Hebrew word · H2102

זִיד

zadu

to boil

The basic meaning is 'to boil, seethe'. Genesis 25:29 uses it when Jacob 'cooked' (wayyazed) stew. In the causative and moral sense it means to act presumptuously, insolently or with deliberate defiance, as when self-will 'boils over' against a rightful authority.

Appears 10 times in 10 verses of the Hebrew Old Testament. ·

What it means

1) to boil, boil up, seethe, act proudly, act presumptuously, act rebelliously, be presumptuous, be arrogant, be rebelliously proud

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to act presumptuously

1a2) to deal arrogantly (with 'al')

1a3) to defy proudly (with 'el')

1b) (Hiphil)

1b1) to boil, seethe, act proudly

1b2) to act presumptuously, act insolently

Aramaic equivalent: zud (זוּד "be proud" H2103)

Abridged from Brown, Driver and Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (1906), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

In depth

From the study of Nehemiah 9:16

Range of meaning

The basic meaning is 'to boil, seethe'. Genesis 25:29 uses it when Jacob 'cooked' (wayyazed) stew. In the causative and moral sense it means to act presumptuously, insolently or with deliberate defiance, as when self-will 'boils over' against a rightful authority. Related nouns: zed, 'arrogant, insolent person' (frequent in Psalm 119), and zadon, 'presumption, insolence'.

Against the English

KJV, YLT 'dealt/acted proudly' and WEB 'behaved proudly' suggest an inner feeling of pride. BSB/NIV 'became arrogant' is closer, but still sounds like an attitude. ESV/NRSV 'acted presumptuously' best catches the deliberate, rule-defying action. No English word carries the 'boiling over' picture.

How it drifted

In modern English 'pride' and 'arrogance' are mostly about attitude or personality (conceit, self-importance). The Hebrew word is about conduct: knowingly overstepping a boundary that a superior has set.

Used elsewhere in the period

In Torah law the word marks the most serious kind of wrongdoing. Exodus 21:14 uses it for a man who kills his neighbour 'deliberately' (yazid), as opposed to by accident. Deuteronomy 17:12–13 uses it for someone who 'acts presumptuously' by refusing the priest's or judge's verdict, a capital offence. Deuteronomy 18:20 uses it for the prophet who 'presumes' to speak what God did not command. Deuteronomy 1:43 uses it of the wilderness generation going up 'presumptuously' against the Amorites. Nehemiah 9:10 uses it of Egypt's treatment of Israel, and 9:29 repeats the charge against Israel. The Septuagint (the ancient Greek translation) renders it hyperēphaneusanto, 'they behaved haughtily'.

From the study of Exodus 18:11

Range of meaning

Basic sense: to boil or seethe, as in cooking (Gen 25:29, 'Jacob cooked a stew', where the verb and noun both come from this root). In extended use: to boil over in pride, to act presumptuously, insolently or willfully, especially in open defiance of a higher authority. Related words: zēd ('arrogant, insolent person'), zādôn ('presumption, insolence').

Against the English

'Dealt proudly' (KJV) and 'treated with arrogance' (BSB, WEB) point the right way, but English 'arrogance' usually names an attitude, a sense of superiority. Zid names an action: deliberate, defiant overreach against someone, done on purpose and in contempt of a higher power.

How it drifted

English 'proud' and 'arrogant' have drifted toward describing personality or manner. The Hebrew word belongs to the language of willful, culpable acts.

Used elsewhere in the period

In Torah law, zid marks deliberate, defiant wrongdoing. Exod 21:14 says 'if a man acts presumptuously (yazid) against his neighbor to kill him by cunning', which is premeditated murder. Deut 17:12–13 and 18:20–22 condemn acting or speaking 'presumptuously' (be-zadon). Neh 9:10 uses the causative form of the same verb for Egypt: 'they acted arrogantly against them'. The Babylonian Talmud (Sotah 11a) plays on the cooking sense: 'in the pot in which they cooked, they were cooked'.

From the study of Deuteronomy 18:20

Range of meaning

The basic sense is 'to boil, seethe'. In Gen 25:29 Jacob 'boiled' (vayazed) a stew. In its active-causative form (the hiphil) it means to act hotly, insolently, presumptuously, to overstep one's limits on purpose. Related words: zed, 'an arrogant, insolent person' (Ps 119:21, Mal 3:15), and zadon, 'presumption, insolence' (Deut 17:12; 18:22; Prov 11:2).

Against the English

The KJV/ESV/NIV 'presumes' and the NASB/WEB 'presumptuously' are correct in older English, where to presume meant to take liberties or overstep. The BSB's 'dares' keeps the sense of audacity well. Modern 'presume' (= assume, suppose) loses it.

How it drifted

English 'presume' has shifted from 'act with arrogant boldness' toward 'take for granted, suppose'. A modern reader can hear 'assumes he speaks for God', which sounds like an innocent misjudgment. The Hebrew describes defiant self-assertion.

Used elsewhere in the period

Exod 21:14: 'if a man acts presumptuously (yazid) against his neighbour to kill him by cunning' is premeditated murder, as opposed to accidental killing. Deut 1:43: Israel 'acted presumptuously' (vattazidu) when they marched into the hill country against God's order. Deut 17:12–13: the man who acts 'with presumption' (bezadon) against the priest or judge dies, 'and all the people will hear and fear and not act presumptuously again'. Deut 18:22 picks up the theme: the unfulfilled word was spoken 'bezadon', in presumption. The LXX here renders it ἀσεβήσῃ, 'acts impiously'. The Vulgate expands it to 'arrogantia depravatus', 'corrupted by arrogance'.

Where it appears

Genesis · 1

  1. Genesis 25:29 וַיָּ֥זֶד and he had cooked

    One day, while Jacob was cooking some stew, Esau came in from the field and was famished.

Exodus · 2

  1. Exodus 18:11 זָד֖וּ they have acted presumptuously

    Now I know that the LORD is greater than all other gods, for He did this when they treated Israel with arrogance.”

    Here: 'They boiled over', meaning they acted with willful, insolent defiance. The subject is unnamed but obviously the Egyptians. The root also means to cook or seethe (Gen 25:29), which later Jewish readers turned into a pun: in the pot they cooked, they were cooked.

  2. Exodus 21:14 יָזִ֥ד he will act presumptuously

    But if a man schemes and acts willfully against his neighbor to kill him, you must take him away from My altar to be put to death.

    Here: The verb's basic picture is boiling, as of a stew. In this causative form it means acting with arrogant, deliberate defiance. The killer is not someone swept up in an accident. He sets himself against his fellow on purpose.

Deuteronomy · 3

  1. Deuteronomy 1:43 וַתָּזִ֖דוּ and you acted presumptuously

    So I spoke to you, but you would not listen. You rebelled against the command of the LORD and presumptuously went up into the hill country.

    Here: "And you acted insolently": they deliberately and arrogantly overstepped what was allowed. Elsewhere in Deuteronomy this word names defiance of authority that carries the death penalty (17:12–13; 18:20, 22).

  2. Deuteronomy 17:13 יְזִיד֖וּן they will act presumptuously !

    Then all the people will hear and be afraid, and will no longer behave arrogantly.

  3. Deuteronomy 18:20 יָזִיד֩ he will act presumptuously

    But if any prophet dares to speak a message in My name that I have not commanded him to speak, or to speak in the name of other gods, that prophet must be put to death.”

    Here: Literally 'boils over'. The word describes deliberate, arrogant overreach: the prophet puts his own initiative where only God's commission belongs. It is not an honest mistake.

Nehemiah · 3

  1. Nehemiah 9:10 הֵזִ֖ידוּ they had acted presumptuously

    You performed signs and wonders against Pharaoh, all his officials, and all the people of his land, for You knew they had acted with arrogance against our fathers. You made a name for Yourself that endures to this day.

    Here: "They acted insolently." The root pictures something boiling over. It describes deliberate, arrogant overstepping of bounds, not ordinary pride. The same verb is used of Israel's own ancestors later in this prayer (vv. 16, 29).

  2. Nehemiah 9:16 הֵזִ֑ידוּ they acted presumptuously

    But they and our fathers became arrogant and stiff-necked and did not obey Your commandments.

    Here: From a root meaning 'to boil (over)'. In this verb form it means to act with deliberate, high-handed defiance. Six verses earlier (v. 10) the same verb describes how the Egyptians treated Israel, so Israel is said to have treated God the way Pharaoh treated them.

  3. Nehemiah 9:29 הֵזִ֜ידוּ they acted presumptuously

    You admonished them to turn back to Your law, but they were arrogant and disobeyed Your commandments. They sinned against Your ordinances, by which a man will live if he practices them. They turned a stubborn shoulder; they stiffened their necks and would not obey.

    Here: From a root used for boiling stew (Gen 25:29). It describes heated, defiant insolence: overstepping on purpose. In this same prayer the word was used for Egypt's arrogance toward Israel (9:10) and then for Israel's fathers (9:16). Israel had come to act like Pharaoh.

Jeremiah · 1

  1. Jeremiah 50:29 זָ֖דָה it has defied proudly

    Summon the archers against Babylon, all who string the bow. Encamp all around her; let no one escape. Repay her according to her deeds; do to her as she has done. For she has defied the LORD, the Holy One of Israel.

    Here: Literally 'to boil, seethe'. Used of behaviour it means arrogant defiance that oversteps its limits, as in defying a lawful authority. Babylon 'boiled over' against YHWH.

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.