Zanah זָנָה

Zanah (Hebrew זָנָה, Strong's H2181) is a Hebrew verb meaning “to fornicate”. It occurs 94 times in 83 verses of the Old Testament.

Definition

From the STEPBible Brief Lexicon of Hebrew (based on the abridged Brown-Driver-Briggs), STEPBible.org, CC BY 4.0.

Translated as

Topics

• Sexual immorality

Verses

Every verse with Zanah, with the English words that translate it highlighted (KJV or BSB; other translations show the KJV here).

Genesis

• Genesis 34:31
  And they said, Should he deal with our sister as with an harlot?But they replied, “Should he have treated our sister like a prostitute?”
• Genesis 38:15
  When Judah saw her, he thought her to be an harlot; because she had covered her face.When Judah saw her, he thought she was a prostitute because she had covered her face.
• Genesis 38:24
  And it came to pass about three months after, that it was told Judah, saying, Tamar thy daughter in law hath played the harlot; and also, behold, she is with child by whoredom. And Judah said, Bring her forth, and let her be burnt.About three months later, Judah was told, “Your daughter-in-law Tamar has prostituted herself, and now she is pregnant.” “Bring her out!” Judah replied. “Let her be burned to death!”

Exodus

• Exodus 34:15
  Lest thou make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, and they go a whoring after their gods, and do sacrifice unto their gods, and one call thee, and thou eat of his sacrifice;Do not make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, for when they prostitute themselves to their gods and sacrifice to them, they will invite you, and you will eat their sacrifices.
• Exodus 34:16
  And thou take of their daughters unto thy sons, and their daughters go a whoring after their gods, and make thy sons go a whoring after their gods.And when you take some of their daughters as brides for your sons, their daughters will prostitute themselves to their gods and cause your sons to do the same.

Leviticus

• Leviticus 17:7
  And they shall no more offer their sacrifices unto devils, after whom they have gone a whoring. This shall be a statute for ever unto them throughout their generations.They must no longer offer their sacrifices to the goat demons to which they have prostituted themselves. This will be a permanent statute for them for the generations to come.’
• Leviticus 19:29
  Do not prostitute thy daughter, to cause her to be a whore; lest the land fall to whoredom, and the land become full of wickedness.You must not defile your daughter by making her a prostitute, or the land will be prostituted and filled with depravity.
• Leviticus 20:5
  Then I will set my face against that man, and against his family, and will cut him off, and all that go a whoring after him, to commit whoredom with Molech, from among their people.then I will set My face against that man and his family and cut off from among their people both him and all who follow him in prostituting themselves with Molech.
• Leviticus 20:6
  And the soul that turneth after such as have familiar spirits, and after wizards, to go a whoring after them, I will even set my face against that soul, and will cut him off from among his people.Whoever turns to mediums or spiritists to prostitute himself with them, I will also set My face against that person and cut him off from his people.
• Leviticus 21:7
  They shall not take a wife that is a whore, or profane; neither shall they take a woman put away from her husband: for he is holy unto his God.A priest must not marry a woman defiled by prostitution or divorced by her husband, for the priest is holy to his God.
• Leviticus 21:9
  And the daughter of any priest, if she profane herself by playing the whore, she profaneth her father: she shall be burnt with fire.If a priest’s daughter defiles herself by prostituting herself, she profanes her father; she must be burned in the fire.
• Leviticus 21:14
  A widow, or a divorced woman, or profane, or an harlot, these shall he not take: but he shall take a virgin of his own people to wife.He is not to marry a widow, a divorced woman, or one defiled by prostitution. He is to marry a virgin from his own people,

Numbers

• Numbers 15:39
  And it shall be unto you for a fringe, that ye may look upon it, and remember all the commandments of the Lord, and do them; and that ye seek not after your own heart and your own eyes, after which ye use to go a whoring:These will serve as tassels for you to look at, so that you may remember all the commandments of the LORD, that you may obey them and not prostitute yourselves by following your own heart and your own eyes.
• Numbers 25:1
  And Israel abode in Shittim, and the people began to commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab.While Israel was staying in Shittim, the men began to indulge in sexual immorality with the daughters of Moab,

Deuteronomy

• Deuteronomy 22:21
  Then they shall bring out the damsel to the door of her father’s house, and the men of her city shall stone her with stones that she die: because she hath wrought folly in Israel, to play the whore in her father’s house: so shalt thou put evil away from among you.she shall be brought to the door of her father’s house, and there the men of her city will stone her to death. For she has committed an outrage in Israel by being promiscuous in her father’s house. So you must purge the evil from among you.
• Deuteronomy 23:18
  Thou shalt not bring the hire of a whore, or the price of a dog, into the house of the Lord thy God for any vow: for even both these are abomination unto the Lord thy God.You must not bring the wages of a prostitute, whether female or male, into the house of the LORD your God to fulfill any vow, because both are detestable to the LORD your God.
• Deuteronomy 31:16
  And the Lord said unto Moses, Behold, thou shalt sleep with thy fathers; and this people will rise up, and go a whoring after the gods of the strangers of the land, whither they go to be among them, and will forsake me, and break my covenant which I have made with them.And the LORD said to Moses, “You will soon rest with your fathers, and these people will rise up and prostitute themselves with the foreign gods of the land they are entering. They will forsake Me and break the covenant I have made with them.

Joshua

• Joshua 2:1
  And Joshua the son of Nun sent out of Shittim two men to spy secretly, saying, Go view the land, even Jericho. And they went, and came into an harlot’s house, named Rahab, and lodged there.Then Joshua son of Nun secretly sent two spies from Shittim, saying, “Go, inspect the land, especially Jericho.” So they went and entered the house of a prostitute named Rahab and stayed there.
• Joshua 6:17
  And the city shall be accursed, even it, and all that are therein, to the Lord: only Rahab the harlot shall live, she and all that are with her in the house, because she hid the messengers that we sent.Now the city and everything in it must be devoted to the LORD for destruction. Only Rahab the prostitute and all those with her in her house will live, because she hid the spies we sent.
• Joshua 6:22
  But Joshua had said unto the two men that had spied out the country, Go into the harlot’s house, and bring out thence the woman, and all that she hath, as ye sware unto her.Meanwhile, Joshua told the two men who had spied out the land, “Go into the house of the prostitute and bring out the woman and all who are with her, just as you promised her.”
• Joshua 6:25
  And Joshua saved Rahab the harlot alive, and her father’s household, and all that she had; and she dwelleth in Israel even unto this day; because she hid the messengers, which Joshua sent to spy out Jericho.And Joshua spared Rahab the prostitute, with her father’s household and all who belonged to her, because she hid the men Joshua had sent to spy out Jericho. So she has lived among the Israelites to this day.

Judges

• Judges 2:17
  And yet they would not hearken unto their judges, but they went a whoring after other gods, and bowed themselves unto them: they turned quickly out of the way which their fathers walked in, obeying the commandments of the Lord; but they did not so.Israel, however, did not listen to their judges. Instead, they prostituted themselves with other gods and bowed down to them. They quickly turned from the way of their fathers, who had walked in obedience to the LORD’s commandments; they did not do as their fathers had done.
• Judges 8:27
  And Gideon made an ephod thereof, and put it in his city, even in Ophrah: and all Israel went thither a whoring after it: which thing became a snare unto Gideon, and to his house.From all this Gideon made an ephod, which he placed in Ophrah, his hometown. But soon all Israel prostituted themselves by worshiping it there, and it became a snare to Gideon and his household.
• Judges 8:33
  And it came to pass, as soon as Gideon was dead, that the children of Israel turned again, and went a whoring after Baalim, and made Baal–berith their god.And as soon as Gideon was dead, the Israelites turned and prostituted themselves with the Baals, and they set up Baal-berith as their god.
• Judges 11:1
  Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty man of valour, and he was the son of an harlot: and Gilead begat Jephthah.Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty man of valor; he was the son of a prostitute, and Gilead was his father.
• Judges 16:1
  Then went Samson to Gaza, and saw there an harlot, and went in unto her.One day Samson went to Gaza, where he saw a prostitute and went in to spend the night with her.
• Judges 19:2
  And his concubine played the whore against him, and went away from him unto her father’s house to Beth–lehem–judah, and was there four whole months.But she was unfaithful to him and left him to return to her father’s house in Bethlehem in Judah. After she had been there four months,

1 Kings

• 1 Kings 3:16
  Then came there two women, that were harlots, unto the king, and stood before him.At that time two prostitutes came to the king and stood before him.
• 1 Kings 22:38
  And one washed the chariot in the pool of Samaria; and the dogs licked up his blood; and they washed his armour; according unto the word of the Lord which he spake.And the chariot was washed at the pool of Samaria where the prostitutes bathed, and the dogs licked up Ahab’s blood, according to the word that the LORD had spoken.

1 Chronicles

• 1 Chronicles 5:25
  And they transgressed against the God of their fathers, and went a whoring after the gods of the people of the land, whom God destroyed before them.They were mighty men of valor, famous men, and heads of their families. But they were unfaithful to the God of their fathers, and they prostituted themselves with the gods of the peoples of the land, whom God had destroyed before them.

2 Chronicles

• 2 Chronicles 21:11
  Moreover he made high places in the mountains of Judah, and caused the inhabitants of Jerusalem to commit fornication, and compelled Judah thereto.Jehoram had also built high places on the hills of Judah; he had caused the people of Jerusalem to prostitute themselves and had led Judah astray.
• 2 Chronicles 21:13
  But hast walked in the way of the kings of Israel, and hast made Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to go a whoring, like to the whoredoms of the house of Ahab, and also hast slain thy brethren of thy father’s house, which were better than thyself:but you have walked in the ways of the kings of Israel and have caused Judah and the people of Jerusalem to prostitute themselves, just as the house of Ahab prostituted itself. You have also killed your brothers, your father’s family, who were better than you.

Psalms

• Psalm 73:27
  For, lo, they that are far from thee shall perish: thou hast destroyed all them that go a whoring from thee.Those far from You will surely perish; You destroy all who are unfaithful to You.
• Psalm 106:39
  Thus were they defiled with their own works, and went a whoring with their own inventions.They defiled themselves by their actions and prostituted themselves by their deeds.

Proverbs

• Proverbs 6:26
  For by means of a whorish woman a man is brought to a piece of bread: and the adulteress will hunt for the precious life.For the levy of the prostitute is poverty, and the adulteress preys upon your very life.
• Proverbs 7:10
  And, behold, there met him a woman with the attire of an harlot, and subtil of heart.Then a woman came out to meet him, with the attire of a harlot and cunning of heart.
• Proverbs 23:27
  For a whore is a deep ditch; and a strange woman is a narrow pit.For a prostitute is a deep pit, and an adulteress is a narrow well.
• Proverbs 29:3
  Whoso loveth wisdom rejoiceth his father: but he that keepeth company with harlots spendeth his substance.A man who loves wisdom brings joy to his father, but a companion of prostitutes squanders his wealth.

Isaiah

• Isaiah 1:21
  How is the faithful city become an harlot! it was full of judgment; righteousness lodged in it; but now murderers.See how the faithful city has become a harlot! She once was full of justice; righteousness resided within her, but now only murderers!
• Isaiah 23:15
  And it shall come to pass in that day, that Tyre shall be forgotten seventy years, according to the days of one king: after the end of seventy years shall Tyre sing as an harlot.At that time Tyre will be forgotten for seventy years—the span of a king’s life. But at the end of seventy years, it will happen to Tyre as in the song of the harlot:
• Isaiah 23:16
  Take an harp, go about the city, thou harlot that hast been forgotten; make sweet melody, sing many songs, that thou mayest be remembered.“Take up your harp, stroll through the city, O forgotten harlot. Make sweet melody, sing many a song, so you will be remembered.”
• Isaiah 23:17
  And it shall come to pass after the end of seventy years, that the Lord will visit Tyre, and she shall turn to her hire, and shall commit fornication with all the kingdoms of the world upon the face of the earth.And at the end of seventy years, the LORD will restore Tyre. Then she will return to hire as a prostitute and sell herself to all the kingdoms on the face of the earth.
• Isaiah 57:3
  But draw near hither, ye sons of the sorceress, the seed of the adulterer and the whore.“But come here, you sons of a sorceress, you offspring of adulterers and prostitutes!

Jeremiah

• Jeremiah 2:20
  For of old time I have broken thy yoke, and burst thy bands; and thou saidst, I will not transgress; when upon every high hill and under every green tree thou wanderest, playing the harlot.“For long ago you broke your yoke and tore off your chains, saying, ‘I will not serve!’ Indeed, on every high hill and under every green tree you lay down as a prostitute.
• Jeremiah 3:1
  They say, If a man put away his wife, and she go from him, and become another man’s, shall he return unto her again? shall not that land be greatly polluted? but thou hast played the harlot with many lovers; yet return again to me, saith the Lord.“If a man divorces his wife and she leaves him to marry another, can he ever return to her? Would not such a land be completely defiled? But you have played the harlot with many lovers— and you would return to Me?” declares the LORD.
• Jeremiah 3:3
  Therefore the showers have been withholden, and there hath been no latter rain; and thou hadst a whore’s forehead, thou refusedst to be ashamed.Therefore the showers have been withheld, and no spring rains have fallen. Yet you have the brazen look of a prostitute; you refuse to be ashamed.
• Jeremiah 3:6
  The Lord said also unto me in the days of Josiah the king, Hast thou seen that which backsliding Israel hath done? she is gone up upon every high mountain and under every green tree, and there hath played the harlot.Now in the days of King Josiah, the LORD said to me, “Have you seen what faithless Israel has done? She has gone up on every high hill and under every green tree to prostitute herself there.
• Jeremiah 3:8
  And I saw, when for all the causes whereby backsliding Israel committed adultery I had put her away, and given her a bill of divorce; yet her treacherous sister Judah feared not, but went and played the harlot also.She saw that because faithless Israel had committed adultery, I gave her a certificate of divorce and sent her away. Yet that unfaithful sister Judah had no fear and prostituted herself as well.
• Jeremiah 5:7
  How shall I pardon thee for this? thy children have forsaken me, and sworn by them that are no gods: when I had fed them to the full, they then committed adultery, and assembled themselves by troops in the harlots’ houses.“Why should I forgive you? Your children have forsaken Me and sworn by gods that are not gods. I satisfied their needs, yet they committed adultery and assembled at the houses of prostitutes.

Ezekiel

• Ezekiel 6:9
  And they that escape of you shall remember me among the nations whither they shall be carried captives, because I am broken with their whorish heart, which hath departed from me, and with their eyes, which go a whoring after their idols: and they shall lothe themselves for the evils which they have committed in all their abominations.Then in the nations to which they have been carried captive, your survivors will remember Me—how I have been grieved by their adulterous hearts that turned away from Me, and by their eyes that lusted after idols. So they will loathe themselves for the evil they have done and for all their abominations.
• Ezekiel 16:15
  But thou didst trust in thine own beauty, and playedst the harlot because of thy renown, and pouredst out thy fornications on every one that passed by; his it was.But because of your fame, you trusted in your beauty and played the harlot. You lavished your favors on everyone who passed by, and your beauty was theirs for the asking.
• Ezekiel 16:16
  And of thy garments thou didst take, and deckedst thy high places with divers colours, and playedst the harlot thereupon: the like things shall not come, neither shall it be so.You took some of your garments and made colorful high places for yourself, and on them you prostituted yourself. Such things should not have happened; never should they have occurred!
• Ezekiel 16:17
  Thou hast also taken thy fair jewels of my gold and of my silver, which I had given thee, and madest to thyself images of men, and didst commit whoredom with them,You also took the fine jewelry of gold and silver I had given you, and you made male idols with which to prostitute yourself.
• Ezekiel 16:26
  Thou hast also committed fornication with the Egyptians thy neighbours, great of flesh; and hast increased thy whoredoms, to provoke me to anger.You prostituted yourself with your lustful neighbors, the Egyptians, and increased your promiscuity to provoke Me to anger.
• Ezekiel 16:28
  Thou hast played the whore also with the Assyrians, because thou wast unsatiable; yea, thou hast played the harlot with them, and yet couldest not be satisfied.Then you prostituted yourself with the Assyrians, because you were not yet satisfied. Even after that, you were still not satisfied.
• Ezekiel 16:30
  How weak is thine heart, saith the Lord God, seeing thou doest all these things, the work of an imperious whorish woman;How weak-willed is your heart, declares the Lord GOD, while you do all these things, the acts of a shameless prostitute!
• Ezekiel 16:31
  In that thou buildest thine eminent place in the head of every way, and makest thine high place in every street; and hast not been as an harlot, in that thou scornest hire;But when you built your mounds at the head of every street and made your lofty shrines in every public square, you were not even like a prostitute, because you scorned payment.
• Ezekiel 16:33
  They give gifts to all whores: but thou givest thy gifts to all thy lovers, and hirest them, that they may come unto thee on every side for thy whoredom.Men give gifts to all their prostitutes, but you gave gifts to all your lovers. You bribed them to come to you from everywhere for your illicit favors.
• Ezekiel 16:34
  And the contrary is in thee from other women in thy whoredoms, whereas none followeth thee to commit whoredoms: and in that thou givest a reward, and no reward is given unto thee, therefore thou art contrary.So your prostitution is the opposite of that of other women: No one solicited your favors, and you paid a fee instead of receiving one; so you are the very opposite!
• Ezekiel 16:35
  Wherefore, O harlot, hear the word of the Lord:Therefore, O prostitute, hear the word of the LORD!
• Ezekiel 16:41
  And they shall burn thine houses with fire, and execute judgments upon thee in the sight of many women: and I will cause thee to cease from playing the harlot, and thou also shalt give no hire any more.Then they will burn down your houses and execute judgment against you in the sight of many women. I will put an end to your prostitution, and you will never again pay your lovers.
• Ezekiel 20:30
  Wherefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord God; Are ye polluted after the manner of your fathers? and commit ye whoredom after their abominations?Therefore tell the house of Israel that this is what the Lord GOD says: Will you defile yourselves the way your fathers did, prostituting yourselves with their abominations?
• Ezekiel 23:3
  And they committed whoredoms in Egypt; they committed whoredoms in their youth: there were their breasts pressed, and there they bruised the teats of their virginity.and they played in Egypt, prostituting themselves from their youth. Their breasts were fondled there, and their virgin bosoms caressed.
• Ezekiel 23:5
  And Aholah played the harlot when she was mine; and she doted on her lovers, on the Assyrians her neighbours,Oholah prostituted herself while she was still Mine. She lusted after her lovers, the Assyrians—warriors
• Ezekiel 23:19
  Yet she multiplied her whoredoms, in calling to remembrance the days of her youth, wherein she had played the harlot in the land of Egypt.Yet she multiplied her promiscuity, remembering the days of her youth, when she had prostituted herself in the land of Egypt
• Ezekiel 23:30
  I will do these things unto thee, because thou hast gone a whoring after the heathen, and because thou art polluted with their idols.have brought these things upon you, because you have prostituted yourself with the nations and defiled yourself with their idols.
• Ezekiel 23:43
  Then said I unto her that was old in adulteries, Will they now commit whoredoms with her, and she with them?Then I said of her who had grown old in adulteries: ‘Now let them use her as a prostitute, for that is all she is!’
• Ezekiel 23:44
  Yet they went in unto her, as they go in unto a woman that playeth the harlot: so went they in unto Aholah and unto Aholibah, the lewd women.And they slept with her as with a prostitute; they slept with Oholah and Oholibah, those lewd women.

Hosea

• Hosea 1:2
  The beginning of the word of the Lord by Hosea. And the Lord said to Hosea, Go, take unto thee a wife of whoredoms and children of whoredoms: for the land hath committed great whoredom, departing from the Lord.When the LORD first spoke through Hosea, He told him, “Go, take a prostitute as your wife and have children of adultery, because this land is flagrantly prostituting itself by departing from the LORD.”
• Hosea 2:5
  For their mother hath played the harlot: she that conceived them hath done shamefully: for she said, I will go after my lovers, that give me my bread and my water, my wool and my flax, mine oil and my drink.For their mother has played the harlot and has conceived them in disgrace. For she thought, ‘I will go after my lovers, who give me bread and water, wool and linen, oil and drink.’
• Hosea 3:3
  And I said unto her, Thou shalt abide for me many days; thou shalt not play the harlot, and thou shalt not be for another man: so will I also be for thee.Then I said to her, “You must live with me for many days; you must not be promiscuous or belong to another, and I will do the same for you.”
• Hosea 4:10
  For they shall eat, and not have enough: they shall commit whoredom, and shall not increase: because they have left off to take heed to the Lord.They will eat but not be satisfied; they will be promiscuous but not multiply. For they have stopped obeying the LORD.
• Hosea 4:12
  My people ask counsel at their stocks, and their staff declareth unto them: for the spirit of whoredoms hath caused them to err, and they have gone a whoring from under their God.My people consult their wooden idols, and their divining rods inform them. For a spirit of prostitution leads them astray and they have played the harlot against their God.
• Hosea 4:13
  They sacrifice upon the tops of the mountains, and burn incense upon the hills, under oaks and poplars and elms, because the shadow thereof is good: therefore your daughters shall commit whoredom, and your spouses shall commit adultery.They sacrifice on the mountaintops and burn offerings on the hills, under oak, poplar, and terebinth, because their shade is pleasant. And so your daughters turn to prostitution and your daughters-in-law to adultery.
• Hosea 4:14
  I will not punish your daughters when they commit whoredom, nor your spouses when they commit adultery: for themselves are separated with whores, and they sacrifice with harlots: therefore the people that doth not understand shall fall.I will not punish your daughters when they prostitute themselves, nor your daughters-in-law when they commit adultery. For the men themselves go off with prostitutes and offer sacrifices with shrine prostitutes. So a people without understanding will come to ruin.
• Hosea 4:15
  Though thou, Israel, play the harlot, yet let not Judah offend; and come not ye unto Gilgal, neither go ye up to Beth–aven, nor swear, The Lord liveth.Though you prostitute yourself, O Israel, may Judah avoid such guilt! Do not journey to Gilgal, do not go up to Beth-aven, and do not swear on oath, ‘As surely as the LORD lives!’
• Hosea 4:18
  Their drink is sour: they have committed whoredom continually: her rulers with shame do love, Give ye.When their liquor is gone, they turn to prostitution; their rulers dearly love disgrace.
• Hosea 5:3
  I know Ephraim, and Israel is not hid from me: for now, O Ephraim, thou committest whoredom, and Israel is defiled.I know all about Ephraim, and Israel is not hidden from Me. For now, O Ephraim, you have turned to prostitution; Israel is defiled.
• Hosea 9:1
  Rejoice not, O Israel, for joy, as other people: for thou hast gone a whoring from thy God, thou hast loved a reward upon every cornfloor.Do not rejoice, O Israel, with exultation like the nations, for you have played the harlot against your God; you have made love for hire on every threshing floor.

Joel

• Joel 3:3
  And they have cast lots for my people; and have given a boy for an harlot, and sold a girl for wine, that they might drink.They cast lots for My people; they bartered a boy for a prostitute and sold a girl for wine to drink.

Amos

• Amos 7:17
  Therefore thus saith the Lord; Thy wife shall be an harlot in the city, and thy sons and thy daughters shall fall by the sword, and thy land shall be divided by line; and thou shalt die in a polluted land: and Israel shall surely go into captivity forth of his land.Therefore this is what the LORD says: ‘Your wife will become a prostitute in the city, and your sons and daughters will fall by the sword. Your land will be divided by a measuring line, and you yourself will die on pagan soil. And Israel will surely go into exile, away from their homeland.’”

Micah

• Micah 1:7
  And all the graven images thereof shall be beaten to pieces, and all the hires thereof shall be burned with the fire, and all the idols thereof will I lay desolate: for she gathered it of the hire of an harlot, and they shall return to the hire of an harlot.All her carved images will be smashed to pieces; all her wages will be burned in the fire, and I will destroy all her idols. Since she collected the wages of a prostitute, they will be used again on a prostitute.

Nahum

• Nahum 3:4
  Because of the multitude of the whoredoms of the wellfavoured harlot, the mistress of witchcrafts, that selleth nations through her whoredoms, and families through her witchcrafts.because of the many harlotries of the harlot, the seductive mistress of sorcery, who betrays nations by her prostitution and clans by her witchcraft.

Notes

1. Definition and verse list from STEPBible's tagged Hebrew Old Testament (TAHOT) and Greek New Testament (TAGNT) and Brief Lexicons, STEPBible.org, CC BY 4.0.
2. English renderings from the public-domain KJV with Strong's numbers (eBible.org) and the Berean Standard Bible interlinear (public domain).