Original Word: זוּן
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: zuwn
Pronunciation: zoon
Phonetic Spelling: (zoon)
KJV: feed
NASB: well-fed
Word Origin: [a primitive root]

1. perhaps properly, to be plump, i.e. (transitively) to nourish

feed

A primitive root; perhaps properly, to be plump, i.e. (transitively) to nourish -- feed.

Word Origin
a prim. root
Definition
to feed
NASB Translation
well-fed (1).

זוּן verb feed (Late Hebrew Biblical Aramaic id.; Syriac ; Samaritan , ); —

Hoph`al Participle סוּסִים מוזנים Jeremiah 5:8 (Kt; i.e. מוּזָנִים; Qr מְיֻזָּנִים from יזן q. v.) well-fed horses, figurative of adulterers; Dl^{Pr 73 f.} compare Assyrian zanânu, be full (i.e. of sexual desire).

[יזן] verb only

Pu`al Participle plural מְיֻזָּנִיםJeremiah 5:8 Qr (< Kt מוּזָנִים see זון); meaning dubious (compare by Schu and others with Arabic weigh, whence furnished with weights, i.e. testicles, but sense remote and very uncertain).

יָזִיז see below I. זוז above

יִזְלִיאָה see below זלא above

יון, √ of

Pu`al Participle plural מְיֻוָּנִים Jeremiah 5:8 Qr, see [ווּן].

יְזַנְיָהוּ, יְזַנְיָה see below I. אזן above

יזע (√ of following; compare Arabic fluxit aqua (Frey); Late Hebrew and Aramaic in derivatives, see below)

[זוּן] verb feed (ᵑ7; Syriac ; compare Biblical Hebrew); —

Hithpe`el be fed: Imperfect יִתְּזִין (K^{§ 45, 1 d}); so in Syriac W^{CG 254} Nö^{LCB, 1896, 703}) Daniel 4:9, מִן of source.

Concept Overview

The root conveyed by Strong’s Hebrew 2109 appears once, in Jeremiah 5:8, describing “well-fed, lusty stallions”. It evokes the idea of abundant nourishment that results in physical strength, vigor, and—within the prophetic illustration—unrestrained sensual appetite.

Scriptural Occurrence

Jeremiah 5:8 situates the word within a stinging oracle against Judah’s social and spiritual corruption: “They were well-fed, lusty stallions, each neighing after his neighbor’s wife.” The men of Jerusalem, blessed with material plenty, have become like powerful animals whose unchecked instincts lead them into adultery (compare Jeremiah 5:7, 9).

Historical Backdrop

Jeremiah ministered during the waning decades of the Southern Kingdom (late seventh–early sixth century B.C.). Economic prosperity under Josiah and his successors afforded Judah “well-fed” security, yet the heart of the nation drifted from covenant loyalty. The single use of this verb mirrors the period’s prosperity and decadence: a people lavishly supplied in bread and security (Jeremiah 5:17) turn that provision into fuel for rebellion.

Theology of Provision and Moral Decay

1. Divine bounty is intended to foster gratitude and obedience (Deuteronomy 8:10–11).
2. When provision is divorced from devotion, it often breeds pride and lust (Ezekiel 16:49; Proverbs 30:9).
3. Jeremiah’s imagery warns that physical fullness without spiritual fidelity invites judgment (Jeremiah 5:29).

Imagery of Domestication and Desire

Horses, ordinarily subject to reins and rider, are here portrayed as uncontrollable. The prophet turns the picture of domesticated strength into a metaphor for moral anarchy. Judah, meant to be guided by the Law (Psalm 32:8–9), has become a pasture of over-nourished beasts trampling covenant boundaries.

Canonical Connections

• Old Testament: Similar links between abundance and unfaithfulness appear in Deuteronomy 32:15 (“Jeshurun grew fat and kicked”) and Hosea 13:6.
• New Testament: 2 Peter 2:14 describes false teachers whose “eyes are full of adultery,” echoing the neighing stallions of Jeremiah. Jude 12 calls them “shepherds who feed only themselves,” showing the perennial danger when provision serves self rather than God.

Practical Application for Contemporary Ministry

• Prosperity and morality: Congregations in affluent contexts must intentionally couple material stewardship with disciplined holiness.
• Discipleship focus: Teach believers to “seat the rider” of the Spirit upon bodily appetites (Galatians 5:16).
• Prophetic responsibility: Like Jeremiah, church leaders should expose cultural patterns where comfort feeds sin, calling for repentance before divine chastening follows.

Summary

Strong’s Hebrew 2109 highlights the tragic irony of God-given plenty twisted into fuel for covenant infidelity. Jeremiah’s single deployment of the term stands as a timeless reminder that physical sustenance is a means to glorify the Giver, not license for unbridled desire.

מְיֻזָּנִ֖ים מיזנים mə·yuz·zā·nîm meyuzzaNim məyuzzānîmInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts