Hebrew word · H239

אָזַן

ve'izen

to ponder

BDB and HALOT separate two roots spelled '-z-n. (1) A verb made from 'ozen, 'ear', meaning 'give ear, listen' (common in the causative form, e.g. 'give ear, O heavens', Deuteronomy 32:1). (2) A verb made from mo'zenayim, 'scales, balances', meaning 'weigh, test'.

Appears once in the Hebrew Old Testament. ·

What it means

(Piel) weigh, test, prove, consider

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 Ecclesiastes 12:9

Range of meaning

BDB and HALOT separate two roots spelled '-z-n. (1) A verb made from 'ozen, 'ear', meaning 'give ear, listen' (common in the causative form, e.g. 'give ear, O heavens', Deuteronomy 32:1). (2) A verb made from mo'zenayim, 'scales, balances', meaning 'weigh, test'. The intensive form here is found only in this verse, so lexicons divide between 'weighed' and 'listened attentively'.

Against the English

BSB and WEB: 'pondered'. ESV: 'weighing'. KJV: 'gave good heed'. YLT: 'gave ear'. NLT goes with the listening sense. The choice changes the picture from an assessor checking sayings like goods on a scale to a listener hearing out the sayings in circulation.

Used elsewhere in the period

The verb occurs only here. The Septuagint appears to read the consonants as the noun 'ear' ('and the ear will track out...'), which shows how early the word was found difficult. Rabbinic tradition (Shir HaShirim Rabbah 1) links the verb with making 'handles' (oznayim, 'ears') for Torah, so that it can be grasped.

Where it appears

Ecclesiastes · 1

  1. Ecclesiastes 12:9 וְאִזֵּ֣ן and he weighed

    Not only was the Teacher wise, but he also taught the people knowledge; he pondered, searched out, and arranged many proverbs.

    Here: This form occurs only here. It is linked either to 'ozen, 'ear' ('he listened closely') or to mo'zenayim, 'scales' ('he weighed, tested'). Either way it describes careful evaluation of the sayings he handled.

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