Language Studies

Hebrew Thoughts

’ôzen - אזֶן (Strong's #241)
Ear

’ôzen "ear" אזֶן (Strong's #241)

"...a heart to know, eyes to see, and ears to hear" (Deuteronomy 29:4, JPS)

The word אזֶן ’ôzen "ear" (Strong's #241, x187) is a feminine singular noun that also occurs as a plural dual word, functioning a bit like our trousers, since they usually come in pairs. It shows up often in several idiomatic phrases in conjunction with other words.

For example, in around a dozen verses it occurs in proximity to the verb גָּלָה gâlâh "make naked" (Strong's #1540, x188) or in the phrase "uncover the ears". Making the ears naked, means to swish away the hair, thereby uncovering them and allowing someone to whisper into them. Hence the phrase often means "to reveal [in the ear]", as in Isaiah 22:14 "It was revealed in my ears...", elsewhere in Ruth, Job and Samuel.

Sometimes the word "ear" is omitted as superfluous or archaic in translation. Thus Psalm 18:4 - "As soon as they hear of me they obey me...", actually begins לְשֵׁמַע אזֶן יִשָּׁמְעוּ l^eshêma’ ’ôzen yishshâm‘û "[according] to a hearing of an ear they will be caused to hear". Seemingly just three words in Hebrew becomes an earful in English! The verb translated as "obey" is actually שָׁמַע shâma‘ (Strong's #8085, x1160), the root verb of שֵׁמַע shêma’ "hearing, report, fame" (Strong's #8088, x18) and is often translated by some variation of "hear, heed, understand, obey".

Job 28:22 also uses the same verbs as the Psalm above, "Destruction and Death say: 'We have heard rumour of it with our ears.'" In the Hebrew it is: בְּאָזְנֵינוּ שָׁמַענוּ שִׁמְעָה b^e’ozenêynû shâm‘nû shim'‘âh "in our ears we’ve heard a report", clearly, "we’ve heard a report" would be sufficient, the "in our ears" accentuates it.

Isaiah 5:9 bypasses any additional verb altogether, "In my ears the LORD of hosts", where "said" is implied but not written in the Hebrew, which just has בְּאָזֶנָי b^e’ozenây "in my ears."

The word is used of the ears of man, of God, even of those of dogs and sheep. To speak "in the ears" of someone is overtly literal for just speaking in someone's hearing or presence.

The close and obvious association between ears and hearing is taken a step further with the intensive or causative meaning of שָׁמַע shâma‘ as "obey". This underlies some of the symbolism in a slave's ears being pierced as a sign of life-long obedience (Exodus 21:6) and an obedient ear open to reproof being like a golden earring upon it (Proverbs 25:12).

Conversely, disobedience can be represented by making the ears "heavy" or "hard" (Zecharaiah 7:11) using the verb כָּבַד kâbhadh (Strong's #3513, x116) the root from which we also get the word כָּבֵד kâbhêdh (Strong's #3516, x14) "liver". Another way this is described is using the term עָרֵל 'ârêl (Strong's #6189, x35) "uncircumcised" or "dull" in the JPS translation. Though a better translation would be "covered" or "closed" as the same word is used of Moses's mumbled speech (Exodus 6:12,30), just as a foreskin covers one who is uncircumcised.

The ear is thus seen as the organ of receptivity or rejection, of understanding and obedience, much as we now view the mind or brain.

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