בִּזָּיוֹן
𐤁𐤆𐤉𐤅𐤍
bizzâyôwn
H963 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A state of being held in low regard, characterized by humiliation, disgrace, or dishonor; the experience or condition of scorn or contempt. The term denotes both the act of being despised by others and the resultant shame or dishonoring status. It can refer to both public shaming and a general social condition of contempt, as experienced by individuals or groups.
Semantic Range
disgrace, humiliation, state of contempt or dishonor, public shame, social ignominy
Root / Etymology
From the root בָּזָה (bazah), meaning 'to despise, hold in contempt.' The noun form בִּזָּיוֹן (bizzâyôwn) denotes the result or state arising from the act of despising: shame, disgrace, or ignominy. The formation is a noun of state or result, likely through the internal vowel pattern augmenting the root.
Historical & Contextual Notes
בִּזָּיוֹן appears mostly in poetic and prophetic literature (e.g., Psalms, Proverbs, Isaiah, Micah) and often connotes not merely private shame but a public or collective experience of humiliation, particularly as a result of defeat, calamity, or loss of honor. The word can denote both social and moral disgrace. While later English translations often render it as 'shame' or 'contempt,' these sometimes fail to capture the nuance of both external dishonoring and the internal experience of ignominy contained in the Hebrew term. In contrast to related terms such as חֶרְפָּה (ḥerpah, 'reproach, insult') or כְּלִמָּה (kelimmah, 'insult, shame'), בִּזָּיוֹן emphasizes the state of being despised more than the verbal insult or the public taunt. Across biblical periods, it is used to describe the social consequences of moral failure, defeat in battle, or divine judgment. In post-exilic texts, it can refer to the disgrace of exile or foreign domination. Modern terminology such as 'contempt' or 'disgrace' may not reflect the full complex of public, social, and psychological implications present in Israelite and Judahite contexts, where honor and shame governed communal status.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from בָּזָה; disesteem; contempt.
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 hold in contempt, to disdain
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H5240 | נְמִבְזֶה | despised one |
| H939 | בּוּזָה | despised thing |
| H959 | בָּזָה | he despised |
| H960 | בָּזֹה | to a despised one |
| H964 | בִּזְיוֹתְיָה | Despisings-of-Yah |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H963-01 |
בִּזָּי֥וֹן | bizayon | HNcmsa |
contempt | state of contempt | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 total occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H963-01 |
Esther 1:18 | בִּזָּי֥וֹן | bizayon | HNcmsa |
contempt | state of contempt |