בּוּזָה
𐤁𐤅𐤆𐤄
bûwzâh
H939 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A thing held in contempt; an object or instance of scorn or derision. Used to denote that which evokes disdain or is spurned by others, frequently in social, moral, or religious contexts. Its application can include both concrete objects and abstract situations that are the focus of communal contempt.
Semantic Range
object of contempt, thing despised, instance of scorn, thing or person spurned, derided thing
Root / Etymology
From the root בזה (b-z-h), which means 'to despise, to scorn, to treat with contempt.' The form בּוּזָה (bûzâh) is a feminine passive participle, denoting 'that which is despised' or 'contempt.'
Historical & Contextual Notes
בּוּזָה occurs rarely in the Hebrew Bible, most notably in Isaiah 23:13, where it denotes an object or instance of deep scorn. The term belongs to a cluster of Hebrew roots expressing various forms of contempt or disdain (cf. קלה, חרף), but is distinguished by its strong sense of derision linked to social disapproval. Its feminine passive participle form marks it as that which has been made the subject of scorn, underscoring the passivity of the object in receiving contempt. Later biblical and post-biblical Hebrew favor related terms for 'contempt,' and the English 'scorned thing' does not fully capture the word’s resonance of sustained communal or even ritual disdain. This nuance often becomes obscured in translation, especially in traditions that use the English 'despised' or 'object of contempt' without conveying the social or moral dimension present in the Hebrew context.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
feminine passive participle of בּוּז; something scorned; an object of contempt; despised.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| H5240 | נְמִבְזֶה | despised one |
| 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 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H939-01 |
בוּזָ֔ה | vuzah | HNcfsa |
despised | despised thing | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 total occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H939-01 |
Nehemiah 3:36 | בוּזָ֔ה | vuzah | HNcfsa |
despised | despised thing |