Bible Word Study
זִיזָה
Zîyzâh · Zizah, an Israelite
זִיזָה
Zizah, an Israelite
Definition
Zizah is a proper name referring to an Israelite man, a descendant of Levi through Gershon. He is mentioned only once in the Bible as one of the four sons of Shimei, a Levitical leader (1 Chronicles 23:11). The name appears in a list detailing the organization of the Levites for temple service during the reign of King David. As a variant form of the name Ziza (H2124), it carries the same basic meaning and identification.
Biblical Usage
This word is used exclusively as a proper name in the Old Testament, occurring only in 1 Chronicles 23:11. It appears within a genealogical and administrative list that assigns duties to the Levitical families for the temple worship established by David. The context is purely historical and genealogical, with no narrative or dialogical usage.
Etymology
The name זִיזָה (Zîyzâh) is a variant spelling or feminine form of the masculine name זִיזָא (Zîyzâ', H2124). Both names likely derive from the root זוּז (zûz), meaning 'to move' or 'to depart,' possibly suggesting a sense of 'abundance' or 'movement.' It is a proper name without a developed semantic range beyond personal identification.
Semantic Range
In ancient Israelite culture, names often carried meaning or reflected circumstances. As a Levitical name listed in an official temple roster, Zizah represents the importance of lineage and assigned sacred duty within the community. His inclusion signifies the meticulous organization of worship roles, emphasizing that temple service was a hereditary and solemn responsibility for specific families. זִיזָא (Zîyzâ', H2124) — The masculine/base form of the same name, referring to a different individual, a son of Rehoboam (2 Chronicles 11:20).
Word Details
How this works
Definitions are from the Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (BDB, 1906, public domain). Concordance and morphology data are from the OSHB (Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible).
Full methodology & sources →References
- Abbott-Smith, G. (1921) A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament. Edinburgh: T&T Clark. [Public Domain]
- Brown, F., Driver, S.R. and Briggs, C.A. (1906) A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament. Oxford: Clarendon Press. [Public Domain]
- Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Tyndale Brief lexicon of Extended Strongs for Greek (TBESG). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
- Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Translators Formatted full LSJ (TFLSJ). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
- Thayer, J.H. (1889) A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament. [Public Domain]
- Gesenius, W. (1846) Gesenius' Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon to the Old Testament. [Public Domain]
- Dodson, J. (2010) Greek Lexicon. Biblical Humanities. [CC0]