מְזוּזָה
a door-post (as prominent)
Definition
מְזוּזָה refers to a doorpost, the vertical side frame of a doorway in ancient Israelite architecture. In its most prominent usage, it is the location where the blood of the Passover lamb was applied as a sign for the Lord to 'pass over' the Israelite homes during the final plague in Egypt (Exodus 12:7, 12:22-23). The word also denotes the physical structure of a doorpost in narratives, such as when Samson tore away the doors and posts of the Gaza city gate (Judges 16:3). In legal and instructional contexts, it is the place where God's words are to be written and displayed (Deuteronomy 6:9, 11:20), and where a servant who wishes to remain with his master has his ear pierced (Exodus 21:6).
Biblical Usage
The word is used 17 times, primarily in the Torah (Exodus, Deuteronomy) and historical books (Judges, 1 Samuel). Its usage falls into three clear patterns: 1) Ritual/ceremonial: associated with the Passover blood ritual (Exodus 12). 2) Instructional: as the place for inscribing God's commandments (Deuteronomy 6:9). 3) Architectural/descriptive: referring to the physical structure of a doorway (Judges 16:3, 1 Samuel 1:9).
Etymology
Derived from the root זוּז (zûz, H2114), meaning 'to move' or 'to depart.' This likely relates to the doorpost as the point from which a door 'moves' or swings, or as the prominent, projecting part of the doorway. The connection to the root זִיז (zîyz, H2123), meaning 'moving thing' or 'abundance,' further emphasizes the concept of prominence or projection.
Semantic Range
The מְזוּזָה is theologically significant as the locus of both salvation and covenant remembrance. At Passover, it marked the boundary between life and death, salvation and judgment, for the Israelites. Later, it became the designated place for the words of the Shema (Deuteronomy 6:4-9), transforming the home's entrance into a reminder of God's law and covenant love. This physical object thus bridges God's saving act and the daily response of obedience, grounding theology in the everyday space of the home.
In ancient Israelite homes, the doorpost was not merely architectural but a symbol of the household's identity and security. The act of marking it with blood or writing signified the dedication of the entire household and its inhabitants to God. The piercing of a servant's ear at the doorpost (Exodus 21:6) was a public, permanent legal ceremony binding him to that household, indicating the post's role as a witness to solemn commitments.
סַף (saph, H5592) — 'threshold'; the bottom part/sill of the doorway, not the side post. פֶּתַח (pethach, H6607) — 'opening' or 'doorway'; the entrance as a whole, not the specific side structure.
Word Details
How this works
Hebrew definitions are from Brown-Driver-Briggs (1906) and Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (1890), both public domain. BDB was groundbreaking for its era but reflects 19th-century assumptions about Semitic etymology. Modern scholarship (HALOT, DCH) has revised many entries. Use these definitions as a starting point for exploration, not as the final word on a term's meaning in context.
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