Hebrew word · H2111

זוּעַ

meza'ze'eikha

to tremble

To tremble, quake, shake. Used of the body trembling in fear or weakness. Related forms mean to shake violently or terrify (Habakkuk 2:7, "those who make you tremble"). The Aramaic cognate in Daniel pairs it with fearing.

Appears 3 times in 3 verses of the Hebrew Old Testament. ·

What it means

1) to tremble, quiver, quake, be in terror

1a) (Qal) to tremble, quake

1b) (Pilpel)

1b1) to shake violently

1b2) to cause to tremble

Aramaic equivalent: zu.a (זוּעַ "to tremble" H2112)

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 Esther 5:9

Range of meaning

To tremble, quake, shake. Used of the body trembling in fear or weakness. Related forms mean to shake violently or terrify (Habakkuk 2:7, "those who make you tremble"). The Aramaic cognate in Daniel pairs it with fearing.

Against the English

KJV and WEB "nor moved for him" sounds to a modern ear like "didn't budge from his seat", a simple physical point. The Hebrew is about the outward signs of fear and submission. ESV, NASB ("tremble"), NIV ("showed fear"), and BSB ("tremble in fear") bring this out.

How it drifted

"Move" in older English could mean to be stirred or agitated, but the dominant modern sense is physical relocation. The Latin Vulgate tradition also took it as not moving from his seat, and that reading probably shaped the KJV.

Used elsewhere in the period

Ecclesiastes 12:3 ("the keepers of the house tremble", the shaking of old age). Daniel 5:19 (Aramaic): all peoples "trembled and feared before" Nebuchadnezzar. Daniel 6:26: all are to "tremble and fear before the God of Daniel". HALOT and BDB both give "tremble, quake".

Where it appears

Esther · 1

  1. Esther 5:9 זָ֣ע he trembled

    That day Haman went out full of joy and glad of heart. At the king’s gate, however, he saw Mordecai, who did not rise or tremble in fear at his presence. And Haman was filled with rage toward Mordecai.

    Here: A rare verb for trembling or shaking, usually with fear (compare Ecclesiastes 12:3, and its Aramaic cousin in Daniel 5:19; 6:26, "trembled and feared before him"). Mordecai shows no sign of fear before a man who has just ordered the death of his people.

Ecclesiastes · 1

  1. Ecclesiastes 12:3 שֶׁיָּזֻ֙עוּ֙ when they will tremble

    on the day the keepers of the house tremble and the strong men stoop, when those grinding cease because they are few and those watching through windows see dimly,

Habakkuk · 1

  1. Habakkuk 2:7 מְזַעְזְעֶ֑יךָ [those who will] make tremble you

    Will not your creditors suddenly arise and those who disturb you awaken? Then you will become their prey.

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