Original Word: מַמְזֵר
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: mamzer
Pronunciation: mam-ZAYR
Phonetic Spelling: (mam-zare')
KJV: bastard
NASB: illegitimate birth, mongrel race, one of illegitimate birth
Word Origin: [from an unused root meaning to alienate]

1. a mongrel, i.e. born of a Jewish father and a heathen mother

bastard

From an unused root meaning to alienate; a mongrel, i.e. Born of a Jewish father and a heathen mother -- bastard.

Word Origin
from an unused word
Definition
a bastard, child of incest
NASB Translation
illegitimate birth (1), mongrel race (1), one of illegitimate birth (1).

מַמְזֵר noun masculine bastard, specifically child of incest (Late Hebrew id. (see Levy), מַמְזֵרוּת incest; Aramaic (loan-word) מַמְזֵרָא bastard): —

1 literally bastard, Deuteronomy 23:3 (see Dr).

2 perhaps figurative collective, of mixed population Zechariah 9:6 ᵐ5 ἀλλογενεῖς (compare also Gei^{Urschrift 52f.})

II. מזר (√ of following, si vera lectio; possibly = spread out; Aramaic stretch oneself, compare Arabic aequaliter distendit utrem).

Definition and General Scope

מַמְזֵר denotes one whose birth stands outside the divinely prescribed covenantal order—whether through incest, adultery, or the illicit union of Israelite and pagan lines. The word therefore carries a social as well as spiritual stigma, marking the individual (and his posterity) as ceremonially excluded from Israel’s formal worship life.

Occurrences in Scripture

1. Deuteronomy 23:2 – “No one of illegitimate birth may enter the assembly of the LORD; even to the tenth generation none of his descendants may enter the assembly of the LORD.”
2. Zechariah 9:6 – “A mongrel people will occupy Ashdod, and I will cut off the pride of the Philistines.”

Covenantal Boundaries and Holiness (Deuteronomy 23:2)

The prohibition in Deuteronomy occurs in a block of legislation that guards the sanctity of the covenant community (Deuteronomy 23:1-8). The aim is not cruelty toward the child but the preservation of Israel’s worship from corrupting influences. By tracing the exclusion to the tenth generation, Moses underscores the seriousness of any breach in marital fidelity or covenant loyalty. Genealogy is covenantal capital in Israel; a polluted line could not assume public office, serve in the sanctuary, or expect unrestricted participation in solemn assemblies. The command thus elevated marital faithfulness and deterred alliances that would compromise Israel’s spiritual identity.

Prophetic Indictment and National Judgment (Zechariah 9:6)

Zechariah extends the term beyond personal lineage to describe a “mongrel people” inhabiting Ashdod. The prophet foresees judgment against entrenched Philistine pride by predicting a population neither purely Philistine nor covenantal. The mixed populace symbolizes the erosion of national strength and divine disfavor: hybrid identity replaces covenant identity. Yet the same oracle (Zechariah 9:7) moves rapidly toward hope—God will “be like a clan in Judah,” hinting that even disgraced peoples may find incorporation through submission to the true King (Zechariah 9:9-10).

Historical Perspective

Ancient Near-Eastern cultures valued pedigree for political legitimacy and cultic privilege. Deuteronomy’s legislation protected land inheritance, priestly lines, and royal claims. Post-exilic communities, keenly aware of their precarious identity, reapplied such statutes during the reforms under Ezra and Nehemiah (Ezra 9, Nehemiah 13). Conversely, by Zechariah’s era the Philistine cities had endured centuries of conquest, displacement, and intermarriage, so “mamzer” aptly described their ethnically blended remnants.

Theological Trajectory

1. Holiness: God’s people must reflect His purity, both morally (marital fidelity) and doctrinally (exclusive worship).
2. Corporate Responsibility: Individual sin influences future generations; covenant unfaithfulness places descendants at spiritual disadvantage (Exodus 20:5-6).
3. Redemptive Reversal: While law excludes, grace invites. Isaiah foretells foreigners and eunuchs taking “a place within My walls” (Isaiah 56:3-7). The lineage of Jesus Christ includes Ruth the Moabitess (Matthew 1:5), proving that faith, not pedigree, determines ultimate inclusion.

Ministry Implications

• Uphold the sanctity of marriage and teach the next generation that covenant commitment has multigenerational impact.
• Maintain doctrinal purity while extending gospel grace—illegitimacy of birth finds its remedy in new birth (John 3:3).
• Address social stigma with compassion: Scripture condemns sin, not the involuntary circumstances of children (Ezekiel 18:20).
• Model church discipline that is both corrective and restorative, safeguarding congregational holiness without forfeiting hope for repentant offenders (1 Corinthians 5, 2 Corinthians 2:5-8).

Related Topics for Further Study

Holiness of God; Genealogy and Inheritance; Mixed Marriages; Purity Laws; Promises to the Nations; Church Discipline.

מַמְזֵ֖ר ממזר mam·zêr mamZer mamzêrInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts