Original Word: זָרַח
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: zarach
Pronunciation: zah-RAKH
Phonetic Spelling: (zaw-rakh')
KJV: arise, rise (up), as soon as it is up
NASB: rises, rise, risen, arises, broke, came, dawned
Word Origin: [a primitive root]

1. (properly) to irradiate (or shoot forth beams), i.e. to rise (as the sun)
2. specifically, to appear (as a symptom of leprosy)

arise, rise up, as soon as it is up

A primitive root; properly, to irradiate (or shoot forth beams), i.e. To rise (as the sun); specifically, to appear (as a symptom of leprosy) -- arise, rise (up), as soon as it is up.

Word Origin
a prim. root
Definition
to rise, come forth
NASB Translation
arises (1), broke (1), came (1), dawned (1), rise (3), risen (2), rises (5), rose (1), shine (1), shone (1).

זָרַח verb rise, come forth (Late Hebrew id., Assyrian zarâ—u Dl^{Pr 180}; Sabean דֿרח lofty, majestic (of king) and in compound proper name DHM^{ZMG 1875, 605; 1883, 327} Mordt^{ZMG 1876, 37}) —

Qal Perfect ׳ז Deuteronomy 33:2; Psalm 112:4; זָרָ֑ח Isaiah 60:1; וְזָרַח consecutive Isaiah 58:10; Ecclesiastes 1:5; 3feminine singular זָ˜רְחָה Exodus 22:2 3t.; וְזָרְָֽחָה consecutive Malachi 3:20; Imperfect יִזְרַח 2 Samuel 23:4; Isaiah 60:2; יִזְרָ֑ח Job 9:7; וַיִּזְרַח Genesis 32:32; 3feminine singular תִּזְרח Psalm 104:22; Infinitive construct זְרֹחַ Judges 9:33; Joel 4:8; Participle זוֺרֵחַ Ecclesiastes 1:5; —

1 rise:

a. (of sun) Judges 9:33; Nahum 3:7; 2 Samuel 23:4; Jonah 4:8; Job 9:7; Psalm 104:22; Ecclesiastes 1:5 (twice in verse); followed by על Exodus 22:2 (JE), 2 Kings 3:22; followed by לְ Genesis 32:32 (J).

b. figurative, followed by לְ, שֶׁמֶשׁ צְדָקָה Malachi 3:20; of ׳י, וְזָרַח מִשֵּׂעִיר לָמוֺ Deuteronomy 33:2; followed by על, Isaiah 60:2 ("" כבודו יראה); ׳כבוד י Isaiah 60:1; subject אוֺד, figurative ( = happiness, blessedness) Isaiah 58:10; Psalm 112:4 (followed by לְ).

2 come out, appear, of appearance of leprosy (הַצָּרַ֫עַת) 2 Chronicles 26:19.

The Motif of Sunrise and Shining

Across its eighteen attestations, זָרַח portrays the moment light breaks forth, whether literal dawn or figurative radiance. The verb’s primary image is the sun emerging from darkness, an event both commonplace and stunning, repeatedly used by Scripture to signal new beginnings, divine intervention, or moral illumination.

Narrative Uses

• Genesis 32:31 records Jacob’s limp as “the sun rose upon him,” framing the dawn as the marker of a transformed patriarch now walking under covenant blessing.

• Judges 9:33 instructs Abimelech’s ambush to strike “as soon as the sun rises,” exploiting the predictability of dawn for tactical advantage.

• 2 Kings 3:22 describes sunlight striking water so that “the Moabites saw the water opposite them as red as blood,” a narrative pivot where dawn’s glare advances deliverance for Israel.

Here, זָרַח functions as temporal indicator, yet the inspired narratives load the rising sun with theological significance: God moves history from night-like peril to day-bright relief.

Poetic and Wisdom Literature

Job 9:7 speaks of the Almighty who “commands the sun not to shine,” underscoring divine sovereignty over cosmic order. Psalm 104:22 juxtaposes nocturnal predators retreating “when the sun rises,” celebrating a creation rhythm that reflects the Creator’s governance. Ecclesiastes 1:5 observes that “the sun rises and the sun sets,” typifying life’s cyclical toil. In each case זָרַח anchors meditation on God’s constancy and man’s dependence.

Prophetic Illumination

Isaiah 60 twice employs זָרַח to proclaim Zion’s restoration: “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you… but the LORD will rise upon you, and His glory will appear over you” (Isaiah 60:1–2). The verb here transcends meteorology, depicting the LORD Himself as the dawning light that dispels nations’ darkness.

Malachi 4:2 crowns the prophetic corpus: “But for you who fear My name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings.” זָרַח seals Old Testament expectation of restorative light, preparing hearts for the Messianic fulfillment when “the Sunrise shall visit us from on high” (Luke 1:78).

Covenantal and Cultic Resonance

Deuteronomy 33:2 pictures the LORD shining forth from Sinai as covenant lawgiver. In 2 Chronicles 26:19 the leprous eruption on King Uzziah’s forehead “shone” (lit. sprang up), a grim inversion where light signals judgment rather than blessing, reminding Israel that nearness to the Holy One demands holiness.

Ethical Dimensions

Psalm 112:4 affirms, “Light dawns in the darkness for the upright; for the gracious, compassionate, and righteous.” The verb exhorts covenant people to reflect God’s character, becoming miniature sunrises within society’s gloom. Isaiah 58:10 links sacrificial generosity with experiential dawn: “If you extend your soul to the hungry… then your light will rise in the darkness,” showing that ethical obedience participates in God’s own radiance.

Pastoral and Devotional Application

Believers draw comfort from the inevitability of dawn embedded in זָרַח. Night may linger (Jonah 4:8’s scorching east wind), but sunrise is certain. The word thus undergirds hope in personal trials, communal lament, and eschatological yearning. Worshipers employ these texts to pray for revival—asking the Lord who once caused His glory to rise upon Zion to shine afresh upon His Church and world.

Christological Foreshadowing

While זָרַח itself never names Messiah, its thematic trajectory points unmistakably to Him. Jesus identifies Himself as “the light of the world” (John 8:12), and His resurrection, occurring “toward dawn” (Matthew 28:1), embodies the ultimate sunrise. Malachi’s “sun of righteousness” finds fulfillment in Christ’s redemptive work, whose healing wings stretch from Calvary to the new creation’s everlasting day (Revelation 22:5).

Conclusion

זָרַח threads Scripture with the assurance that God turns darkness to light in creation, history, and redemption. Each occurrence, whether mundane or majestic, echoes the promise that the LORD who ordains sunrise will unfailingly bring the dawn of salvation to those who trust Him.

וְזָרְחָ֨ה וְזָרַ֤ח וְזָרַ֥ח וַיִּֽזְרַֽח־ וזרח וזרחה ויזרח־ זָ֘רַ֤ח זָֽרְחָה֙ זָרְחָ֣ה זָרְחָ֥ה זָרְחָ֨ה זָרָֽח׃ זוֹרֵ֥חַֽ זורח זרח זרח׃ זרחה יִזְרַ֣ח יִזְרַח־ יִזְרָ֑ח יזרח יזרח־ כִּזְרֹ֣חַ כזרח תִּזְרַ֣ח תזרח kiz·rō·aḥ kizRoach kizrōaḥ tiz·raḥ tizRach tizraḥ vaiyizrach vezaRach vezareChah way·yiz·raḥ- wayyizraḥ- wə·zā·raḥ wə·zā·rə·ḥāh wəzāraḥ wəzārəḥāh yiz·raḥ yiz·rāḥ yiz·raḥ- yizrach yizraḥ yizrāḥ yizraḥ- zā·raḥ zā·rāḥ zā·rə·ḥāh zaRach zāraḥ zārāḥ zareChah zārəḥāh zō·w·rê·aḥ zoReach zōwrêaḥInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts