Bazah בָּזָה

Bazah (Hebrew בָּזָה, Strong's H959) is a Hebrew verb meaning “to despise”. It occurs 44 times in 42 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

Verses

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

Genesis

• Genesis 25:34
  Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentiles; and he did eat and drink, and rose up, and went his way: thus Esau despised his birthright.Then Jacob gave some bread and lentil stew to Esau, who ate and drank and then got up and went away. Thus Esau despised his birthright.

Numbers

• Numbers 15:31
  Because he hath despised the word of the Lord, and hath broken his commandment, that soul shall utterly be cut off; his iniquity shall be upon him.He shall certainly be cut off, because he has despised the word of the LORD and broken His commandment; his guilt remains on him.”

1 Samuel

• 1 Samuel 2:30
  Wherefore the Lord God of Israel saith, I said indeed that thy house, and the house of thy father, should walk before me for ever: but now the Lord saith, Be it far from me; for them that honour me I will honour, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed.Therefore, the LORD, the God of Israel, declares: ‘I did indeed say that your house and the house of your father would walk before Me forever. But now the LORD declares: Far be it from Me! For I will honor those who honor Me, but those who despise Me will be disdained.
• 1 Samuel 10:27
  But the children of Belial said, How shall this man save us? And they despised him, and brought him no presents. But he held his peace.But some worthless men said, “How can this man save us?” So they despised him and brought him no gifts; but Saul remained silent about it.
• 1 Samuel 17:42
  And when the Philistine looked about, and saw David, he disdained him: for he was but a youth, and ruddy, and of a fair countenance.When the Philistine looked and saw David, he despised him because he was just a boy, ruddy and handsome.

2 Samuel

• 2 Samuel 6:16
  And as the ark of the Lord came into the city of David, Michal Saul’s daughter looked through a window, and saw king David leaping and dancing before the Lord; and she despised him in her heart.As the ark of the LORD was entering the City of David, Saul’s daughter Michal looked down from a window and saw King David leaping and dancing before the LORD, and she despised him in her heart.
• 2 Samuel 12:9
  Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the Lord, to do evil in his sight? thou hast killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and hast taken his wife to be thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon.Why then have you despised the command of the LORD by doing evil in His sight? You put Uriah the Hittite to the sword and took his wife as your own, for you have slain him with the sword of the Ammonites.
• 2 Samuel 12:10
  Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house; because thou hast despised me, and hast taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife.Now, therefore, the sword will never depart from your house, because you have despised Me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your own.’

2 Kings

• 2 Kings 19:21
  This is the word that the Lord hath spoken concerning him; The virgin the daughter of Zion hath despised thee, and laughed thee to scorn; the daughter of Jerusalem hath shaken her head at thee.This is the word that the LORD has spoken against him: ‘The Virgin Daughter of Zion despises you and mocks you; the Daughter of Jerusalem shakes her head behind you.

1 Chronicles

• 1 Chronicles 15:29
  And it came to pass, as the ark of the covenant of the Lord came to the city of David, that Michal the daughter of Saul looking out at a window saw king David dancing and playing: and she despised him in her heart.As the ark of the covenant of the LORD was entering the City of David, Saul’s daughter Michal looked down from a window and saw King David dancing and celebrating, and she despised him in her heart.

2 Chronicles

• 2 Chronicles 36:16
  But they mocked the messengers of God, and despised his words, and misused his prophets, until the wrath of the Lord arose against his people, till there was no remedy.But they mocked the messengers of God, despising His words and scoffing at His prophets, until the wrath of the LORD against His people was stirred up beyond remedy.

Nehemiah

• Nehemiah 2:19
  But when Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, and Geshem the Arabian, heard it, they laughed us to scorn, and despised us, and said, What is this thing that ye do? will ye rebel against the king?But when Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official, and Geshem the Arab heard about this, they mocked us and ridiculed us, saying, “What is this you are doing? Are you rebelling against the king?”

Esther

• Esther 1:17
  For this deed of the queen shall come abroad unto all women, so that they shall despise their husbands in their eyes, when it shall be reported, The king Ahasuerus commanded Vashti the queen to be brought in before him, but she came not.For the conduct of the queen will become known to all women, causing them to despise their husbands and say, ‘King Xerxes ordered Queen Vashti to be brought before him, but she did not come.’
• Esther 3:6
  And he thought scorn to lay hands on Mordecai alone; for they had shewed him the people of Mordecai: wherefore Haman sought to destroy all the Jews that were throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus, even the people of Mordecai.And when he learned the identity of Mordecai’s people, he scorned the notion of laying hands on Mordecai alone. Instead, he sought to destroy all of Mordecai’s people, the Jews, throughout the kingdom of Xerxes.

Psalms

• Psalm 15:4
  In whose eyes a vile person is contemned; but he honoureth them that fear the LORD. He that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not.who despises the vile but honors those who fear the LORD, who does not revise a costly oath,
• Psalm 22:6
  But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people.But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by men and despised by the people.
• Psalm 22:24
  For he hath not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; neither hath he hid his face from him; but when he cried unto him, he heard.For He has not despised or detested the torment of the afflicted. He has not hidden His face from him, but has attended to his cry for help.
• Psalm 51:17
  The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.
• Psalm 69:33
  For the LORD heareth the poor, and despiseth not his prisoners.For the LORD listens to the needy and does not despise His captive people.
• Psalm 73:20
  As a dream when one awaketh; so, O Lord, when thou awakest, thou shalt despise their image.Like one waking from a dream, so You, O Lord, awaken and despise their form.
• Psalm 102:17
  He will regard the prayer of the destitute, and not despise their prayer.He will turn toward the prayer of the destitute; He will not despise their prayer.
• Psalm 119:141
  I am small and despised: yet do not I forget thy precepts.I am lowly and despised, but I do not forget Your precepts.

Proverbs

• Proverbs 14:2
  He that walketh in his uprightness feareth the Lord: but he that is perverse in his ways despiseth him.He who walks in uprightness fears the LORD, but the one who is devious in his ways despises Him.
• Proverbs 15:20
  A wise son maketh a glad father: but a foolish man despiseth his mother.A wise son brings joy to his father, but a foolish man despises his mother.
• Proverbs 19:16
  He that keepeth the commandment keepeth his own soul; but he that despiseth his ways shall die.He who keeps a commandment preserves his soul, but he who is careless in his ways will die.

Ecclesiastes

• Ecclesiastes 9:16
  Then said I, Wisdom is better than strength: nevertheless the poor man’s wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard.And I said, “Wisdom is better than strength, but the wisdom of the poor man is despised, and his words are not heeded.”

Isaiah

• Isaiah 37:22
  This is the word which the Lord hath spoken concerning him; The virgin, the daughter of Zion, hath despised thee, and laughed thee to scorn; the daughter of Jerusalem hath shaken her head at thee.this is the word that the LORD has spoken against him: ‘The Virgin Daughter of Zion despises you and mocks you; the Daughter of Jerusalem shakes her head behind you.
• Isaiah 49:7
  Thus saith the Lord, the Redeemer of Israel, and his Holy One, to him whom man despiseth, to him whom the nation abhorreth, to a servant of rulers, Kings shall see and arise, princes also shall worship, because of the Lord that is faithful, and the Holy One of Israel, and he shall choose thee.Thus says the LORD, the Redeemer and Holy One of Israel, to Him who was despised and abhorred by the nation, to the Servant of rulers: “Kings will see You and rise, and princes will bow down, because of the LORD, who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen You.”
• Isaiah 53:3
  He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief. Like one from whom men hide their faces, He was despised, and we esteemed Him not.

Jeremiah

• Jeremiah 22:28
  Is this man Coniah a despised broken idol? is he a vessel wherein is no pleasure? wherefore are they cast out, he and his seed, and are cast into a land which they know not?Is this man Coniah a despised and shattered pot, a jar that no one wants? Why are he and his descendants hurled out and cast into a land they do not know?
• Jeremiah 49:15
  For, lo, I will make thee small among the heathen, and despised among men.“For behold, I will make you small among nations, despised among men.

Ezekiel

• Ezekiel 16:59
  For thus saith the Lord God; I will even deal with thee as thou hast done, which hast despised the oath in breaking the covenant.For this is what the Lord GOD says: I will deal with you according to your deeds, since you have despised the oath by breaking the covenant.
• Ezekiel 17:16
  As I live, saith the Lord God, surely in the place where the king dwelleth that made him king, whose oath he despised, and whose covenant he brake, even with him in the midst of Babylon he shall die.‘As surely as I live,’ declares the Lord GOD, ‘he will die in Babylon, in the land of the king who enthroned him, whose oath he despised and whose covenant he broke.
• Ezekiel 17:18
  Seeing he despised the oath by breaking the covenant, when, lo, he had given his hand, and hath done all these things, he shall not escape.He despised the oath by breaking the covenant. Seeing that he gave his hand in pledge yet did all these things, he will not escape!’
• Ezekiel 17:19
  Therefore thus saith the Lord God; As I live, surely mine oath that he hath despised, and my covenant that he hath broken, even it will I recompense upon his own head.Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘As surely as I live, I will bring down upon his head My oath that he despised and My covenant that he broke.
• Ezekiel 22:8
  Thou hast despised mine holy things, and hast profaned my sabbaths.You have despised My holy things and profaned My Sabbaths.

Daniel

• Daniel 11:21
  And in his estate shall stand up a vile person, to whom they shall not give the honour of the kingdom: but he shall come in peaceably, and obtain the kingdom by flatteries.In his place a despicable person will arise; royal honors will not be given to him, but he will come in a time of peace and seize the kingdom by intrigue.

Obadiah

• Obadiah 1:2
  Behold, I have made thee small among the heathen: thou art greatly despised.“Behold, I will make you small among the nations; you will be deeply despised.

Malachi

• Malachi 1:6
  A son honoureth his father, and a servant his master: if then I be a father, where is mine honour? and if I be a master, where is my fear? saith the Lord of hosts unto you, O priests, that despise my name. And ye say, Wherein have we despised thy name?“A son honors his father, and a servant his master. But if I am a father, where is My honor? And if I am a master, where is your fear of Me?” says the LORD of Hosts to you priests who despise My name. “But you ask, ‘How have we despised Your name?’
• Malachi 1:7
  Ye offer polluted bread upon mine altar; and ye say, Wherein have we polluted thee? In that ye say, The table of the Lord is contemptible.By presenting defiled food on My altar. But you ask, ‘How have we defiled You?’ By saying that the table of the LORD is contemptible.
• Malachi 1:12
  But ye have profaned it, in that ye say, The table of the Lord is polluted; and the fruit thereof, even his meat, is contemptible.“But you profane it when you say, ‘The table of the Lord is defiled, and as for its fruit, its food is contemptible.’
• Malachi 2:9
  Therefore have I also made you contemptible and base before all the people, according as ye have not kept my ways, but have been partial in the law.“So I in turn have made you despised and humiliated before all the people, because you have not kept My ways, but have shown partiality in matters of the law.”

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).