Word Study for H2134 (זַךְ) | Strong's Concordance

zak /zak/ Ask about this word

Meaningclear

KJV usageclean, pure.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of zak — the range of meaning it carries, how Scripture actually uses it, and where it points. Written for readers who don’t know the original language.

Core Meaning & Semantic Range

The Hebrew word zak, represented by H2134, means clear, clean, or pure. Derived from the word זָכַךְ, it appears 11 times in 11 unique verses. This term is used to describe both physical, unadulterated items for religious ceremony and the moral or spiritual state of a person's character and actions.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In the biblical narrative, H2134 is used in two primary contexts. It denotes a standard of ceremonial purity for items used in worship. For instance, the children of Israel were commanded to bring pure olive oil for the lamp in the tabernacle (Exodus 27:20, Leviticus 24:2) and to place pure frankincense on the bread for a memorial offering to the Lord Leviticus 24:7. It also describes moral and spiritual cleanness, particularly in wisdom literature. Job's friend suggests that if Job were pure and upright, God would restore him Job 8:6, while Job later defends himself by stating his prayer is pure Job 16:17.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words expand on the concept of purity and righteousness:

H1249 bar: This word, meaning clean, clear, pure, is used in parallel with H2134. In his defense, Job states his doctrine is pure H2134 and he is clean H1249 in God's eyes Job 11:4.
H3477 yâshâr: Meaning right(-eous), straight, (most) upright(-ly, -ness), this term is frequently paired with H2134 to connect internal purity with external conduct. The work of the pure is described as right Proverbs 21:8, and purity is set alongside being upright as a condition for divine favor Job 8:6.
H2643 chaph: Defined as pure; innocent, this term appears alongside H2134 in Job's declaration of his integrity: "I am clean H2134 without transgression, I am innocent H2643" Job 33:9.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of H2134 is significant, highlighting a divine standard for both worship and life.

Ceremonial Holiness: The requirement for pure oil and frankincense establishes that what is offered to God must be unmixed and without defect, reflecting His own holiness Exodus 30:34.
Moral Integrity: The term extends beyond physical objects to human character. It is linked to right works Proverbs 21:8, uprightness Job 8:6, and even the nature of one's prayer Job 16:17, indicating that inner purity is demonstrated through righteous action.
Divine Scrutiny: A key theological point is made in the contrast between human perception and God's judgment. While a man's ways may seem clean H2134 to himself, the Lord is the one who "weigheth the spirits" Proverbs 16:2, assessing the true state of the heart.

Summary

In summary, H2134 is a crucial term that defines a standard of unadulterated quality. It moves from the tangible, like the pure oil for the lamp, to the intangible, such as a pure prayer or a person's work being pure and right. It communicates that whether in ceremonial worship or personal conduct, a state of cleanness and integrity is the expectation, a state that is ultimately evaluated not by human standards but by God himself.

How the KJV Renders It

Translation

Strong’s lists the renderings but not their weight. These are counted from the King James text of the tagged verses — the bar under each is how often the translators actually reached for it. Select one to filter the occurrences below.

Grammatical Forms

Morphology

In the Hebrew Old Testament, this word appears as an adjective across 11 occurrences, inflected in 2 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form. Select any form to read what each part of its name means, and to filter the occurrence list to it.

זַךְ
זַכָּה

Theographic Context

Context

The people, places, and span of history the verses containing this word touch on — drawn from the theographic tagging of Scripture. Select any name to isolate its verses in the occurrence list.

Biblical Distribution

Distribution

Appears in 11 verses across 4 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Job (4 verses); never once in the other 35.

Exodus

Leviticus

Job

Proverbs

Every Occurrence

Concordance

Every verse where the word is tagged in the King James text. Filter by book, by the English word the translators chose, by grammatical form, or search within the verses.

Sources. Definition and numbering: James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890). Morphology: STEPBible / Tyndale House (CC BY). Verse tagging: the King James text keyed to Strong’s numbers. Every count on this page is computed from the tagged corpus, not estimated.