Original Word: זָנַח
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: zanach
Pronunciation: zah-nakh'
Phonetic Spelling: (zaw-nakh')
Word Origin: [a primitive root meaning to push aside, i.e. reject, forsake, fail]

1. cast away (off), remove far away (off)

cast away off, remove far away off

A primitive root meaning to push aside, i.e. Reject, forsake, fail -- cast away (off), remove far away (off).

I. זָנַח verb reject, spurn (perhaps compare Assyrian zinû, be angry, especially of gods Gu^{§ 105} Zim^{BP 23 ff.}) —

Qal Perfect ׳ז Hosea 8:3,5; Lamentations 2:7; זָנַחְתָּ Psalm 44:10 2t.; suffix זְנַחְתָּ֑נִי Psalm 43:2; זְנַחְתָּנוּ Psalm 60:3; Psalm 60:12; Psalm 108:12; זְנַחְתִּים Zechariah 10:6; Imperfect יִזְנַח Psalm 77:8; Lamentations 3:31; תִּזְנַח Psalm 44:24 2t.; — reject, Israel rejects good Hosea 8:3; Samaria's calf rejects her Hosea 8:5 (others make ׳י subject; We^{Kl. Proph.} reads אזנת I reject), elsewhere God rejects people Psalm 43:2; Psalm 60:3; Psalm 77:8; Psalm 88:15; Zechariah 10:6; לָנֶצַח Psalm 44:24; Psalm 74:1; לעולם Lamentations 3:31; ׳ולא תצא בצבאתינו ז Psalm 44:10; Psalm 60:12; Psalm 108:12; נַפְשִׁי מִשָּׁלוֺם Lamentations 3:17; king Psalm 89:39; altar Lamentations 2:7.

Hiph`il Perfect הִזְנִיחַ2Chronicles 29:19; suffix הִזְנִיחָם2Chronicles 11:14; 3 plural הֶאֶזְנִיחוּ Isaiah 19:6, see II. זנח; Imperfect יַזְנִיחֲךָ 1 Chronicles 28:9; — (late) reject (= earlier

Qal), Jeroboam rejects the Levites ׳מכהן לי2Chronicles 11:14; Ahaz the sacred vessels 2Chronicles 29:19; ׳י rejects Solomon 1 Chronicles 28:9.

II. [זָנַח] stink, emit stench (compare Arabic become rancid, of oil, etc., Lane); — only

Hiph`il Perfect3masculine plural הֶאֶזְנִיחוּ נְהָרוֺת rivers stink Isaiah 19:6 (read הִזְנִיחוּ Ges^{§ 53}, 6 Ol^{§ 255 b} Sta^{§ 420 a} Kö^{i. 293}; but Ew^{§ 123 b} De Di derive from elative אַזְנָח or אֶזְנָח).

Conceptual Range

זָנַח conveys the deliberate act of rejecting, casting aside, or spurning. It is volitional rather than accidental, and in every occurrence the subject or the object is personal—either the Lord discarding a people, a place, or a religious object, or a person abandoning the Lord and His ways. The verb therefore functions as a barometer of covenant fidelity, measuring whether the relationship is being honored or treated with contempt.

Occurrences in Historical Narrative

In 1 Chronicles 28:9 David warns Solomon, “If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will reject you forever.” The verb frames the entire discussion of dynastic stability: royal legitimacy hinges on wholehearted devotion.

2 Chronicles 11:14 records the Levites who “abandoned their pasturelands” to remain loyal to the house of David; the act is voluntary but underscores the cost of covenant allegiance. In a later reform, Hezekiah's officials report, “All the utensils that King Ahaz... discarded during his reign in his unfaithfulness, we have made ready and sanctified” (2 Chronicles 29:19). Sacred objects “cast off” by an apostate king must be re-consecrated before true worship can resume.

Usage in Psalms: Lament and Trust

Half of the occurrences appear in Psalms of corporate or individual lament. Questions such as “Why have You rejected us, O God?” (Psalm 43:2), “You have rejected us and abased us” (Psalm 44:9), and “But You have rejected and spurned him; You have been enraged with Your anointed one” (Psalm 89:38) reveal the worshiper’s struggle to reconcile divine rejection with covenant promises.

Yet lament is not faith in crisis but faith engaging God. Even when “You have rejected us, O God, and burst forth upon us” (Psalm 60:1), the psalmist immediately pleads for restoration. Psalm 77:7 reaches an emotional crescendo: “Will the Lord spurn us forever and never again show His favor?” The tension resolves in remembrance of God’s past deeds, indicating that perceived rejection is temporal, not final.

Prophetic and Exilic Applications

Isaiah employs the verb figuratively: “The streams of Egypt will dwindle and dry up; the reeds and rushes will wither” (Isaiah 19:6). The drying marshes “are driven away,” suggesting national judgment through environmental collapse.

Zechariah 10:6 brings a reassuring counter-note: “I will strengthen the house of Judah and save the house of Joseph. I will restore them, because I have compassion on them. They will be as though I had not rejected them.” Divine rejection is neither arbitrary nor permanent; it is disciplinary and ultimately restorative.

Lamentations intensifies the theme. The temple is “rejected” (Lamentations 2:7), the prophet’s peace “driven away” (3:17), yet he affirms, “For the Lord will not cast off forever” (3:31). Even in the ashes of Jerusalem, hope persists.

Covenant Dynamics

זָנַח is relational. It presupposes prior election and intimacy, making rejection profoundly painful. The pattern is cyclical: (1) human unfaithfulness, (2) divine rejection, (3) repentance, (4) divine restoration. The verb therefore reinforces both divine holiness and covenant mercy.

Messianic Resonance

Psalm 89:38, though rooted in Davidic kingship, foreshadows the apparent rejection of the greater Son of David. The New Testament recounts that “He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him” (John 1:11). Yet Zechariah’s promise that God will treat His people “as though I had not rejected them” anticipates the resurrection vindication of Christ and the ultimate restoration of Israel (Romans 11:15).

Practical Ministry Applications

1. Pastoral Care: Believers experiencing divine distance can voice lament honestly, assured that God’s rejection is corrective, not capricious.
2. Corporate Worship: Songs and prayers may include confession over communal sin that risks God’s discipline.
3. Discipleship: Teach that obedience safeguards fellowship; defection invites chastening.
4. Missions: God’s temporary rejection of Israel opens a window for Gentile inclusion, modeling patience and hope for seemingly resistant peoples.
5. Counseling: Personal feelings of being “cast off” should be interpreted through the cross, where Christ was temporarily forsaken so believers never ultimately would be.

Summary

זָנַח is a sober reminder that God’s covenant is a living relationship demanding loyalty. Divine rejection serves as both warning and invitation, but the final word is always mercy: “For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for a lifetime” (Psalm 30:5).

הִזְנִיחַ֩ הִזְנִיחָ֤ם הזניח הזניחם וְהֶאֶזְנִ֣יחוּ וַתִּזְנַ֧ח והאזניחו ותזנח זְנַ֫חְתָּ֥נִי זְנַחְתִּ֑ים זְנַחְתָּ֑נוּ זְנַחְתָּ֣נוּ זָ֭נַחְתָּ זָנַ֣חְתָּ זָנַ֥ח זָנַ֨ח זָנַח֙ זנח זנחת זנחתים זנחתנו זנחתני יִזְנַ֛ח יִזְנַ֥ח ׀ יַזְנִיחֲךָ֥ יזנח יזניחך תִּזְנַ֣ח תִּזְנַ֥ח תזנח hiz·nî·aḥ hiz·nî·ḥām hizniaCh hiznîaḥ hizniCham hiznîḥām tiz·naḥ tizNach tiznaḥ vattizNach veheezNichu wat·tiz·naḥ wattiznaḥ wə·he·’ez·nî·ḥū wəhe’eznîḥū yaz·nî·ḥă·ḵā yaznichaCha yaznîḥăḵā yiz·naḥ yizNach yiznaḥ zā·naḥ zā·naḥ·tā zaNach Zanachta zānaḥ zānaḥtā zə·naḥ·tā·nî zə·naḥ·tā·nū zə·naḥ·tîm zeNachTani zenachTanu zenachTim zənaḥtānî zənaḥtānū zənaḥtîmInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts