Word Study for H228 (אֲזָא) | Strong's Concordance

ʼăzâʼ /az-zaw'/ Ask about this word

Root(Aramaic) or אֲזָה (Aramaic)

Meaningto kindle; (by implication) to heat

KJV usageheat, hot.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of ʼăzâʼ — 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 Aramaic word ʼăzâʼ, represented by H228, means to kindle or, by implication, to heat. It appears 3 times across 2 unique verses, used specifically to describe the intense heating of a physical object. Its meaning is focused on the act of making something hot or the state of being hot.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

The use of H228 is confined entirely to the narrative of the fiery furnace in the book of Daniel. When Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego defied the king, a furious Nebuchadnezzar commanded that they heat the furnace seven times more than it was usually heated Daniel 3:19. The word is used twice in this single command to emphasize the extreme intensification of the temperature. The result of this command was a furnace that was "exceeding hot" H228, so much so that the flame killed the soldiers who were carrying out the king's orders Daniel 3:22.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related Aramaic words provide context for the use of H228 in the Daniel 3 narrative:

H861 ʼattûwn (furnace): This is the direct object that is being made hot H228. It appears alongside H228 in both verses, highlighting the setting of this intense trial (Daniel 3:19, Daniel 3:22).
H5135 nûwr (fire; fiery): This word describes the element within the furnace H861. The furnace was made so hot H228 that the "flame of the fire" H5135 became deadly to those nearby Daniel 3:22.
H2685 chătsaph (hasty, be urgent): This term explains the motivation behind the intense heat. Because the king's commandment was "urgent" H2685, the furnace was made "exceeding hot" H228 Daniel 3:22.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of H228 is seen in its dramatic context rather than a broad application.

The Severity of the Test: The command to heat H228 the furnace to an extreme degree illustrates the intensity of the persecution faced by God's faithful servants. Nebuchadnezzar's fury is translated into a physical, life-threatening reality Daniel 3:19.
The Power of Human Rage: The resulting state of being "exceeding hot" H228 is so powerful that it has lethal consequences for the king's own men, demonstrating the destructive nature of the king's command Daniel 3:22.
A Backdrop for Divine Deliverance: This extreme heat serves to magnify God's power. While the heat was fatal to others, the fire H5135 had "no power" over the bodies of the three Hebrews, who were delivered unharmed from the midst of the furnace Daniel 3:27.

Summary

In summary, H228 ʼăzâʼ is a highly specific Aramaic term used exclusively in Daniel 3 to convey the concept of extreme, intensified heat. Though its usage is rare, it plays a critical role in the narrative of the fiery furnace, establishing the severity of the trial and creating the backdrop against which God's miraculous power to save is dramatically displayed.

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 3 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.

מֵזֵא
אֵזֵה

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

2 verses, all in Daniel — and none of the other 38 Old Testament books.

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.