זָנָב
za.nav
tail
Lexicon Entry
Lexicon data from STEPBible TIPNR, Tyndale House, Cambridge. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.
What Original Readers Understood
ExploredThe Hebrew word "za.nav" (H2180) refers to the tail of an animal. Its meaning is straightforward, indicating the posterior part of a creature's body. This word is used 11 times in the Bible, suggesting its importance in various contexts. The range of usage for "za.nav" is quite broad, as it is applied to different types of animals, including humans. This word is not limited to any specific species, but rather serves as a general term for the tail. Its usage implies a sense of completeness or wholeness, as the tail is an integral part of an animal's anatomy. The significance of "za.nav" lies in its role as a symbol or descriptor in biblical narratives. Its use may indicate a connection to the physical or spiritual well-being of an individual or group. For example, a tail may be associated with strength, agility, or even a means of communication. Further analysis of its occurrences in the Bible would be necessary to fully understand its significance.
Source data & methodology
Occurrences in Scripture
11 total occurrences across the text
He moves his tail like a cedar. The sinews of his thighs are knit together.
Isaiah 7:4Tell him, ‘Be careful, and keep calm. Don’t be afraid, neither let your heart be faint because of these two tails of smoking torches, for the fierce anger of Rezin and Syria, and of the son of Remaliah.
Isaiah 9:14Therefore Yahweh will cut off from Israel head and tail, palm branch and reed, in one day.
Isaiah 9:15The elder and the honorable man is the head, and the prophet who teaches lies is the tail.
Isaiah 19:15Neither shall there be any work for Egypt, which head or tail, palm branch or rush, may do.
Exodus 4:4Yahweh said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand, and take it by the tail.” He stretched out his hand, and took hold of it, and it became a rod in his hand.
Deuteronomy 28:13Yahweh will make you the head, and not the tail. You will be above only, and you will not be beneath, if you listen to the commandments of Yahweh your God which I command you today, to observe and to do,
Deuteronomy 28:44He will lend to you, and you won’t lend to him. He will be the head, and you will be the tail.
Judges 15:4Samson went and caught three hundred foxes, and took torches, and turned tail to tail, and put a torch in the middle between every two tails.
Judges 15:4Samson went and caught three hundred foxes, and took torches, and turned tail to tail, and put a torch in the middle between every two tails.
Judges 15:4Samson went and caught three hundred foxes, and took torches, and turned tail to tail, and put a torch in the middle between every two tails.