H2077 — זֶבַח (zebach)¶

Core Data¶

Strong's: H2077
Original: זֶבַח
Transliteration: zebach
Pronunciation: zeh
Part of Speech: Masculine noun
Root: From H2076 זָבַח (zabach), "to slaughter/sacrifice"
Occurrences: 153 unique verses (166 tokens) across 25 books
First Occurrence: Gen 31:54 — "Then Jacob offered sacrifice upon the mount"
Hapax Legomenon: No

Lexicon Definition¶

-bakh; from ; properly, a slaughter, i.e. the flesh of an animal; by implication, a sacrifice (the victim or the act):—offer(-ing), sacrifice.

Translation Distribution (KJV)¶

Translation	Verses	%
sacrifice	19	12.4%
a sacrifice	18	11.8%
of the sacrifice	13	8.5%
sacrifices	13	8.5%
the sacrifice	13	8.5%
And for a sacrifice	12	7.8%
offerings	6	3.9%
the sacrifices	5	3.3%
and sacrifices	4	2.6%
their sacrifices	4	2.6%
other sacrifice/offering phrases	46	30.1%

Distribution by Book¶

Book	Count	Per 100 Verses
Zephaniah	2	3.8
Leviticus	32	3.7
Hosea	5	2.5
Jonah	1	2.1
1 Samuel	15	1.9
Numbers	20	1.6
Amos	2	1.4
2 Chronicles	7	0.9
Joshua	5	0.8
Exodus	8	0.7
Deuteronomy	6	0.6
Isaiah	7	0.5
Ezekiel	6	0.5
Psalms	11	0.4
Jeremiah	6	0.4
other books	30	variable

Leviticus and Numbers supply the cultic core. Historical books narrate worship events; prophets use zebach for acceptable, rejected, idolatrous, or judgment-shaped sacrifice language.

Semantic Categories¶

1. Peace/Fellowship Sacrifice Formula¶

Lev 3:1 — "if his oblation [be] a sacrifice of peace offering"
Lev 7:11 — "the law of the sacrifice of peace offerings"
Num 6:17 — the Nazirite offers the ram "for a sacrifice of peace offerings"

2. General Sacrifice Alongside Other Offerings¶

Exo 10:25 — "sacrifices and burnt offerings"
Deut 12:6 — burnt offerings, sacrifices, tithes, heave offerings, vows, freewill offerings, firstlings
Lev 7:37 — zebach appears in the law list as "the sacrifice of the peace offerings"

3. Sacrificial Meal / Flesh Eaten¶

Gen 31:54 — Jacob offers sacrifice and calls brethren to eat bread
1 Sam 2:13 — priestly abuse occurs "when any man offered sacrifice" while flesh was boiling
Jer 7:21 — "Put your burnt offerings unto your sacrifices, and eat flesh"

4. Passover, Vow, and Voluntary Worship Contexts¶

Exo 12:27 — "the sacrifice of the LORD'S passover"
Jonah 1:16 — sailors offer a sacrifice and make vows
Ps 27:6 — sacrifice of joy (psalmic worship use from gatherer)

5. Prophetic Critique of Sacrifice Without Covenant Fidelity¶

Prov 15:8 — "The sacrifice of the wicked [is] an abomination"
Isa 1:11 — YHWH rejects the multitude of sacrifices
Hos 6:6 — "I desired mercy, and not sacrifice"
Amos 5:25 — wilderness sacrifice/offering question

6. Judgment or Idolatrous Sacrifice¶

Judg 16:23 — Philistine sacrifice to Dagon
Ezek 39:17 — YHWH's judgment feast is called "my sacrifice"
Zeph 1:7 — "the LORD hath prepared a sacrifice"
Dan 9:27 — sacrifice and oblation cease

Common Collocations¶

Word	Strong's	Co-occurrences	Typical Pattern
יְהֹוָה (YHWH)	H3068	60x	sacrifice to/before YHWH
שֶׁלֶם (shelem)	H8002	51x	zebach shelamim, sacrifice of peace offerings
עֹלָה (olah)	H5930	43x	sacrifices and burnt offerings
זָבַח (zabach)	H2076	38x	verb + noun: sacrifice a sacrifice
אָכַל (akal)	H398	23x	sacrificial meal/eating flesh
בָּקָר (baqar)	H1241	20x	cattle/oxen sacrifice materials
אַיִל (ayil)	H352	19x	ram in sacrificial contexts
קׇרְבָּן (qorban)	H7133	19x	offering brought near; category overlap

Word Family / Cognates¶

H2076 זָבַח (zabach) — verb: to slaughter, sacrifice.
A1685 דְּבַח (debach) — Aramaic noun: sacrifice.

Synonyms / Sacrifice-Domain Neighbors¶

Relationship data lists sacrifice-domain or synonym terms including H801 ishsheh, H4503 minchah, H4643 maaser, H5262 necek, H5930 olah, H8002 shelem, and H8641 terumah.

Easily Confused Words¶

Word	Strong's	Shared Translation	Key Difference
זָבַח (zabach)	H2076	sacrifice	zabach is the verb/action; zebach is the slaughter/sacrifice/victim.
שֶׁלֶם (shelem)	H8002	sacrifice/peace offering contexts	shelem names the peace/fellowship offering; zebach is the broader sacrifice/slaughter noun and often forms the construct pair.
עֹלָה (olah)	H5930	sacrifices/offering contexts	olah is the whole burnt offering; zebach is not limited to whole-burnt offerings.
מִנְחָה (minchah)	H4503	sacrifice/offering	minchah is grain/tribute offering; zebach is slaughter/victim/sacrifice language.
קׇרְבָּן (qorban)	H7133	a sacrifice/offering	qorban emphasizes what is brought near; zebach emphasizes slaughter/sacrifice.
θυσία (thysia)	G2378	sacrifice	Primary LXX/NT bridge; Greek collapses several Hebrew offering terms under thysia.

Semantic Domain¶

002003002020 — Sacrifice (relationship tool). Other listed terms include H801 ishsheh, H817 asham, H818 ashem, H819 ashmah, A1684/A1685 debach.

LXX Mapping¶

Greek Equivalent	Co-occurrences	PMI Score	Notes
θυσία (thysia) G2378	130	6.08	Primary bridge; trace created.
σωτήριον (soterion) G4992	47	5.84	Peace/salvation offering overlap.
θύω (thyo) G2380	32	5.47	Sacrifice/slaughter verb overlap.
τράγος (tragos) G5131	15	6.39	Goat/victim contexts.
ὁλοκαύτωμα (holokautoma) G3646	32	4.76	Burnt offering overlap.
δῶρον (doron) G1435	18	4.19	Gift/offering overlap.
προσφέρω (prosphero) G4374	13	4.01	Offer/bring near action.