---
title: זְאֵב — wolf · The Tanakh dictionary
description: זְאֵב (2061), a word of Biblical Hebrew, used 7 times: wolf. BDB 1906: n.m. wolf. With 2 verses in Hebrew, word for word and JPS 1917.
---

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# זְאֵב

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«זְאֵב» in the Tanakh dictionary: **wolf** — how often it is used, MACULA's glosses, its meanings in the printed dictionaries and why they were chosen, and 2 verses in layers.

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**Used:** 7 times · **Key:** 2061 · **BDB:** זְאֵב

### Glosses

wolf (2); \[are\].wolves (1); \[is\].a.wolf (1)

### Meaning (OSHB)

wolf [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1494/2061/#m1)

### Meaning (BDB 1906)

n.m. wolf [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1494/2061/#m2)

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**The whole BDB entry:** n.m. Is 11:6 wolf (NH id., Arabic ذِئْبٌ (jackal according to HomNS 303 ff.; but see RSZMG 1880, 373 and DoughtyArabic Deserta i. 327; ii, 144, 145) Aramaic דֵּיבָה, ܕܺܐܒܳܐ, Assyrian zîbu DlS 47; Ethiopic ዝእብ hyena Di1056 (on format. cf. LagBN 58); Ph. in cpd.n.pr. זיבקם)—זְאֵב abs. Gn 49:27 + 2 times; cstr. Je 5:6; pl. זְאֵבִים Ez 22:27; cstr. זְאֵבֵי Hb 1:8 Zp 3:3;—wolf, never in narrative; in predictions of peace in Messian. age וְגָר זְאֵב עִם כֶּבֶשׂ Is 11:6 זְאֵב וְטָלֶה יִרְעוּ כְּאֶחָד Is 65:25; in simile, of Benjamin’s fierceness ב׳ זְאֵב יִטְרָ֑ף Gn 49:27; of fierce horses of Chaldeans חַדּוּ מִזְּאֵבֵי עֶרֶב Hb 1:8 (‖ קַלּוּ מִנְּמֵרִים); of princes of Judah כִּזְאֵבִים טֹרְפֵי טָ֑רֶף Ez 22:27; metaph. of enemies of Judah Je 5:6 זְאֵב עֲרָבוֹת (‖ אַרְיֵה, נָמֵר); of corrupt and oppressive judges שֹׁפְטֶיהָ זְאֵבֵי עֶרֶב Zp 3:3 (‖ אֲרָיוֹת שֹׁאֲגִים).

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Why these entries: BDB: headword, part of speech agrees, 7 of its verses cited, 1 words shared with the glosses, lists its Strong's number (3 candidates); OSHB: headword, part of speech agrees, 1 words shared with the BDB entry, 1 with the glosses (2 candidates)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every English meaning of «זְאֵב» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1494/2061/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.

### In the verses

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[Genesis 49:27](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/torah/GEN.49.27/)

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בִּנְיָמִין֙ זְאֵ֣ב יִטְרָ֔ף בַּבֹּ֖קֶר יֹ֣אכַל עַ֑ד וְלָעֶ֖רֶב יְחַלֵּ֥ק שָׁלָֽל׃

*Word for word:* Benjamin \[is\].a.wolf \[which\].it.tears.to.pieces in the morning he.consumes booty and to the evening he.divides plunder

*JPS 1917:* Benjamin is a wolf that raveneth; in the morning he devoureth the prey, and at even he divideth the spoil.'

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[Zephaniah 3:3](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/neviim/ZEP.3.3/)

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שָׂרֶ֣יהָ בְקִרְבָּ֔הּ אֲרָי֖וֹת שֹֽׁאֲגִ֑ים שֹׁפְטֶ֙יהָ֙ זְאֵ֣בֵי עֶ֔רֶב לֹ֥א גָרְמ֖וּ לַבֹּֽקֶר׃

*Word for word:* officials its in midst its \[are\].lions roaring judges its \[are\].wolves of.\[the\].evening \[which\].not they.gnaw to the morning

*JPS 1917:* Her princes in the midst of her are roaring lions; her judges are wolves of the desert, they leave not a bone for the morrow.

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