Word Study for H2186 (זָנַח) | Strong's Concordance

zânach /zaw-nakh'/ Ask about this word

Roota primitive root meaning to push aside, i.e.

Meaningreject, forsake, fail

KJV usagecast away (off), remove far away (off).

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of zânach — 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 zânach, represented by H2186, is a primitive root meaning to push aside, reject, forsake, or fail. It is used to describe the act of casting something or someone away or removing them far off. This powerful term appears 22 times across 20 unique verses in the Bible, often conveying a sense of severe rejection or abandonment.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In the biblical narrative, H2186 is frequently used to describe God's relationship with His people. The psalmists cry out to God, asking why He has cast them off in times of distress and defeat (Psalms 43:2, Psalms 44:9). The term signifies a tangible experience of divine judgment, where God casts off His own altar and sanctuary because of transgression Lamentations 2:7. This rejection is also presented as a conditional consequence of disobedience, as in the warning that if Solomon were to forsake God, God would cast him off for ever 1 Chronicles 28:9. However, scripture also contains the promise that this state is not final, as the Lord will not cast off for ever Lamentations 3:31 and will restore His people as though He had never cast them off Zechariah 10:6.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help to clarify the meaning and context of being cast off:

H3988 mâʼaç (to spurn; abhor, reject): This word often appears alongside H2186 to intensify the meaning of rejection. In a moment of judgment, God is described as having both cast off and abhorred his anointed Psalms 89:38.
H5800 ʻâzab (to forsake; leave): This term describes the act of abandonment that often precedes being cast off. It is used in the condition given to Solomon, where if he were to forsake God, the consequence would be that God would cast him off 1 Chronicles 28:9.
H599 ʼânaph (to be angry, displeased): This word points to the cause of the rejection. God's action of casting off his people is linked to his displeasure with them, as seen when the people lament, "O God, thou hast cast us off... thou hast been displeased" Psalms 60:1.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of H2186 is significant, highlighting key aspects of God's character and His covenant relationship with Israel.

Divine Judgment: The act of being cast off is a direct and severe consequence of sin and turning away from God. Israel is told that because it has cast off what is good, the enemy will pursue it Hosea 8:3. Similarly, King Ahaz's transgression is marked by the vessels he did cast away 2 Chronicles 29:19.
Expression of Anguish: The word is a central feature in prayers of lament, giving voice to the profound sense of abandonment felt by individuals and the nation. The psalmists repeatedly ask God why He has cast them off Psalms 74:1 and plead with Him not to cast them off forever Psalms 44:23.
The Hope of Restoration: Despite the finality the term implies, it is used in passages that affirm God's ultimate mercy. The Lord promises that He will not cast off for ever Lamentations 3:31, and through His mercy, His people will be restored as though they had not been cast off at all Zechariah 10:6.

Summary

In summary, H2186 is a term that encapsulates a powerful and painful experience of rejection and abandonment. While it functions as a stark warning of the consequences of forsaking God, it is also a cry of desperation from those who feel forsaken. It illustrates the severity of divine judgment on sin, yet it does not stand as the final word. The use of zânach within the broader scriptural context reveals that even in the face of being cast off, the possibility of divine mercy and restoration remains.

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 a verb across 20 occurrences, inflected in 9 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form.

Qal Perfect 2nd Singular Masculine 7×
Qal Perfect 3rd Singular Masculine 3×
Hiphil Perfect 3rd Singular Masculine 2×
Qal Imperfect 2nd Singular Masculine 2×
Qal Imperfect 3rd Singular Masculine 2×
Hiphil Consecutive Perfect 3rd Plural common gender 1×
Hiphil Imperfect 3rd Singular Masculine 1×
Qal Consecutive Imperfect 2nd Singular Masculine 1×
Qal Perfect 1st Singular common gender 1×

Singular: One.
Plural: More than one.
Masculine: Masculine grammatical gender.
common gender: Either gender — the form does not distinguish.
1st: First person — the speaker ("I"/"we").
2nd: Second person — the one addressed ("you").
3rd: Third person — the one spoken about ("he"/"they").
Imperfect: Ongoing or repeated action in the past — "was doing".
Perfect: A completed act whose results continue.
Qal: The simple, basic stem — plain action in the active voice.
Hiphil: The causative stem — the subject causes the action.
Consecutive Imperfect: Imperfect with vav — carries narrative forward ("and he…").
Consecutive Perfect: Perfect with vav — continues a sequence into the future.

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 20 verses across 7 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Psalms (10 verses); never once in the other 32.

1 Chronicles

2 Chronicles

Psalms

Isaiah

Lamentations

Hosea

Zechariah

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, 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.