrise place of rising east of
H4217-07 Joshua 19:13 מִזְרָ֔חָ/ה mizerachah HNcmsa/Sd toward the sunrise sunrise-ward toward the east
H4217-06 Joshua 19:27 מִזְרַ֣ח mizerach HNcmsc eastward place of rising eastward
H4217-06 Joshua 19:34 מִזְרַ֥ח mizerach HNcmsc eastward place of rising east of
H4217-07 Joshua 20:8 מִזְרָ֔חָ/ה mizerachah HNcmsa/Sd eastward sunrise-ward toward the east
H4217-05 Judges 11:18 מִ/מִּזְרַח mimizerach HR/Ncmsc from the east from the sunrise-place from the east
H4217-05 Judges 20:43 מִ/מִּזְרַח mimizerach HR/Ncmsc from the east from the sunrise-place from the east
H4217-08 Judges 21:19 מִזְרְחָ֣/ה mizerechah HNcmsc/Sd eastward toward the sunrise toward the east
H4217-07 1 Kings 7:25 מִזְרָ֔חָ/ה mizerachah HNcmsa/Sd east sunrise-ward toward the east
H4217-06 2 Kings 10:33 מִזְרַ֣ח mizerach HNcmsc eastward place of rising east of
H4217-05 Isaiah 41:2 מִ/מִּזְרָ֔ח mimizerach HR/Ncmsa from the east from the sunrise-place from the east
H4217-05 Isaiah 41:25 מִ/מִּזְרַח mimizerach HR/Ncmsc from the east from the sunrise-place from the east
H4217-05 Isaiah 43:5 מִ/מִּזְרָח֙ mimizerach HR/Ncmsa from the east from the sunrise-place from the east
H4217-05 Isaiah 45:6 מִ/מִּזְרַח mimizerach HR/Ncmsc from-(the)-east from the sunrise-place from the east
H4217-05 Isaiah 46:11 מִ/מִּזְרָח֙ mimizerach HR/Ncmsa from the east from the sunrise-place from the east
H4217-09 Isaiah 59:19 וּ/מִ/מִּזְרַח umimizerach HC/R/Ncmsc and from the east and from the rising-place and from the east
H4217-07 Jeremiah 31:40 מִזְרָ֔חָ/ה mizerachah HNcmsa/Sd eastward sunrise-ward toward the east
H4217-06 Amos 8:12 מִזְרָ֑ח mizerach HNcmsa east place of rising east of
H4217-06 Zechariah 8:7 מִזְרָ֑ח mizerach HNcmsa of the east place of rising of the east
H4217-07 Zechariah 14:4 מִזְרָ֣חָ/ה mizerachah HNcmsa/Sd from east sunrise-ward toward the east
← H4216 Hebrew Lexicon H4218 →