H2077. zebach

I. זֶ֫בַח‎₁₆₂ noun masculine^{Judges 16:23} sacrifice **Phoenician זבח‎ of an offering of bread and oil CIS^{i. 165, 12; 167. 8}, compare RS^{Semitic 205 (2nd ed. 222)}. ׳ז‎ absolute Genesis 31:54 +; construct Exodus 34:25 +; זָ֑בַח‎ Leviticus 17:8 16t.; suffix זִבְחוֺ‎ 7:16; Ezekiel 34:15, זִבְחֲכֶם‎ Leviticus 19:6; plural זְבָחִים‎ Genesis 46:1 +; construct זִבְחֵי‎ Leviticus 17:5 +; suffix 3 masculine plural זִבְחֵיהֶם‎ 17:5, זְבָחֵימוֺ‎ Deuteronomy 32:38, זִבְחֹתָם‎ Hosea 4:19 etc.; — the common and most ancient sacrifice, whose essential rite was eating the flesh of the victim at a feast in which the god of the clan shared by receiving the blood and fat pieces. In the older literature it is distinguished from מִנְחָה‎ and עֹלָה‎, in the later literature from חַטָּאת‎ and אָשָׁם‎.

I. general name for all sacrifices eaten at feasts: —

1 of the God of Israel Genesis 46:1; Exodus 10:25; 18:12 (E) Hosea 3:4; 6:6; 9:4; Amos 5:25; Isaiah 1:11; 19:21; Deuteronomy 12:27; 18:3; 1 Samuel 2:13, 29; 3:14; 6:15; 9:12-13, 15:22 (twice in verse); 16:3, 5 (twice in verse); 2 Samuel 15:12; 1 Kings 8:62; 12:27; 2 Kings 5:17; 16:15; Psalm 40:7; 50:8; 51:18; 51:19; Proverbs 15:8; 21:3, 27; Isaiah 43:23-24, 56:7; Jeremiah 6:20; 7:21-22, 17:26; 33:18; Ezekiel 40:42; 44:11; 1 Chronicles 29:21 (twice in verse); 2 Chronicles 7:1, 4, 5, 12; Nehemiah 12:43; Daniel 9:27; Ecclesiastes 4:17. They should be צֶדֶק זִבְחֵי‎ sacrifices of righteousness (offered in righteousness by the righteous) Deuteronomy 33:19; Psalm 4:6; Psalm 51:21; הַבְהָבַי זִבְחֵי‎ sacrifices of gifts to me (׳י‎) Hosea 8:13; the temple is זָבַ֑ח בֵּית‎2 Chronicles 7:12; they should not be ׳ז רִיב‎ sacrifices of strife, where strife prevails Proverbs 17:1.

2 of other deities Exodus 34:15; Numbers 25:2; Deuteronomy 32:38 (JE) Judges 16:23; 2 Kings 10:19, 24; Hosea 4:19; Isaiah 57:7; Ezekiel 20:28; these are מֵתִים זִבְחֵי‎ sacrifices to dead things (lifeless gods, opposed to ׳י‎ as living), Psalm 106:28.

II. there are several kinds of זְבָחִים‎ which are gradually distinguished:

1 the covenant sacrifice, between Jacob and Laban Genesis 31:54 (E), with God Psalm 50:5 (compare Exodus 24:5; 1 Samuel 11:15).

2 the passover הַמֶּסַח חַג זֶבַח‎ Exodus 34:25 (JE), פסח זבח‎ 12:27 (J); and probably also זבחי‎ 23:18 (JE) = 34:25 (id.)

3 annual sacrifice הַיָּמִים זֶבַח‎ 1 Samuel 1:21; 2:19; 20:6, compare ׳ז מִשְׁמָּחָה‎ sacrifice of the clan 20:29.

4 thank offering ׳ז (הַ)תּוֺדָה‎ Leviticus 7:12; 22:29; Psalm 107:22; 116:17, which is given as הַזָּבַח זִבְחוֺ, ׳ז, קָרְבָּנוֺ‎ Leviticus 7:16-17, and as a variety of שְׁלָמִים‎ 7:13, 15; it is implied in תְרוּעָה זִבְחֵי‎ Psalm 27:6; yet זֶבַח‎ is Generic with תּוֺדָה‎2 Chronicles 29:31 (twice in verse).

5 in ritual of H & P זבחים‎ are defined by שׁלמים‎ (q. v.) Leviticus 3:1 39t. Leviticus, Numbers, 1 Samuel 10:8; 1 Kings 8:63; 2 Chronicles 30:22; 33:16; Proverbs 7:14, but sometimes (rarely) ׳ז‎ alone is used in this sense, with or without suffix, where the meaning is plain from the context: Leviticus 17:5, 7, 8; 19:6; 23:37 (H) Numbers 15:3, 5, 8; Joshua 22:26, 29 (all P). These ritual offerings are of three varieties נֶדֶר תּוֺדָה,‎ and נְדָבָה‎ Leviticus 7:12, 16 (P); in the several lists זבחים‎ are distinguished from תודות‎ Amos 4:4f.; 2 Chronicles 29:31, from נדרים‎ Numbers 15:8 (P) Deuteronomy 12:6, 11; Jonah 1:16, from נדבות‎ Amos 4:4f.; Deuteronomy 12:6 and from the more comprehensive שׁלמים‎ Numbers 15:8; Joshua 22:27 (P). So also the sacrifice at the institution of the covenant at Horeb Exodus 24:5 (J E) and the sacrifice at the installation of Saul 1 Samuel 11:5 are defined as שׁלמים זבחים‎. Thus ׳ז‎ seems not only to be used for all these special forms but also to include other festal sacrifices not defined in the codes of law. The ritual was the same for the entire class. They were all sacrifices for feasts in which the flesh of the victim was eaten by the offerers, except so far as the officiating priests had certain choice pieces and the blood and fat pieces went to the altar for God. The sacrifice at the institution of the covenant at Horeb, the Passover victim, and the ram of consecration, were special, in that there was an application of a portion of the blood to the persons and things which were to be consecrated, Exodus 12:22; 24:8; Leviticus 8:23.

6 the slaughter of hostile nations is also a זֶבַח‎ offered by God Himself, in which the vultures devour the flesh of the victims Isaiah 34:6; Jeremiah 46:10; Ezekiel 39:17 (twice in verse); 39:19; Zephaniah 1:7-8,.

7 the verb used with זֶבַח‎ is ordinarily זָבַח‎ but others also are found e.g. עָשָׂה‎ Numbers 6:17; 15:3, 5, 8; Joshua 22:23 (P) 1 Kings 12:27; 2 Kings 5:17; 10:24; Jeremiah 33:18 (compare Sabean דֿבח עסי‎ Hal¹⁴⁸ DHM^{ZMG 1888, 374}); הֵבִיא‎ Amos 4:4; Deuteronomy 12:6, 11; Jeremiah 17:26, הִגִּישׁ‎ Amos 5:25, הִקְרִיב‎ Leviticus 7:11, 16; 22:21 (all P), עָבַד‎ Isaiah 19:21, נָתַן‎ Ecclesiastes 4:17, זֶבַח אוֺ עֹלָה יַעֲלָה‎ Leviticus 17:8 (H), ז ׳בִּשֵּׁל‎ Ezekiel 46:24, וְהַזָּבַ֑ח אֶתהָֿעוֺלָה שָׁחַט‎ 40:42; compare 44:11.