Lexical Summary zaaph: Rage, wrath, storm Original Word: זָעַף Strong's Exhaustive Concordance fret, sad, worse liking, be wroth A primitive root; properly, to boil up, i.e. (figuratively) to be peevish or angry -- fret, sad, worse liking, be wroth. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origina prim. root Definition to be vexed, be enraged NASB Translation dejected (1), enraged (2), looking...haggard (1), rages (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs [זַעַף] verb be out of humour, vexed; be enraged (Aramaic  rage against, זְעַף to storm, זַעֲפָא storm; compare Samaritan  blow, breathe) — Qal Imperfect יִזְעַף Proverbs 19:3; וַיִּזְעַף2Chronicles 26:19; Infinitive זַעְמּוֺ2Chronicles 26:19; Participle plural זֹעֲפִים Genesis 40:6; Daniel 1:10; — 1 be out of humour Genesis 40:6 (E); dejected, of face Daniel 1:10; followed by עַל Proverbs 19:3 fret against (AV). 2 be enraged (late: compare Aramaic above) 2 Chronicles 26:19; followed by עִם 2 Chronicles 26:19. Topical Lexicon Overview of Meaning זָעַף (zāʿaph) depicts a storm of emotion that shows on the countenance—an outward scowl rooted in inward turmoil. It can signal anger that lashes out (2 Chronicles 26:19), a brooding resentment against God (Proverbs 19:3), or the drained, crest-fallen look of those under crushing circumstances (Genesis 40:6; Daniel 1:10). In every scene Scripture records, the word exposes the heart; what is brewing within inevitably surfaces on the face. Occurrences in Scripture Genesis 40:6 – Joseph notices that Pharaoh’s cupbearer and baker are “distraught”. Their downcast faces invite Joseph’s compassionate inquiry and set in motion the chain of events that will lift Joseph from prison to Pharaoh’s court. Here zāʿaph is a window into hidden anxiety—a distress God will use for His providential purposes. 2 Chronicles 26:19 – King Uzziah, censer in hand, “became enraged” when the priests withstood his unlawful attempt to burn incense. His angry visage is immediately met by the judgment of leprosy. Zāʿaph thus marks the moment pride crosses the line into defiant wrath against God’s ordained order. Proverbs 19:3 – “A man’s own folly subverts his way, yet his heart rages against the LORD”. The proverb universalizes zāʿaph: human failure births a smoldering grievance toward God. The verse warns that anger at heaven is often self-induced and irrational. Daniel 1:10 – The Babylonian official fears that the king will see Daniel and his friends with faces “looking more haggard”. Here zāʿaph denotes a gaunt, unwell appearance—an external sign that could provoke royal displeasure. The episode highlights how visible condition affected court politics in the ancient Near East. Themes and Spiritual Insights 1. The Face as Mirror of the Heart. In all five attestations, the countenance reveals inner reality before a word is spoken, underscoring biblical anthropology: “As in water face reflects face, so the heart of man reflects the man” (Proverbs 27:19). Historical and Cultural Background Ancient courts treated visible emotion as politically dangerous. A disturbed expression could signal conspiracy or divine disfavor, explaining the chief eunuch’s anxiety in Daniel 1:10 and the king’s ultimate punishment of the baker in Genesis 40. Likewise, a monarch’s angry face carried lethal potential. Assyrian reliefs depict subjects prostrating themselves to avoid a sovereign’s wrath, a background that illuminates the priests’ alarm when Uzziah “became enraged.” Hebrew wisdom literature framed unchecked anger as folly (Proverbs 14:17, 29). Zāʿaph contributes to this motif by emphasizing the self-inflicted nature of rage, aligning with the larger Near Eastern recognition that anger could fracture community and invite divine judgment. Christological and Redemptive Implications Hebrew Scripture’s concern with disordered anger prepares the way for Jesus’ teaching: “Everyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment” (Matthew 5:22). Where Uzziah’s face burned with pride, the Messiah’s face was “marred beyond human likeness” (Isaiah 52:14) in atoning suffering, turning divine anger away from sinners. The sadness Joseph discerned anticipates the Man of Sorrows who notices every troubled countenance and offers deliverance. Applications for Ministry and Discipleship • Pastoral Care: Like Joseph, believers are called to read troubled faces and engage with compassionate questions that open doors for gospel hope. Intertextual Resonances Zāʿaph belongs to a cluster of Hebrew terms for anger (חֳרִי־אָף, קָצַף, עָנַף). Unlike the metaphor of flaring nostrils, zāʿaph focuses on the emotive mask of the face. It thereby links to New Testament exhortations concerning the believer’s appearance: “Do all things without grumbling or arguing, that you may become blameless and pure” (Philippians 2:14-15). Summary Strong’s Hebrew 2196 pinpoints the moment inward turbulence shows itself. Whether in royal courts, prison cells, or the arena of personal failure, זָעַף serves as a scriptural reminder that the face cannot long conceal the heart, that unchecked anger provokes divine discipline, and that God, in mercy, can redeem even sullen countenances for His saving purposes. Forms and Transliterations וַיִּזְעַף֙ וּבְזַעְפּ֣וֹ ובזעפו ויזעף זֹֽעֲפִ֗ים זֹעֲפִֽים׃ זעפים זעפים׃ יִזְעַ֥ף יזעף ū·ḇə·za‘·pōw ūḇəza‘pōw uvezaPo vaiyizAf way·yiz·‘ap̄ wayyiz‘ap̄ yiz‘ap̄ yiz·‘ap̄ yizAf zō‘ăp̄îm zō·‘ă·p̄îm zoaFimLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Genesis 40:6 HEB: אֹתָ֔ם וְהִנָּ֖ם זֹעֲפִֽים׃ NAS: them, behold, they were dejected. KJV: and looked upon them, and, behold, they [were] sad. INT: and observed behold were dejected 2 Chronicles 26:19 2 Chronicles 26:19 Proverbs 19:3 Daniel 1:10 5 Occurrences |
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