Original Word: עֲזוּבָה
Part of Speech: Noun Feminine
Transliteration: `azuwbah
Pronunciation: ah-zoo-bah
Phonetic Spelling: (az-oo-baw')
KJV: forsaking
NASB: forsaken places
Word Origin: [feminine passive participle of H5800 (עָזַב - To leave)]

1. desertion (of inhabitants)

forsaking

Feminine passive participle of azab; desertion (of inhabitants) -- forsaking.

see HEBREW azab

Word Origin
from azab
Definition
forsakenness, desolation
NASB Translation
forsaken places (2).

I. עֲזוּבָה noun feminine forsakenness, desolation; — בְּקֶרֶב הָאָרֶץ ׳וְרַבָּה הָע Isaiah 6:12. — Isaiah 17:9 see √ 2a.

Overview

The substantive עֲזוּבָה appears five times, all within the prophecy of Isaiah, to describe a condition of abandonment that comes upon land, cities, and people under divine judgment. Each context pairs the grief of desolation with a sure promise of reversal, so that the term becomes a narrative hinge between covenant infidelity and covenant restoration.

Prophetic settings in Isaiah

• Isaiah 6:12 portrays the opening verdict on Judah: “and the Lord has removed men far away, and the land is utterly forsaken.” The word marks the temple-vision commission given to Isaiah, framing the long exile that will follow hardened unbelief.
• Isaiah 17:9 shifts the scene to northern Israel and her alliances: “In that day their strong cities will be like abandoned thickets,” a picture of strategic strength turned to wasteland because trust was misplaced.
• Isaiah 54:6 moves from national ruin to personal metaphor: “For the LORD has called you back, like a wife deserted and wounded in spirit.” Here עֲזוּבָה depicts Zion as a rejected spouse whose estrangement is being remedied by divine initiative.
• Isaiah 60:15 speaks to the post-exilic hope: “Whereas you have been forsaken and despised, with no one passing through, I will make you an everlasting pride.” The former condition sets the backdrop for the future splendour of the city of God.
• Isaiah 62:4 completes the arc: “No longer will you be called Forsaken… but you will be called Hephzibah.” The name itself is taken away; abandonment is not merely relieved but renamed.

Theology of judgment and restoration

The term functions as a covenant gauge. When the people violate Torah, the land that once “flowed with milk and honey” becomes עֲזוּבָה—silent, unproductive, and unsafe (Leviticus 26:32-35 anticipated this). Yet every occurrence after Isaiah 17 places the word inside or right beside an oracle of renewal. The pattern underlines the immutability of both divine holiness and divine mercy; the God who sends away also brings back.

Marriage imagery and covenant fidelity

Isaiah 54 and 62 fold עֲזוּבָה into nuptial language. Zion’s relationship to the LORD is likened to a marriage strained by adultery but healed by covenant love. The transformation from “Forsaken” to “My Delight Is in Her” supplies the Old Testament roots for the New Testament presentation of Christ as Bridegroom (Matthew 9:15; Ephesians 5:25-27). Thus the word contributes to the biblical theology of marriage as a visible parable of redemptive grace.

Christological fulfillment

The Gospels show Jesus entering the very landscapes once labeled עֲזוּבָה—Galilee of the nations (Isaiah 9:1-2) and the devastated precincts of Jerusalem—to announce “good news to the poor” (Luke 4:18). His cross bears the cry of dereliction (“Why have You forsaken Me?”), absorbing the curse signified by the term, so that His resurrection can inaugurate the eternal opposite: “I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5).

Pastoral and missional implications

1. Comfort for the abandoned: Isaiah’s progression validates lament while promising divine vindication.
2. Call to repentance: the initial uses warn against presuming on covenant privileges without covenant loyalty.
3. Hope for city renewal: the shift from deserted streets to global pilgrimage (Isaiah 60:11-12) energizes urban ministry.
4. Assurance of the Bridegroom’s return: believers labor in anticipation of the day when every trace of עֲזוּבָה vanishes from creation.

Key references

Isaiah 6:12; 17:9; 54:6; 60:15; 62:4

הָעֲזוּבָ֖ה העזובה כַּעֲזוּבַ֤ת כעזובת עֲזוּבָ֗ה עֲזוּבָ֛ה עֲזוּבָ֥ה עזובה ‘ă·zū·ḇāh ‘ăzūḇāh azuVah hā‘ăzūḇāh hā·‘ă·zū·ḇāh haazuVah ka‘ăzūḇaṯ ka·‘ă·zū·ḇaṯ kaazuVatInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts