Original Word: זוּרֶה
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: zuwreh
Pronunciation: zoo-reh
Phonetic Spelling: (zoo-reh')
KJV: that which is crushed
Word Origin: [from H2115 (זוּר - crush)]

1. trodden on

trodden on

From zuwr; trodden on -- that which is crushed.

see HEBREW zuwr

Word Origin
the same as zur, q.v.

Overview

Strong’s Hebrew 2116 (זוּרֶה, zûreh) appears once, in Isaiah 59:5, rendered “crushed”. The word serves a vivid prophetic image: even when a viper’s egg is smashed, a serpent still emerges, underscoring the inescapable danger of entrenched sin.

Literary Context

Isaiah 59 diagnoses Judah’s national guilt. Verses 3-8 catalogue violent, deceitful deeds, climaxing in the metaphor of hatching vipers’ eggs and weaving spiders’ webs. Verse 5 reads, “Whoever eats their eggs will die, and from one that is crushed a viper will hatch.” The single term zûreh intensifies the scene: attempts to neutralize wickedness (crushing the egg) merely release more venom.

Symbolic Imagery of the Crushed Egg

1. Latent corruption. Sin, like a serpent embryo, carries death even before full maturity (cf. James 1:15).
2. Futility of half-measures. Superficial reform—crushing but not eliminating the source—fails to eradicate evil.
3. Inevitable fruit of wickedness. What is conceived in rebellion inevitably produces the same nature (Galatians 6:7-8).

Historical Background

Isaiah prophesied during Assyrian pressure and internal moral collapse (eighth–seventh centuries BC). Political intrigue, idolatry, and social injustice bred cynicism. Prophetic rhetoric therefore employed stark fauna imagery familiar to an agrarian audience aware of the lethal Palestinian viper.

Theological Themes

• Human depravity: “Their feet run after evil” (Isaiah 59:7). Zûreh illustrates that sin is self-perpetuating.
• Divine justice and grace: The chapter pivots from human inability (verses 1-15) to the Lord’s intervention: “His own arm brought salvation” (Isaiah 59:16).
• Messianic hope: Isaiah 59:20 anticipates the Redeemer who alone crushes the serpent (compare Genesis 3:15; Romans 16:20).

Connections with Other Scriptures

Psalm 58:3-5 likens the wicked to venomous serpents; John the Baptist calls unrepentant leaders a “brood of vipers” (Matthew 3:7). Paul echoes Isaiah 59:7-8 in Romans 3:15-17, linking humanity’s universal sinfulness to the need for the gospel.

Ministry Implications

1. Preaching: Expose sin’s hidden potency; cosmetic morality cannot save.
2. Discipleship: Cultivate genuine repentance that uproots, not merely restrains, sinful patterns (Colossians 3:5).
3. Pastoral care: Offer Christ as the definitive antidote—He neutralizes the venom by bearing it on the cross (2 Corinthians 5:21).

Key Takeaways for Contemporary Discipleship

• Sin incubates lethal consequences; early, decisive action is essential.
• Only the Redeemer can break the cycle symbolized by the crushed egg that still hatches.
• Isaiah’s oracle encourages vigilance, repentance, and confidence in God’s saving initiative—truths timeless for the church today.

וְהַזּוּרֶ֖ה והזורה vehazzuReh wə·haz·zū·reh wəhazzūrehInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts