רָזֶה
thin
Definition
The Hebrew word רָזֶה (râzeh) means 'thin' or 'lean', specifically describing a physical state of being underweight or lacking flesh. In Numbers 13:20, it describes the land during a dry season, implying the land is 'poor' or 'meager' in its produce. In Ezekiel 34:20, it is used metaphorically for weak or scrawny sheep that are pushed aside by stronger ones. The term carries a sense of deficiency, whether in agricultural yield or physical vitality.
Biblical Usage
This word appears only twice in the Old Testament. In Numbers 13:20, Moses instructs the spies to see if the land is 'fat' (fertile) or 'lean' (poor), using it in an agricultural context. In Ezekiel 34:20, God condemns the strong sheep for butting the weak and 'lean' sheep, using it in a pastoral metaphor for social injustice. Both uses contrast רָזֶה with strength or abundance.
Etymology
Derived from the root רָזָה (râzâh, H7329), meaning 'to be or become lean, thin, or emaciated'. This root conveys a process of wasting away. Cognates in other Semitic languages also relate to thinness or leanness, indicating a stable core meaning across the ancient Near East.
Semantic Range
רָזֶה is theologically significant as it illustrates God's concern for the weak and vulnerable. In Ezekiel 34:20, it is part of a prophecy where God judges leaders (shepherds) for neglecting the 'lean' sheep, emphasizing divine justice and care for the marginalized. Understanding this Hebrew term enriches the reading of these passages by highlighting the contrast between divine provision and human neglect, reinforcing themes of stewardship and compassion.
In ancient Israelite culture, leanness in livestock or land was a direct sign of poverty, drought, or poor care. Thin sheep were less valuable and more vulnerable, just as 'lean' land threatened survival. This contrasts with modern, often aesthetic, views of thinness, grounding the term in concrete economic and agricultural realities.
דַּל (dal, H1800) — poor or weak, often socioeconomically; רָזָה (râzâh, H7329) — the verbal root meaning to become lean; כָּחַשׁ (kâchash, H3584) — to be or grow lean (used of animals).
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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