Bible Word Study
זוֹ
zôw · this or that
זוֹ
this or that
Definition
The Hebrew pronoun זוֹ (zôw) is a feminine singular demonstrative pronoun meaning 'this' or 'that.' It functions to point out or specify a particular feminine noun, often indicating proximity or definiteness. In its sole biblical occurrence in Hosea 7:16, it refers to a 'deceitful bow' (קֶשֶׁת רְמִיָּה), emphasizing that specific, unreliable object. While זוֹ is rare, its masculine counterpart זֶה (zeh, H2088) is common and shares the same demonstrative function, used extensively throughout the Old Testament to identify objects, persons, or situations (e.g., 'this is the day' in Psalm 118:24).
Biblical Usage
This word appears only once in the entire Old Testament, in Hosea 7:16, where it modifies the feminine noun 'bow' (קֶשֶׁת). The context is God's judgment on Israel's leadership, described as a 'deceitful bow' that fails. Its rarity contrasts with the frequent use of the masculine זֶה (zeh), which appears thousands of times across all genres of biblical literature. The usage of זוֹ here follows standard Hebrew grammar for agreeing with a feminine singular antecedent.
Etymology
זוֹ (zôw) is a variant or byform of the common demonstrative pronoun זֶה (zeh, H2088), meaning 'this.' It represents a feminine singular form derived from the same primitive demonstrative root. Cognates exist in other Semitic languages, such as Aramaic דָּא (dā') and Arabic ذَا (dhā), all pointing to a shared origin for basic demonstrative pronouns. Its development reflects standard morphological patterning for gender in Hebrew pronouns.
Semantic Range
זֶה (zeh, H2088) — The common masculine singular demonstrative pronoun 'this,' used far more frequently. זֹאת (zōʾth, H2063) — Another feminine singular demonstrative pronoun 'this,' also more common than זוֹ. הִיא (hîʾ, H1931) — The third person feminine singular pronoun 'she, it,' used for reference rather than direct demonstration.
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]