Lexical Summary zob: Discharge, flow Original Word: זוֹב Strong's Exhaustive Concordance issue From zuwb; a seminal or menstrual flux -- issue. see HEBREW zuwb NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom zub Definition an issue (of fluid) NASB Translation discharge (13). Brown-Driver-Briggs זוֺב noun masculine issue (Arabic  fluid, liquid; Late Hebrew זוֺב, Aramaic דּוֺבָא in specific sense of Hebrew); — issue, flux, always from Genitals (compare Di Leviticus 15:2); only P: of man or woman Leviticus 15:33; — of man Leviticus 15:2,3(3 t. in verse); Leviticus 15:13,15; of woman Leviticus 15:19 (דָּם יִהְיֶה זֹבָהּ בִּבְשָׂרָהּ of monthly period); also Leviticus 15:25; Leviticus 15:25; Leviticus 15:26; Leviticus 15:28; Leviticus 15:30 (of morbid issue of blood, sometimes connected with the other; compare Matthew 9:20 etc.) זוּד see זיד. זוה (√ of following; compare Arabic Topical Lexicon Definition and Scope The Hebrew noun זוֹב denotes an abnormal bodily flow, most commonly a genital discharge. In Leviticus 15 the term embraces both the male emission that is neither seminal fluid nor urine, and the female flow that is either menstrual or prolonged beyond the normal cycle. The word never appears outside this cultic chapter, highlighting its specialized association with ritual impurity. Occurrences and Context in Leviticus All thirteen attestations lie within the priestly legislation of Leviticus 15 (verses 2, 3 × 3, 13, 15, 19, 25 × 2, 26, 28, 30, 33). The chapter divides the subject into four cases: (1) the chronic male discharge (verses 2–15); (2) the normal emission of semen (verses 16–18, not called זוֹב); (3) the ordinary menstrual period (verse 19); and (4) the pathological female hemorrhage (verses 25–30). The repeated mention of זוֹב establishes a deliberate literary cadence, underscoring the seriousness of the condition and the need for careful priestly oversight. Ritual Purity and Theological Significance The Mosaic economy taught Israel to distinguish between the holy and the common (Leviticus 10:10). Bodily fluids symbolized human mortality and weakness; when they appeared out of season or persistently, they rendered a worshiper unclean, barring entrance to the sanctuary. The impurity was not moral defilement in itself but a pedagogical sign that communion with the living God demands wholeness. By requiring washing, sacrifice, and a seven-day waiting period, the law instilled reverence for the Creator who alone grants life and health. The sacrificial remedy culminated in the priest’s offering of “one sin offering and one burnt offering” (Leviticus 15:15), declaring that both forgiveness and consecration were necessary. The dual sacrifice hinted at a future provision whereby a single atonement would cleanse completely. Practical Implications for Ancient Israel 1. Public Health: Isolation of the sufferer and laundering of garments (Leviticus 15:4–12) curtailed contagion and promoted hygiene centuries before germ theory. Typological and Christological Perspectives The woman with the twelve-year hemorrhage who touched the fringe of Jesus’ cloak (Luke 8:43–48) embodies the prophetic trajectory of זוֹב. Under the law she could not make anyone else clean; under grace she is made well instantaneously, and Christ remains undefiled. Her account reveals that the ritual strictures of Leviticus were signposts to a Savior who “bore our sicknesses” (Matthew 8:17) and whose blood speaks “a better word than the blood of Abel” (Hebrews 12:24). Application in Ministry Today Pastoral counseling: Leaders can reassure believers wrestling with chronic illness or reproductive issues that Scripture acknowledges their condition without shame and directs them to God’s compassionate presence. Teaching purity: The passage offers a balanced theology that celebrates the goodness of the body while warning against casual attitudes toward sin and mortality. Worship planning: The pattern of cleansing, waiting, and sacrifice encourages churches to incorporate confession, assurance, and consecration into corporate gatherings. Related Concepts and Further Study • Tzaraath (skin affliction) – Leviticus 13–14 Zôb thus functions as a vivid reminder of humanity’s frailty and God’s provision of comprehensive cleansing, culminating in the atoning work of Jesus Christ. Forms and Transliterations בְּזוֹב֑וֹ בזובו ז֣וֹב ז֨וֹב זָבָ֔ה זבה זוֹב֔וֹ זוֹב֖וֹ זוֹב֗וֹ זוֹבָ֔הּ זוב זובה זובו מִזּ֖וֹב מִזּוֹב֔וֹ מִזּוֹבָ֑הּ מִזּוֹבֽוֹ׃ מזוב מזובה מזובו מזובו׃ bə·zō·w·ḇōw bezoVo bəzōwḇōw miz·zō·w·ḇāh miz·zō·w·ḇōw miz·zō·wḇ mizZov mizzoVah mizzoVo mizzōwḇ mizzōwḇāh mizzōwḇōw zā·ḇāh zāḇāh zaVah zō·w·ḇāh zō·w·ḇōw zō·wḇ Zov zoVah zoVo zōwḇ zōwḇāh zōwḇōwLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Leviticus 15:2 HEB: זָ֣ב מִבְּשָׂר֔וֹ זוֹב֖וֹ טָמֵ֥א הֽוּא׃ NAS: from his body, his discharge is unclean. KJV: out of his flesh, [because of] his issue he [is] unclean. INT: A discharge his body his discharge is unclean he Leviticus 15:3 Leviticus 15:3 Leviticus 15:3 Leviticus 15:13 Leviticus 15:15 Leviticus 15:19 Leviticus 15:25 Leviticus 15:25 Leviticus 15:26 Leviticus 15:28 Leviticus 15:30 Leviticus 15:33 13 Occurrences |
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put aside or away, draw together, contract).