Original Word: זְמוֹרָה
Part of Speech: Noun
Transliteration: zmowrah
Pronunciation: zeh-mo-RAH
Phonetic Spelling: (zem-o-raw')
KJV: vine, branch, slip
NASB: branch, twig, vine branches, vine slips
Word Origin: [from H2168 (זָמַר - prune)]

1. a twig (as pruned)

vine, branch, slip

Or zmorah {zem-o-raw'} (feminine); and zmor {zem-ore'} (masculine); from zamar; a twig (as pruned) -- vine, branch, slip.

see HEBREW zamar

Word Origin
from zamar
Definition
branch, twig, shoot
NASB Translation
branch (2), twig (1), vine branches (1), vine slips (1).

זְמוֺרָה noun [feminine] branch, twig, shoot — absolute ׳ז Numbers 13:23, ׳הַזּ Ezekiel 8:17; Ezekiel 15:2; construct זְמֹרַת Isaiah 17:10; suffix זְמֹרֵיהֶם Nahum 2:3; — branch of grape-vine Numbers 13:23 (JE), Ezekiel 15:2; branch, twig (Co Reissigbündel) used in idolatrous worship אֶלאַֿמָּם ׳הַזּ Ezekiel 8:17 (see Sm and most), but custom obscure (see Da), and text dubious; זְמֹרַת זָר (compare Ew^{§ 287 b}) Isaiah 17:10 twigs of a strange one (i.e. of a strange god) figurative of idolatrous cults adopted by Israel; ׳ז plural in figure of Israelites Nahum 2:3.

Viticultural Setting in Ancient Israel

Zemorah appears only five times, yet each reference assumes the reader’s familiarity with the centrality of grape-growing in Israel’s agrarian life. Vines were planted on terraces, pruned twice yearly, and trained along poles or stone walls. The tender shoot—zemorah—was prized while attached, for it carried the sap that produced grapes; once severed, it was virtually useless as timber. The object therefore becomes a ready-made picture lesson, easily understood by farmers, priests, and prophets alike.

Symbol of Abundance and Provision

Numbers 13:23 records the first usage, where the spies “cut a branch with a single cluster of grapes”. The sheer weight of the fruit, requiring two men and a carrying pole, broadcasts the goodness of the land the LORD had promised. In worship or preaching, the zemorah thus reminds believers that God’s promises are not minimal but overflowing.

Warning against Idolatrous Substitution

Isaiah 17:10 rebukes Judah for importing “cuttings from a foreign god.” The prophet juxtaposes painstaking agricultural labor with spiritual negligence: Israel cultivates exotic vines yet neglects “the God of your salvation.” Here the zemorah exposes the futility of syncretism—spiritual transplanting that can never bear covenant fruit.

Gesture of Defiance in Temple Vision

Ezekiel 8:17 depicts leaders “putting the branch to their nose,” a cryptic act likely drawn from pagan ritual. Whether an incense stick or vine twig, the gesture insults the holiness of the sanctuary. The scene intensifies Ezekiel’s charge that idolatry had reached even the threshold of God’s house. For ministry today, the verse cautions that outward worship can mask inward rebellion when hearts cling to alternative “branches.”

Illustration of Worthlessness when Detached

In Ezekiel 15:2 the prophet asks, “How does the wood of the vine surpass any other branch?” Once cut off, vine wood cannot support weight, carve a peg, or craft furniture. The same argument undergirds John 15:6—“If anyone does not remain in Me, he is thrown aside like a branch and withers.” The Old Testament image of zemorah therefore lays the groundwork for the New Testament call to abide in Christ.

Judgment and Restoration Intertwined

Nahum 2:2 announces, “Destroyers have… ruined their vine branches,” describing Assyria’s devastation of Israel. Yet the same verse promises that “the LORD will restore the excellence of Jacob.” The broken zemorahs testify both to divine discipline and to the shepherd-love that pledges future fruitfulness. Pastors may trace this dual theme—cutting and grafting—straight into Paul’s olive-tree analogy in Romans 11.

Theological Trajectory into the Gospel

1. The zemorah flourishes only when attached to the life-giving stock; so believers bear lasting fruit only by union with Christ (John 15:5).
2. Severed branches invite fire, echoing prophetic warnings and final judgment (Ezekiel 15:6; Hebrews 6:8).
3. The Spirit’s indwelling presence becomes the new sap, producing the fruit of righteousness (Galatians 5:22-23).

Pastoral and Devotional Applications

• Encourage congregations to evaluate whether their labor—like Isaiah’s vine cuttings—serves the true God or merely imitates pagan productivity.
• Use the Numbers narrative to embolden mission teams: the harvest truly is plentiful.
• Cite Ezekiel to confront secret idolatry that may reside even in places labeled “worship.”
• Offer Nahum’s promise to believers experiencing pruning; God wounds to heal and restores what He has disciplined.

Summary

Zemorah, though linguistically modest, threads through Scripture as a living metaphor of covenant life: fruitful while attached, worthless when severed, but always capable of renewal under the vinedresser’s faithful hand.

הַזְּמוֹרָ֕ה הַזְּמוֹרָ֖ה הזמורה וּזְמֹ֥רַת וּזְמֹרֵיהֶ֖ם וזמריהם וזמרת זְמוֹרָה֙ זמורה haz·zə·mō·w·rāh hazzemoRah hazzəmōwrāh ū·zə·mō·raṯ ū·zə·mō·rê·hem uzeMorat ūzəmōraṯ ūzəmōrêhem uzemoreiHem zə·mō·w·rāh zemoRah zəmōwrāhInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts