Lexical Summary zeker: memory, name, remembered Original Word: זֵכֶר Strong's Exhaustive Concordance memorial, memory, remembrance, scent Or zeker {zeh'-ker}; from zakar; a memento, abstr. Recollection (rarely if ever); by implication, commemoration -- memorial, memory, remembrance, scent. see HEBREW zakar NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom zakar Definition remembrance, memorial NASB Translation memorial-name (1), memory (12), mention (1), name (4), remembered (2), remembrance (2), renown (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs II. זֶ֫כֶר noun masculine Exodus 17:14, see following. זֵ֫כֶר noun masculinePsalm 9:7 remembrance, memorial (compare HptHebraica. 1885, 230) — ׳ז absolute Psalm 111:4; construct Deuteronomy 25:19 +; זֶכֶר construct Exodus 17:14 van d. H; suffix זִכְרִי Exodus 3:15, זִכְרְךָ Isaiah 26:8 +, זִכְרֶ֑ךָ Psalm 6:6, זִכְרוֺ Hosea 12:6 +, זִכְרָם Deuteronomy 32:26 +: — 1 remembrance, memory: a. of persons or people, blotted out by their destruction, Exodus 17:14 (E; with מחה) = Deuteronomy 25:19; Deuteronomy 32:26 (השׁבית) Psalm 34:17; Psalm 109:15 (both הכרית), Psalm 9:7 (אבד), Job 18:17 (אבד; "" שֵׁם), Isaiah 26:14 (אבּד); compare on other hand עוֺלָם ׳ז as portion of righteous. b. of ׳י Psalm 6:6; Psalm 102:13 ("" אַתָּה = יהוה). c. of ׳יs character and works Psalm 30:5; Psalm 97:12; Psalm 111:4. d. remembrance of particular days, i.e. their observance Esther 9:28 (הַמּוּרִים יְמֵי). 2 memorial, by which one is remembered: a. nearly = שֵׁם, צַדִּיק לִבְרָכָה ׳ז Proverbs 10:7 ("" שֵׁם), compare also Ecclesiastes 9:5 (with נשׁכח); especially of ׳י Exodus 3:15 (E), Hosea 12:6; Isaiah 26:8; Psalm 135:13 (all "" שֵׁם). b. = renown (of Israel) Hosea 14:8 (compare VB). Topical Lexicon Overview זֵכֶר (zeker) denotes “remembrance,” “memory,” or “memorial.” Scripture uses the term both positively—to preserve God’s name, mighty acts, and covenant faithfulness—and negatively—to announce the complete erasure of the wicked. The word therefore functions as a theological hinge between salvation history and human response, anchoring worship, warning, and hope. Divine Name as Eternal Memorial God Himself establishes the primary remembrance in Scripture. When revealing His name to Moses He declares, “This is My name forever, and this is how I am to be remembered in every generation” (Exodus 3:15). Psalm 135:13 echoes, “Your name, O LORD, endures forever, Your remembrance, O LORD, through all generations.” Here zeker underlines the permanence of the covenant name YHWH. Israel is commanded not merely to recall a fact but to perpetuate a living testimony of God’s identity and character. Every feast, sacrifice, and psalm of praise draws its authority from this perpetual memorial. Covenant Judgment and the Blotting Out of Memory Conversely, zeker also marks the utter obliteration of those who oppose the LORD. The Amalekites, who attacked Israel’s weak stragglers, become the paradigmatic example: “you shall blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven” (Deuteronomy 25:19; cf. Exodus 17:14). In Deuteronomy 32:26 God warns apostate Israel with the very penalty once reserved for the nations: “I would have said, ‘I will cut them to pieces and blot out their memory from mankind.’” The prophets adopt the same language against the wicked (Isaiah 26:14; Psalm 34:16; Psalm 9:6), showing that divine justice extends beyond physical destruction to historical oblivion. Memory itself becomes an arena of covenant blessing or curse. Corporate Worship and Praise Several psalms harness zeker to call God’s people into thanksgiving: In these contexts remembrance is active liturgy. The community rehearses God’s deeds, ensuring that succeeding generations inherit a faith informed by history rather than sentiment. Thus, worship is historically rooted, intellectually engaged, and spiritually enlivened. The Fate of the Wicked and the Blessing of the Righteous Wisdom literature applies zeker to individual legacy. Proverbs 10:7 teaches, “The memory of the righteous is a blessing, but the name of the wicked will rot.” Job anticipates the same outcome for the ungodly: “The memory of him will perish from the earth” (Job 18:17). Psalm 112:6, by contrast, assures the god-fearer, “Surely he will never be shaken; the righteous man will be remembered forever.” The doctrine is two-edged: God vindicates those who fear Him by preserving their story, while He consigns the unrepentant to obscurity. Eschatological Longing Isaiah’s prayer captures Israel’s yearning for covenant fulfillment: “Yes, LORD, walking in the way of Your judgments, we wait for You; Your name and Your renown are the desire of our souls” (Isaiah 26:8). The remnant’s hope is anchored in God’s remembered faithfulness, which guarantees future restoration (Hosea 14:7). Even Ecclesiastes 9:5—“the dead know nothing; they have no further reward, and even the memory of them is forgotten”—serves to heighten the contrast between life under the sun and the enduring memorial of those who trust in the LORD. Historical Continuity in Post-Exilic Israel Esther 9:28 shows how zeker structures Israel’s collective memory after exile: “These days should be remembered and observed in every generation.” The Feast of Purim institutionalizes deliverance as liturgical memory, safeguarding national identity amid diaspora pressures. The principle remains: salvation history must be embedded in calendrical rhythm lest it fade. New Covenant Resonances Although the Hebrew term does not appear in the New Testament, its theology undergirds the Lord’s Supper (“Do this in remembrance of Me,” Luke 22:19) and apostolic admonitions to remember Jesus Christ risen from the dead (2 Timothy 2:8). The final book of Scripture culminates in the Lamb’s “book of life,” the ultimate repository of divine remembrance, contrasting with those “whose names are not written” (Revelation 20:15). Ministry Application 1. Preaching: Proclaim God’s acts with historical specificity; faith is strengthened when believers trace the unbroken line of divine remembrance. Summary זֵכֶר frames the biblical drama of salvation and judgment. God’s own name stands as an eternal memorial, inviting perpetual praise. At the same time, He alone has authority to erase remembrance from under heaven, vindicating holiness. For the church today, rightly practicing remembrance nurtures doctrinal fidelity, fuels worship, and readies the saints for the day when “His name will be on their foreheads” and His memorial will fill the new creation forever. Forms and Transliterations וְ֝זִכְרְךָ֗ וְזִכְרָ֖ם וּֽלְזִכְרְךָ֖ וזכרך וזכרם ולזכרך זִֽכְרוֹ־ זִכְר֖וֹ זִכְרְךָ֥ זִכְרִ֖י זִכְרֶ֑ךָ זִכְרָ֣ם זִכְרָֽם׃ זִכְרֽוֹ׃ זֵ֖כֶר זֵ֣כֶר זכר זכרו זכרו־ זכרו׃ זכרי זכרך זכרם זכרם׃ לְזֵ֣כֶר לְזֵ֥כֶר לזכר lə·zê·ḵer leZecher ləzêḵer ū·lə·ziḵ·rə·ḵā ulezichreCha ūləziḵrəḵā vezichRam vezichrecha wə·ziḵ·rām wə·ziḵ·rə·ḵā wəziḵrām wəziḵrəḵā zê·ḵer Zecher zêḵer zichRam zichRecha zichRi zichRo zichrov ziḵ·rām ziḵ·re·ḵā ziḵ·rə·ḵā ziḵ·rî ziḵ·rōw ziḵ·rōw- ziḵrām ziḵreḵā ziḵrəḵā ziḵrî ziḵrōw ziḵrōw-Links Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Exodus 3:15 HEB: לְעֹלָ֔ם וְזֶ֥ה זִכְרִ֖י לְדֹ֥ר דֹּֽר׃ NAS: and this is My memorial-name to all KJV: for ever, and this [is] my memorial unto all INT: forever and this is my memorial-name to all generations Exodus 17:14 Deuteronomy 25:19 Deuteronomy 32:26 Esther 9:28 Job 18:17 Psalm 6:5 Psalm 9:6 Psalm 30:4 Psalm 34:16 Psalm 97:12 Psalm 102:12 Psalm 109:15 Psalm 111:4 Psalm 112:6 Psalm 135:13 Psalm 145:7 Proverbs 10:7 Ecclesiastes 9:5 Isaiah 26:8 Isaiah 26:14 Hosea 12:5 Hosea 14:7 23 Occurrences |
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