זָכָר
za.khar
male
Lexicon Entry
Lexicon data from STEPBible TIPNR, Tyndale House, Cambridge. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.
What Original Readers Understood
Supported# זָכָר (zakhar): The Hebrew Term for Male The Hebrew word *zakhar* appears 82 times throughout the biblical text and carries the straightforward meaning of "male." This term functions as a basic biological descriptor, distinguishing male from female across human and animal contexts. Its frequency of occurrence—making it a moderately common word—suggests that gender differentiation held practical importance in biblical discourse, whether for legal, familial, or sacrificial purposes. The word's consistent definition across its 82 occurrences indicates that biblical writers used *zakhar* with precision when specifying male individuals or creatures. This linguistic stability meant that ancient readers would have encountered the term reliably in contexts requiring clear gender identification. The term appears neutral in tone and function—neither inherently honorific nor derogatory—serving primarily as a categorical label rather than carrying interpretive weight on its own. The breadth of application across 82 biblical passages suggests that *zakhar* was essential vocabulary for documenting matters ranging from genealogies and inheritance rules to ritual requirements and animal husbandry. Its straightforward denotation made it indispensable for the precise communication necessary in legal and religious texts, where distinguishing males from females carried concrete implications for the communities described in Scripture.
Source data & methodology
Occurrences in Scripture
82 total occurrences across the text — showing 50
in addition to those who were listed by genealogy of males, from three years old and upward, even everyone who entered into Yahweh’s house, as the duty of every day required, for their service in their offices according to their divisions;
2 Chronicles 31:19Also for the sons of Aaron the priests, who were in the fields of the pasture lands of their cities, in every city, there were men who were mentioned by name, to give portions to all the males among the priests, and to all who were listed by genealogy among the Levites.
Ezra 8:3Of the sons of Shecaniah, of the sons of Parosh, Zechariah; and with him were listed by genealogy of the males one hundred fifty.
Ezra 8:4Of the sons of Pahathmoab, Eliehoenai the son of Zerahiah; and with him two hundred males.
Ezra 8:5Of the sons of Shecaniah, the son of Jahaziel; and with him three hundred males.
Ezra 8:6Of the sons of Adin, Ebed the son of Jonathan; and with him fifty males.
Ezra 8:7Of the sons of Elam, Jeshaiah the son of Athaliah; and with him seventy males.
Ezra 8:8Of the sons of Shephatiah, Zebadiah the son of Michael; and with him eighty males.
Ezra 8:9Of the sons of Joab, Obadiah the son of Jehiel; and with him two hundred eighteen males.
Ezra 8:10Of the sons of Shelomith, the son of Josiphiah; and with him one hundred sixty males.
Ezra 8:11Of the sons of Bebai, Zechariah the son of Bebai; and with him twenty-eight males.
Ezra 8:12Of the sons of Azgad, Johanan the son of Hakkatan; and with him one hundred ten males.
Ezra 8:13Of the sons of Adonikam, who were the last; and these are their names: Eliphelet, Jeuel, and Shemaiah; and with them sixty males.
Ezra 8:14Of the sons of Bigvai, Uthai and Zabbud; and with them seventy males.
Isaiah 66:7“Before she travailed, she gave birth. Before her pain came, she delivered a son.
Jeremiah 20:15Cursed is the man who brought news to my father, saying, “A boy is born to you,” making him very glad.
Jeremiah 30:6Ask now, and see whether a man travails with child. Why do I see every man with his hands on his waist, as a woman in travail, and all faces are turned pale?
Ezekiel 16:17You also took your beautiful jewels of my gold and of my silver, which I had given you, and made for yourself images of men, and played the prostitute with them.
1 Kings 11:15For when David was in Edom, and Joab the captain of the army had gone up to bury the slain, and had struck every male in Edom
1 Kings 11:16(for Joab and all Israel remained there six months, until he had cut off every male in Edom);
Malachi 1:14“But the deceiver is cursed, who has in his flock a male, and vows, and sacrifices to the Lord a defective thing; for I am a great King,” says Yahweh of Armies, “and my name is awesome among the nations.”
Genesis 1:27God created man in his own image. In God’s image he created him; male and female he created them.
Genesis 5:2He created them male and female, and blessed them. On the day they were created, he named them Adam.
Genesis 6:19Of every living thing of all flesh, you shall bring two of every sort into the ship, to keep them alive with you. They shall be male and female.
Genesis 7:3Also of the birds of the sky, seven and seven, male and female, to keep seed alive on the surface of all the earth.
Genesis 7:9went by pairs to Noah into the ship, male and female, as God commanded Noah.
Genesis 7:16Those who went in, went in male and female of all flesh, as God commanded him; then Yahweh shut him in.
Genesis 17:10This is my covenant, which you shall keep, between me and you and your offspring after you. Every male among you shall be circumcised.
Genesis 17:12He who is eight days old will be circumcised among you, every male throughout your generations, he who is born in the house, or bought with money from any foreigner who is not of your offspring.
Genesis 17:14The uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, that soul shall be cut off from his people. He has broken my covenant.”
Genesis 17:23Abraham took Ishmael his son, all who were born in his house, and all who were bought with his money: every male among the men of Abraham’s house, and circumcised the flesh of their foreskin in the same day, as God had said to him.
Genesis 34:15Only on this condition will we consent to you. If you will be as we are, that every male of you be circumcised,
Genesis 34:22Only on this condition will the men consent to us to live with us, to become one people, if every male among us is circumcised, as they are circumcised.
Genesis 34:24All who went out of the gate of his city listened to Hamor, and to Shechem his son; and every male was circumcised, all who went out of the gate of his city.
Genesis 34:25On the third day, when they were sore, two of Jacob’s sons, Simeon and Levi, Dinah’s brothers, each took his sword, came upon the unsuspecting city, and killed all the males.
Exodus 12:5Your lamb shall be without defect, a male a year old. You shall take it from the sheep, or from the goats.
Exodus 12:48When a stranger lives as a foreigner with you, and would like to keep the Passover to Yahweh, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near and keep it. He shall be as one who is born in the land; but no uncircumcised person shall eat of it.
Exodus 13:12that you shall set apart to Yahweh all that opens the womb, and every firstborn that comes from an animal which you have. The males shall be Yahweh’s.
Exodus 13:15When Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, Yahweh killed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of man, and the firstborn of livestock. Therefore I sacrifice to Yahweh all that opens the womb, being males; but all the firstborn of my sons I redeem.’
Leviticus 1:3“ ‘If his offering is a burnt offering from the herd, he shall offer a male without defect. He shall offer it at the door of the Tent of Meeting, that he may be accepted before Yahweh.
Leviticus 1:10“ ‘If his offering is from the flock, from the sheep or from the goats, for a burnt offering, he shall offer a male without defect.
Leviticus 3:1“ ‘If his offering is a sacrifice of peace offerings, if he offers it from the herd, whether male or female, he shall offer it without defect before Yahweh.
Leviticus 3:6“ ‘If his offering for a sacrifice of peace offerings to Yahweh is from the flock, either male or female, he shall offer it without defect.
Leviticus 4:23if his sin in which he has sinned is made known to him, he shall bring as his offering a goat, a male without defect.
Leviticus 6:18Every male among the children of Aaron shall eat of it, as their portion forever throughout your generations, from the offerings of Yahweh made by fire. Whoever touches them shall be holy.’ ”
Leviticus 6:29Every male among the priests shall eat of it. It is most holy.
Leviticus 7:6Every male among the priests may eat of it. It shall be eaten in a holy place. It is most holy.
Leviticus 12:2“Speak to the children of Israel, saying, ‘If a woman conceives, and bears a male child, then she shall be unclean seven days; as in the days of her monthly period she shall be unclean.
Leviticus 12:7He shall offer it before Yahweh, and make atonement for her; then she shall be cleansed from the fountain of her blood. “ ‘This is the law for her who bears, whether a male or a female.
Leviticus 15:33and of her who has her period, and of a man or woman who has a discharge, and of him who lies with her who is unclean.