Hebrew word · H967

בָּזַר

bizar

to scatter

To scatter or disperse. It is a rare by-form of the common pazar, 'scatter' (compare Dan 11:24, scattering plunder). It is used of enemies routed and dispersed.

Appears 2 times in 2 verses of the Hebrew Old Testament. ·

What it means

1) to scatter, disperse

1a) (Qal) to scatter

1b) (Piel) to scatter

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 Psalm 68:30

Range of meaning

To scatter or disperse. It is a rare by-form of the common pazar, 'scatter' (compare Dan 11:24, scattering plunder). It is used of enemies routed and dispersed.

Against the English

BSB, KJV, WEB, YLT, NIV and ESV give a command ('Scatter…'). NASB follows the standard Hebrew vowels with 'He has scattered'.

Used elsewhere in the period

The ancient Greek (diaskorpison) and Latin (dissipa) both read a command. The traditional Hebrew vowels give a past tense. Hebrew poetry often uses a past-tense form for something prayed for or expected, as if it had already happened.

From the study of Daniel 11:24

Range of meaning

To scatter or disperse, and so to distribute lavishly. In the Hebrew Bible it occurs only here and in Psalm 68:31 (English 68:30, "scatter the peoples who delight in war"). It is a by-form of pazar/pizzer: "he has distributed freely, he has given to the poor" (Psalm 112:9), and "one scatters yet increases" (Proverbs 11:24).

Against the English

KJV and WEB "scatter among them" keep the image. BSB "lavish... on his followers" catches the extravagance but adds "followers," which is an interpretation of the bare "to them."

Used elsewhere in the period

Psalm 68:31; compare Psalm 112:9 and Proverbs 11:24. There is a sound-play in this verse: bizzah ("plunder") ... yivzor ("he will scatter"). He grabs plunder and flings it out again.

Where it appears

Psalms · 1

  1. Psalm 68:30 בִּזַּ֥ר he has scattered

    Rebuke the beast in the reeds, the herd of bulls among the calves of the nations, until it submits, bringing bars of silver. Scatter the nations who delight in war.

    Here: As the Hebrew is pointed, 'he has scattered': a confident statement as if the victory were already done. Read as a command ('scatter!', as in the ancient Greek and Latin versions), it continues the prayer. This is a rarer spelling of the common verb pazar, 'scatter'.

Daniel · 1

  1. Daniel 11:24 יִבְז֑וֹר he will scatter

    In a time of peace, he will invade the richest provinces and do what his fathers and forefathers never did. He will lavish plunder, loot, and wealth on his followers, and he will plot against the strongholds—but only for a time.

    Here: "He will scatter": he hands out plunder freely and lavishly to buy loyalty. The verb is very rare, a by-form of pizzer, "to distribute."

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