Bible Lexicons

זֶה with prefix בָּזֶה, לָזֶה, f. זאֹת, more rarely זֹה Ecclesiastes 2:2, 5:15, 18 7:23 9:13 זוֹ Hosea 7:16 Psal. 132:12 (and in this place instead of the relative), once זאֹתָה Jeremiah 26:6 כתיב, plus. אֵלֶּה (which see).

(1) this, a demonstrative pronoun, hic, hœc, hoc. Arabic ذا, هذا hic, Syr. ܗܳܕܐܶ hæc, Eth. ዝ፡ fem. ዛ፡ ዛቲ፡ Hence have sprung the Aramean דִּי, דְּ and Eth. ዘ፡, which have become relatives. Corresponding to the Sanscrit sas, sa, tat. With regard to demonstratives generally beginning with the demonstrative letter d, or with the same sound sibilated, see above p. 90, A. [in the note after אֲשֶׁר] and to these may be added the German da.

זֶה is placed either separately, or with a substantive; if the latter, it commonly, like an adjective, follows the substantive, and it has the article prefixed whenever the substantive itself has; as הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה this word; בַּיּוֹס הַזֶּה “in this day,” Genesis 7:11. In other places זֶה without the article is prefixed to a noun, and this takes place

(a) where the predicate of a proposition is contained in this pronoun, זֶה הַדָּבָר “this (is) the word, Exodus 35:4; Judges 4:14.

(b) where the pronoun is emphatically demonstrative. Psalms 104:25, זֶח הַיָּם הַגָּדוֹל “(behold!) this great sea.” Ezra 3:12, זֶה הַבַּיִת “this house.” Judges 5:5, זֶה סִינַי “this Sinai.” Joshua 9:12, זֶה לַחְמֵנוּ “this our bread.” Ps. 48:15, זֶה אֱלֹהִים “this God;” 1 Kings 14:6; Isaiah 23:13. Comp. in Gr. τοῦτο τὸ θηρίον. And this more emphatic collocation, which is much used in Syriac and Chald. (דְּנָה חֶלְמָא Daniel 4:15), is frequent with the Hebrew poets, and later writers; sometimes also, like the Gr. οὗτος, and Lat. iste, it is used in the sense of despising, and as expressing contempt towards some one. Exodus 32:1, זֶה משֶׁה הָאִישׁ; verse 23 Exodus 32:23, comp. 10:7 1 Samuel 10:27. Likewise it is vividly demonstrative, when added to interrogative pronouns to increase their power. Isaiah 63:1, מִי זֶה בָּא “who (is) this coming?” Job 38:2, 42:3, elsewhere מִי הוּא (see הוּא ), and more fully מִי הוּא זֶה Jeremiah 30:21; Psalms 24:10 (and so מַה־וֶּה what then? wie denn? wie doch? Genesis 27:20 why then? Judges 18:24; 1 Kings 21:5 לָמָּה זֶה id. Genesis 18:13, 25:22. Arabic لَِماذَا). זֶה rarely follows, as in Daniel 10:17, אֲידֹנִי זֶה, and with a pronoun אַתָּה זֶה thou (compare the Latin ille ego), du da, Genesis 27:21. This pronoun may be used as referring to that which precedes (Ecclesiastes 6:9), or, as is more common, to that which follows. Genesis 5:1, in the introductory words of the chapter, “this (is) the book of the genealogy of Adam.” Exodus 30:13, זֶה יִתְּנוּ … מַחֲצִית שֶׁקֶל “this they shall give … a half shekel.” Psalms 7:4, אִם עָשִׂיתִי זאֹת “if I have done this” (namely, what follows); 42:5 Isaiah 56:2, 58:6 66:2. So the plur. אֵלֶּה (which see), Greek οὗτος (v. Passow h. v. No. 2). The repetition זֶה … זֶה this … that, hic … ille, one … another, unus … alter; Job 1:16; 1 Kings 22:20 זֶה אֶל זֶה one to another, Isaiah 6:3.

(2) זֶה is more rarely, and only by poetic usage, put instead of the relative, like the Germ. der for welcher, d a mit for w o mit [like the use of that in English instead of who or which], (compare on the subject of relatives, as springing mostly from demonstratives under the words אֲשֶׁר, הַ·). Psal. 104:8, אֶל־מְקוֹם זֶה יָסַדְתָּ לָהֶם “to the place which thou hast founded for them;” Proverbs 23:22; Job 15:17; Psalms 78:54. With this signification it seems to be indeclinable, like אֲשֶׁר, and thus it stands also for the plural, Job 19:19. [“Once for the fem. plus. זוֹ is found, Psalms 132:12.”] As a mark simply of relation (like אֲשֶׁר A, 2), Psalms 74:2, הַר צִיּוֹן זֶה שָׁכַנְתָּ בּוֹ “Mount Zion in which thou dwellest;” Isaiah 25:9.

(3) It becomes an adverb

(a) of place, here, for בָּזֶה in this sc. place, Genesis 28:17; Numbers 13:17, etc.; מִזֶּה hence, Genesis 37:17; Exodus 11:1 מִזֶּה וּמִזֶּה hence and hence, on either side, Numbers 22:24; Joshua 8:33. With a demonstrative power הִנֵּה זֶה fiehe da! lo! here, Song of Solomon 2:8; 1 Kings 19:5.

(b) of time, now, already, properly, at this, sc. time. Micah 5:4, וְהָיָה זֶה שָׁלוֹם “and now there shall be peace;” 1 Kings 17:24, זֶה יָדַעְתִּי “now I know.” עַתָּה זֶה just now, at present. Ruth 2:7; 1 Kings 17:24. With this signification it is often prefixed to numerals; Genesis 27:36, זֶה פַעֲמַיִם “these two times;” Genesis 31:38, זֶה עֶשְׂרִים שָׁנָה “these twenty years;” verse 41 Genesis 31:41, 43:10 45:6 Numbers 14:22; Judges 16:15; Zechariah 7:3, זֶה בַּמֶּה שָׁנִים “already so many years.”

(4) with prefixes

(a) בָּזֶה in this sc. place, here (see No. 3), Genesis 38:21; Exodus 24:14 tropically applied to time, then, Esther 2:13.

(b) כָּוֹה וְכָזֶה so and so, Judges 18:4; 2 Samuel 11:25; 1 Kings 14:5.