Word Study for H4205 (מָזוֹר)

mâzôwr /maw-zore'/ Ask about this word

Rootor מָזֹר · from זוּר in the sense of binding up

Meaninga bandage, i.e. remedy; hence, a sore (as needing a compress)

KJV usagebound up, wound.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of mâzôwr — 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 mâzôwr, represented by H4205, refers to a bandage or remedy, and by extension, a sore or wound that requires binding up. Though specific, it is used sparingly in scripture, appearing only 3 times across 2 unique verses. Its meaning centers on the concept of an injury and the application of a cure.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In its biblical appearances, H4205 is used metaphorically to describe the affliction of God's people. In Hosea, Ephraim's "sickness" H2483 and Judah's wound H4205 prompt them to seek help from the Assyrian king, who is powerless to heal them or cure their wound H4205 Hosea 5:13. Similarly, Jeremiah describes a desolate state where there is no one to plead a cause so that it might be bound up H4205, a condition marked by a lack of "healing medicines" Jeremiah 30:13.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help clarify the context of affliction and healing surrounding H4205:

H1455 gâhâh (cure): This verb, meaning to heal by removing a bandage, is used to describe what the Assyrian king could not do for Judah's wound Hosea 5:13.
H2483 chŏlîy (sickness): This term for malady or disease is presented as the condition afflicting Ephraim which manifests as the "wound" described by H4205 Hosea 5:13.
H8585 tᵉʻâlâh (healing, bandage): Directly associated with H4205, this word describes the "healing" remedy that is absent in Jeremiah's prophecy, emphasizing the lack of a cure Jeremiah 30:13.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of H4205 is found in its use as a powerful metaphor.

Metaphor for National Decline: The term is not used for a physical injury but for the spiritual and national decay of Israel and Judah. Their "wound" is a symptom of a deeper "sickness" Hosea 5:13.
Inadequacy of Human Aid: The context in Hosea 5:13 explicitly shows the failure of relying on human powers for restoration. The Assyrian king cannot "heal" or "cure" the wound, pointing to a problem beyond political or military solutions.
Consequence of Judgment: In Jeremiah, the wound that cannot be "bound up" H4205 is linked to a lack of advocacy and available remedies, signaling a state of helplessness as a consequence of judgment Jeremiah 30:13.

Summary

In summary, H4205 is a focused term that illustrates a state of severe affliction. While its base definition relates to a bandage or wound, its prophetic usage transforms it into a symbol of spiritual brokenness. It portrays a condition so grievous that earthly remedies are useless, pointing toward a wound that only divine intervention can address.

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 noun 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.

מָזוֹר
מְזֹר

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 2 verses across 2 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Jeremiah and Hosea (1 verse each); never once in the other 37.

Jeremiah

Hosea

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.