Lexical Summary hazah: To see, behold, perceive, prophesy Original Word: הָזָה Strong's Exhaustive Concordance sleep A primitive root (compare chazah); to dream -- sleep. see HEBREW chazah NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origina prim. root Definition to dream, rave NASB Translation dreamers (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs [הָזָה] verb dream, rave (Arabic  talk deliriously, Syriac  , in Lexicons, id., compare also Vrss; see especially BoHieroz. ii. 56; ed. Rosenm. vol. i. 782). — only Qal Participle active plural הֹזִים Isaiah 56:10 לֹא יוּכְלוּ שֹׁכְּבִים ׳לִנְבֹּ֑חַ הof dogs, metaphor of false prophets. Topical Lexicon Overview of the Term הָזָה portrays a state of dreamy drowsiness—literal or figurative—marked by inattentiveness and passive ease. Scripture employs it once, in Isaiah 56:10, to expose complacent leadership. Biblical Occurrence Isaiah 56:10 presents Jerusalem’s sentinels as “mute dogs… they lie around and dream, they love to sleep”. The participial form הֹזִים pictures them dozing when vigilance is demanded. The solitary use, framed by vivid metaphors (blind watchmen, silent dogs), gives the term sharp prophetic force: God’s appointed guardians have become self-absorbed and spiritually narcotized. Prophetic Background of Isaiah 56 Isaiah 56 opens the section (Isaiah 56–66) that looks beyond exile toward restored worship and a universal invitation to covenant life. Verses 1-8 trumpet righteousness and inclusion; verses 9-12 sound an antithetical alarm. Foreign beasts (56:9) symbolize external threat, but the grievous danger is internal—the watchmen asleep at their posts. הָזָה underscores the contrast between God’s ever-watchful care (Psalm 121:4) and the lethargy of human sentries. Theological Themes 1. Neglect of Calling. Spiritual offices carry weight; sleepiness where alertness is required invites judgment (Ezekiel 33:6). Historical Insights Post-exilic Judah struggled with weak governance and syncretism. While many Israelites returned with zeal, entrenched elites often insulated themselves. The image of “sleeping dogs” resonated with a populace confronted by political opportunism and spiritual stagnation. In rabbinic discourse the passage became a standard text against slothful scholars, while early Church writers used it to caution bishops and presbyters. Application for Modern Ministry • Pastoral Vigilance: Teachers must guard doctrine (1 Timothy 4:16) and lives (Hebrews 13:17), resisting cultural sedatives that dull conviction. Comparative Observations Ancient Near Eastern texts also speak of negligent gatekeepers, yet Isaiah grounds the indictment in covenant expectation, not merely civic duty. Unlike secular laments, the prophetic rebuke links leadership failure to loss of divine witness among the nations (Isaiah 56:7-8). Summative Reflection Though a hapax legomenon, הָזָה delivers a timeless message: God’s people cannot afford spiritual drowsiness. The Church must remain alert, discerning threats, protecting the vulnerable, and heralding the coming King “who neither slumbers nor sleeps” (Psalm 121:4). Forms and Transliterations הֹזִים֙ הזים hō·zîm hoZim hōzîmLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Isaiah 56:10 HEB: יוּכְל֖וּ לִנְבֹּ֑חַ הֹזִים֙ שֹֽׁכְבִ֔ים אֹהֲבֵ֖י NAS: to bark, Dreamers lying down, KJV: bark; sleeping, lying down, INT: cannot to bark Dreamers lying love |
    |