נְמִבְזֶה
𐤍𐤌𐤁𐤆𐤄
nᵉmibzeh
H5240 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
One who is despised, regarded with contempt, or considered dishonorable. The term denotes someone who is held in low esteem or treated as disreputable, especially as perceived by others within a community or society. Used adjectivally or substantivally of a person who is looked down upon or shunned.
Semantic Range
despised, held in contempt, viewed as dishonorable, scorned, rejected by society
Root / Etymology
Derived from the root בָּזָה (bazah), meaning 'to despise, treat with contempt.' The form נְמִבְזֶה is a Niphal participle (passive/reflexive), meaning 'one who has been despised' or 'having been treated with contempt.'
Historical & Contextual Notes
The word appears rarely in the Hebrew Bible. Its usage reflects more than mere dislike; it conveys deep-seated societal rejection or scorn. The Niphal form emphasizes the experience or state of being despised, rather than simply describing a low or worthless character. Social categories of honor and shame are critical to understanding this term's force in ancient Israelite society, where to be labeled נְמִבְזֶה was to be excluded from honor and communal acceptance. It overlaps in meaning with related terms such as חָפֵר ('disgraced') and קָלוֹן ('shame'), but focuses more specifically on the experience of being despised by others, rather than one's own feelings or the objective fact of shame. English translations often use terms such as 'despised,' 'scorned,' or 'rejected,' but these may not fully convey the community-oriented nature of the social contempt expressed by נְמִבְזֶה. In post-exilic and later Jewish literature, similar roots continue to denote social and religious outcasts, although the term itself remains rare.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from בָּזָה,; despised; vile.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
בזה (b-z-h) — to despise, to scorn, to hold in contempt
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H939 | בּוּזָה | despised thing |
| H959 | בָּזָה | he despised |
| H960 | בָּזֹה | to a despised one |
| H963 | בִּזָּיוֹן | state of contempt |
| H964 | בִּזְיוֹתְיָה | Despisings-of-Yah |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5240-01 |
נְמִבְזָ֥ה | nemivezah | HNcfsa |
despised | despised one | despised thing | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5240-01 |
1 Samuel 15:9 | נְמִבְזָ֥ה | nemivezah | HNcfsa |
despised | despised one | despised thing |