2198. zaeph
Lexical Summary
zaeph: Angry, enraged, sullen

Original Word: זָעֵף
Part of Speech: Adjective
Transliteration: za`eph
Pronunciation: zah-AYF
Phonetic Spelling: (zaw-afe')
KJV: displeased
NASB: vexed
Word Origin: [from H2196 (זָעַף - enraged)]

1. angry

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
displeased

From za'aph; angry -- displeased.

see HEBREW za'aph

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
from zaaph
Definition
vexed
NASB Translation
vexed (2).

Brown-Driver-Briggs
זָעֵף adjective out of humour, vexed, only of Ahab 1 Kings 20:43; 1 Kings 21:4 ("" סַר).

Topical Lexicon
Semantic Nuance

זָעֵף portrays a brooding, inward-turned anger that festers into a sulky, resentful spirit. Unlike explosive fury, it smolders in the heart, poisoning motives and perceptions while outwardly appearing withdrawn or morose.

Biblical Occurrences

1 Kings 20:43 – After the prophet’s rebuke for sparing Ben-Hadad, “the king of Israel went to his house in Samaria angry and sullen.”
1 Kings 21:4 – When Naboth refuses to cede his vineyard, “Ahab went to his palace sullen and angry… and refused to eat.”

Narrative Background

Both texts center on King Ahab. In the first, God grants victory over Aram, yet Ahab’s disobedient leniency earns prophetic censure; his sullenness reveals wounded pride rather than repentance. In the second, his inability to obtain Naboth’s vineyard exposes covetousness and entitlement; again, זָעֵף surfaces when self-interest is frustrated.

Theological Observations

1. Sullenness is a silent protest against God’s providence. Ahab’s moodiness follows direct confrontation with divine will—first through prophecy, then through covenant law protecting ancestral land.
2. זָעֵף often precedes deeper sin. Ahab’s sulk opens the door to Jezebel’s murderous plot (1 Kings 21:7-14). Brooding anger, left unchecked, invites further rebellion.
3. Leadership accountability: the king’s private spirit affects national destiny. His personal resentment escalates into public injustice and eventual judgment (1 Kings 21:20-24).

Character Study: The Sulking King

Ahab embodies a leader who wants God’s blessing without God’s boundaries. His sullen anger signals refusal to submit. The contrast with David—who repents when confronted (2 Samuel 12:13)—highlights the hardening effect of unyielded anger.

Historical Insight

Ancient Near Eastern kings prided themselves on magnanimity and conquest. Ahab’s refusal to accept limits from prophet or peasant violates covenant principles unique to Israel’s theocracy, where even a monarch must bow to Torah. זָעֵף captures the clash between royal ambition and divine authority.

Practical Ministry Application

• Pastoral counseling: help believers identify sulking anger masked as depression; guide them toward confession and reconciliation (Ephesians 4:26-27).
• Leadership training: warn that private disgruntlement can mutate into corporate harm; cultivate a responsive heart to God’s corrective word.
• Worship and lament: encourage honest expression of frustration to God (e.g., Psalms of complaint) rather than inward seething.

Intertextual Echoes

While different Hebrew terms appear, the heart posture of Cain “very angry, and his face fell” (Genesis 4:5) parallels זָעֵף. Both narratives progress from inward gloom to outward sin, reinforcing Scripture’s consistent warning against harboring resentment.

Lessons for Today

Sullen anger may seem passive, yet Scripture treats it as spiritually perilous. Yielding rights, embracing God’s verdicts, and trusting His timing transform זָעֵף into worshipful surrender—an antidote modeled perfectly by Christ, “who, when He suffered, He did not threaten but entrusted Himself to Him who judges justly” (1 Peter 2:23).

Forms and Transliterations
וְזָעֵ֑ף וְזָעֵ֗ף וזעף vezaEf wə·zā·‘êp̄ wəzā‘êp̄
Links
Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman's Concordance
1 Kings 20:43
HEB: בֵּית֖וֹ סַ֣ר וְזָעֵ֑ף וַיָּבֹ֖א שֹׁמְרֽוֹנָה׃
NAS: sullen and vexed, and came
KJV: heavy and displeased, and came
INT: his house sullen and vexed and came to Samaria

1 Kings 21:4
HEB: בֵּית֜וֹ סַ֣ר וְזָעֵ֗ף עַל־ הַדָּבָר֙
NAS: sullen and vexed because
KJV: heavy and displeased because of the word
INT: house sullen and vexed because of the word

2 Occurrences

Strong's Hebrew 2198
2 Occurrences


wə·zā·‘êp̄ — 2 Occ.

2197
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