English · KJV
H7329

רָזָה

râzâh /raw-zaw'/ Ask about this word
Roota primitive root
Meaningto emaciate, i.e. make (become) thin (literally or figuratively)
KJV usagefamish, wax lean.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of râzâh — 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 râzâh, represented by H7329, is a primitive root used to mean to emaciate, i.e. make (become) thin (literally or figuratively); famish, wax lean. It appears only 2 times in 2 unique verses, yet it conveys a powerful concept of diminishing or wasting away as a result of divine action.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

The two uses of H7329 highlight its function in the context of divine judgment. In Isaiah, it is used to describe the coming decline of a nation, where "the glory of Jacob shall be made thin, and the fatness of his flesh shall wax lean" Isaiah 17:4. This links a loss of national prominence and strength to physical emaciation. In Zephaniah, the word takes on a purely figurative meaning, prophesying that the LORD H3068 "will famish all the gods of the earth" Zephaniah 2:11, effectively starving them of their power and influence until all men worship Him.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words clarify the meaning of reduction and substance associated with H7329:

  • H1809 dâlal (be made thin): Used in direct parallel with râzâh in Isaiah 17:4 to describe the diminishing of Jacob's glory. It means to be feeble, impoverished, or brought low Psalms 116:6.
  • H4924 mashmân (fatness): As the direct opposite of leanness, this word denotes richness, fertility, and robustness. Its loss is what râzâh describes in the prophecy against Jacob Isaiah 17:4. It can signify blessing and abundance, such as the "fatness of the earth" promised as a blessing Genesis 27:28.
  • H1320 bâsâr (flesh): This word for "flesh" or "body" is the substance that is affected by waxing lean Isaiah 17:4. It can represent humanity or a person, as in the warning not to make "flesh his arm" Jeremiah 17:5.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of H7329 is concentrated in its depiction of divine sovereignty.

  • God's Supremacy over False Gods: The most striking use of the word is in God's action to "famish" all other gods H430 of the earth H776. This demonstrates that any power attributed to idols or foreign deities is ultimately dependent and can be nullified by the one true LORD H3068, leading to His universal worship Zephaniah 2:11.
  • Judgment as Diminishment: In Isaiah, the word illustrates that divine judgment can manifest as a hollowing out of a nation's glory H3519 and strength. The "fatness" of Jacob H3290 waxing lean signifies a reduction from a state of blessing and substance to one of weakness and insignificance Isaiah 17:4.
  • The Transience of Human Strength: By connecting the loss of glory with the body wasting away, the term underscores that human and national strength are not self-sustaining. Just as the LORD gives fatness Genesis 27:28, He can also cause it to "wax lean" Isaiah 17:4.

Summary

In summary, H7329 is a concise but potent term for emaciation and famishing. Though appearing only twice, it is used exclusively in prophetic contexts to describe the absolute power of God. It illustrates divine judgment not as an external attack, but as an internal wasting away, whether it is the glory of a nation or the perceived power of false gods. Ultimately, râzâh shows that all substance, strength, and glory find their source in the LORD, who alone can sustain or diminish them.

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 2 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.

  • יֵרָזֶה
  • רָזָה

Related Words

Related

Other entries the study above points to — each one is drawn from a reference it makes. Follow the trail to see how the words connect.

H3068 יְהֹוָה from הָיָה; (the) self-Existent or Eternal; Jehovah, Jewish national name of God; Jehovah, the Lord. Compare יָהּ, יְהֹו H1809 דָּלַל a primitive root (compare דָּלָה); to slacken or be feeble; figuratively, to be oppressed; bring low, dry up, be emptied H4924 מַשְׁמָן from שָׁמַן; fat, i.e. (literally and abstractly) fatness; but usually (figuratively and concretely) a rich dish, a fert H1320 בָּשָׂר from בָּשַׂר; flesh (from its freshness); by extension, body, person; also (by euphemistically) the pudenda of aman; bod H430 אֱלֹהִים plural of אֱלוֹהַּ; gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) H776 אֶרֶץ from an unused root probably meaning to be firm; the earth (at large, or partitively a land); [idiom] common, country, e

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 Isaiah and Zephaniah (1 verse each); never once in the other 37.

1
Isaiah
1
Zephaniah

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.