English · KJV
H967

בָּזַר

bâzar /baw-zar'/ Ask about this word
Roota primitive root
Meaningto disperse
KJV usagescatter.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of bâzar — 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 bâzar, represented by H967, is a primitive root meaning to disperse or scatter. It is a rare term, appearing only 2 times in 2 unique verses, yet its uses illustrate a powerful action of breaking apart and distributing.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

The two appearances of H967 provide distinct contexts for the act of scattering. In Psalms, it is a plea for divine intervention, asking God to scatter the people who delight in war Psalms 68:30. Here, scattering is a means of bringing about peace by dismantling hostile forces. In Daniel, the word describes the actions of a powerful ruler who will enter a province and scatter prey, spoil, and riches among his followers, a strategic move his ancestors had not made Daniel 11:24.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help clarify the context in which scattering occurs:

  • H5971 ʻam (people): This word, meaning a congregated unit or nation, identifies the target of scattering in Psalms 68:30. The desire is to disperse the people who find pleasure in conflict.
  • H961 bizzâh (prey, spoil): This word for booty is what the ruler in Daniel scatters among his people Daniel 11:24. It represents the material wealth gained through conquest that is then dispersed.
  • H1605 gâʻar (to chide; rebuke, reprove): This term is used in parallel with scattering in Psalms 68:30. The verse calls on God to first rebuke the enemy forces and then to scatter them, linking the act of dispersal with divine judgment and authority.

Theological Significance

The theological significance of H967 is found in its contrasting applications:

  • Divine Peacemaking: The call to scatter those who delight in war presents dispersal as an act of divine justice. It is a method God uses to dismantle assemblies of wickedness and bring an end to conflict Psalms 68:30.
  • Human Political Strategy: In Daniel, the scattering of riches is a worldly tactic. A ruler disperses spoil to secure loyalty and demonstrate unprecedented power, highlighting how the act can be used for earthly gain and influence Daniel 11:24.
  • Dispersion of Assets: The word is used to describe the scattering of both people and property. In one case, people who are a threat are scattered; in the other, valuable goods like prey H961, spoil H7998, and riches H7399 are distributed.

Summary

In summary, bâzar H967 is a specific verb for scattering or dispersing. Though it appears infrequently, its usage powerfully contrasts a divine act of judgment meant to establish peace with a human act of strategy meant to consolidate power. It demonstrates that the same action can carry entirely different meanings based on the motive and the agent performing it.

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.

  • בִּזַּר
  • יִבְזוֹר

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.

H5971 עַם from עָמַם; a people (as a congregated unit); specifically, a tribe (as those of Israel); hence (collectively) troops or H961 בִּזָּה feminine of בַּז; booty; prey, spoil. H1605 גָּעַר a primitive root; to chide; corrupt, rebuke, reprove. H7998 שָׁלָל from שָׁלַל; booty; prey, spoil. H7399 רְכוּשׁ or רְכֻשׁ; from passive participle of רָכַשׁ; property (as gathered); good, riches, substance.

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 Psalms and Daniel (1 verse each); never once in the other 37.

1
Psalms
1
Daniel

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.