Lexical Summary zo: To flow, to issue, to discharge Original Word: זוֹ Strong's Exhaustive Concordance that, this For zeh; this or that -- that, this. see HEBREW zeh NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom zoh Definition this NASB Translation this (1), which (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs זוֹּ id quod זֹה (q. v.): only Hosea 7:16b זוֺ לַעָגָּם this (i.e. the falling by the sword, va) is their derision; and (as, relative) Psalm 132:12 וְעֵדֹ֫תִ֖י זֹוֺ and my testimony which . . . (neglecting the accentuation: see De, and compare the remark under זֶה 5). Topical Lexicon Linguistic Function זוֹ functions as a demonstrative pronoun meaning “this,” pointing the reader to a specific act, reality, or object just mentioned or about to be described. In Hosea 7:16 it works rhetorically to sharpen the prophet’s indictment by isolating the coming disgrace as a single, definable result of Israel’s rebellion. Canonical Context Hosea prophesied to the northern kingdom in the eighth century BC, exposing its spiritual adultery and political folly. The lone usage of זוֹ in Hosea 7:16 occurs within a poem that moves from metaphor (“a faulty bow,” Hosea 7:16) to explicit judgment. By inserting “this,” the Spirit directs attention to the certainty and specificity of the punishment: the humiliation in Egypt would not be an abstract possibility but an identifiable historical outcome. Theological Implications in Hosea 7:16 The verse reads in the Berean Standard Bible: “They turn, but not to the Most High; they are like a faulty bow. Their leaders will fall by the sword because of the cursing of their tongues. This will be their derision in the land of Egypt.” Here, זוֹ brackets the doom with precision. Israel’s leaders, trusting in foreign alliances instead of the Lord, will taste shame in the very nation they courted for help (compare 2 Kings 17:4). The demonstrative shows that God’s discipline is neither capricious nor vague; it is concrete, measurable, and anchored in covenant justice (Deuteronomy 28:68). Intertextual Echoes Although זוֹ appears only once, its demonstrative force parallels other prophetic uses of pointed language: Such phrases underscore the reliability of divine warning. Hosea’s single “this” stands in that tradition, marking the prophecy as certain. Christological Perspective Hosea’s charge anticipates the gospel’s call to turn—repentance that must be directed to the Most High, not merely to circumstances (Matthew 3:2; Acts 3:19). The “faulty bow” failed to hit its target; by contrast, Christ never missed the Father’s will (John 8:29). The clarity of זוֹ in Hosea 7:16 magnifies the clarity of the cross: God’s decisive answer to covenant breach is a specific, historical act—the crucifixion and resurrection of His Son (1 Peter 3:18). Application for Ministry 1. Precision in Preaching: Like Hosea’s זוֹ, proclamation today should point congregations to definite outcomes of belief and unbelief (Hebrews 2:3). Homiletical Observations • Illustrate the faulty bow with modern analogies (e.g., misfiring technology) to show how seemingly reliable human strategies collapse without God. Devotional Reflection Meditate on the certainty embedded in “this.” Ask: What specific outcomes am I sowing by today’s choices? Pray that the Holy Spirit will redirect every aimless arrow toward wholehearted obedience, confident that in Christ, God’s demonstrative word over His people is no longer condemnation but “this is My beloved Son… listen to Him” (Mark 9:7). Forms and Transliterations ז֥וֹ זו zo zōwLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Hosea 7:16 HEB: מִזַּ֣עַם לְשׁוֹנָ֑ם ז֥וֹ לַעְגָּ֖ם בְּאֶ֥רֶץ NAS: of their tongue. This [will be] their derision KJV: of their tongue: this [shall be] their derision INT: of the insolence of their tongue This their derision the land |
    |