זנה

Compare Arabic زَنَى (zanā, “to fornicate/ to lust”).

• (Modern Israeli Hebrew) IPA^(key): /zaˈna/

• Audio:

  (file)

זָנָה • (zaná) (pa'al construction, infinitive לִזְנוֹת)

1. (dated) to lust, fornicate, commit adultery
   • Tanach, Numbers 25:1:

     וַיֵּשֶׁב יִשְׂרָאֵל בַּשִּׁטִּים וַיָּחֶל הָעָם לִזְנוֹת אֶל־בְּנוֹת מוֹאָב׃

     And Israel abode in Shittim, and the people began to commit harlotry with the daughters of Moab.

   • Tanach, Judges 19:2, with translation of the Jewish Publication Society:

     וַתִּזְנֶה עָלָיו פִּילַגְשׁוֹ וַתֵּלֶךְ מֵאִתּוֹ אֶל־בֵּית אָבִיהָ אֶל־בֵּית לֶחֶם יְהוּדָה וַתְּהִי־שָׁם יָמִים אַרְבָּעָה חֳדָשִׁים׃

     And his concubine played the harlot against him, and went away from him unto her father's house to Beth-lehem in Judah, and was there the space of four months.

2. (dated) to go astray
   • Tanach, Numbers 15:39:

     וְהָיָה לָכֶם לְצִיצִת וּרְאִיתֶם אֹתוֹ וּזְכַרְתֶּם אֶת־כָּל־מִצְוֺת יְהוָה וַעֲשִׂיתֶם אֹתָם וְלֹא־תָתוּרוּ אַחֲרֵי לְבַבְכֶם וְאַחֲרֵי עֵינֵיכֶם אֲשֶׁר־אַתֶּם זֹנִים אַחֲרֵיהֶם׃

     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 go not about after your own heart and your own eyes, after which ye use to go astray/ use to go lust;

• זוֹנָה (zoná)
• זְנוּת (z'nút)