בָּזָה
ba.zah (H0959)
to despise
AI Word Study
# Biblical Analysis of בָּזָה (bazah): "To Despise" The Hebrew verb בָּזָה carries the core meaning of contempt or scorn directed toward a person or thing. With 44 occurrences throughout the biblical text, it represents a significant vocabulary choice for expressing profound disapproval or rejection. The term functions as a straightforward action verb—one person or group despises another—making it a direct way to convey emotional and relational judgment in ancient Hebrew. The frequency of this word's appearance across the biblical corpus suggests that expressing contempt or disdain was a matter of considerable importance in biblical discourse. Rather than being a marginal or rare sentiment, despising someone or something appears to have been a recognized and documented human response that biblical authors felt warranted specific linguistic attention. The consistent use of this single lemma across multiple texts indicates it was the standard Hebrew term for this particular attitude or action. Though the provided data offers only the lemma, transliteration, and occurrence count, the word's presence across 44 biblical passages indicates it functioned as ordinary vocabulary for depicting interpersonal conflict, rejection of values, or disdain toward persons in authority or toward God. Its regular appearance suggests bazah captured a recognizable emotional and social reality that ancient Hebrew speakers needed to articulate clearly.
AI synthesis uses only provided lexicon data -- never training knowledge.
Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil stew. He ate and drank, rose up, and went his way. So Esau despised his birthright.
Because he has despised Yahweh’s word, and has broken his commandment, that soul shall be utterly cut off. His iniquity shall be on him.’ ”
“Therefore Yahweh, the God of Israel, says, ‘I said indeed that your house and the house of your father should walk before me forever.’ But now Yahweh says, ‘Far be it from me; for those who honor me I will honor, and those who despise me will be cursed.
But certain worthless fellows said, “How could this man save us?” They despised him, and brought him no present. But he held his peace.
When the Philistine looked around, and saw David, he disdained him; for he was but a youth, and ruddy, and had a good looking face.
As Yahweh’s ark came into David’s city, Michal the daughter of Saul looked out through the window, and saw king David leaping and dancing before Yahweh; and she despised him in her heart.
Why have you despised Yahweh’s word, to do that which is evil in his sight? You have struck Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and have taken his wife to be your wife, and have slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon.
Now therefore the sword will never depart from your house, because you have despised me, and have taken Uriah the Hittite’s wife to be your wife.’
This is the word that Yahweh has spoken concerning him: ‘The virgin daughter of Zion has despised you and ridiculed you. The daughter of Jerusalem has shaken her head at you.
As the ark of Yahweh’s covenant came to David’s city, Michal the daughter of Saul looked out at the window, and saw king David dancing and playing; and she despised him in her heart.
but they mocked the messengers of God, and despised his words, and scoffed at his prophets, until Yahweh’s wrath arose against his people, until there was no remedy.
But when Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite servant, and Geshem the Arabian, heard it, they ridiculed us, and despised us, and said, “What is this thing that you are doing? Will you rebel against the king?”
For this deed of the queen will become known to all women, causing them to show contempt for their husbands, when it is reported, ‘King Ahasuerus commanded Vashti the queen to be brought in before him, but she didn’t come.’
But he scorned the thought of laying hands on Mordecai alone, for they had made known to him Mordecai’s people. Therefore Haman sought to destroy all the Jews who were throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus, even Mordecai’s people.
in whose eyes a vile man is despised, but who honors those who fear Yahweh; he who keeps an oath even when it hurts, and doesn’t change;
But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised by the people.
For he has not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted, Neither has he hidden his face from him; but when he cried to him, he heard.
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit. O God, you will not despise a broken and contrite heart.
As a dream when one wakes up, so, Lord, when you awake, you will despise their fantasies.
He has responded to the prayer of the destitute, and has not despised their prayer.
He who walks in his uprightness fears Yahweh, but he who is perverse in his ways despises him.
A wise son makes a father glad, but a foolish man despises his mother.
He who keeps the commandment keeps his soul, but he who is contemptuous in his ways shall die.
Then I said, “Wisdom is better than strength.” Nevertheless the poor man’s wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard.
this is the word which Yahweh has spoken concerning him. The virgin daughter of Zion has despised you and ridiculed you. The daughter of Jerusalem has shaken her head at you.
Yahweh, the Redeemer of Israel, and his Holy One, says to him whom man despises, to him whom the nation abhors, to a servant of rulers: “Kings shall see and rise up, princes, and they shall worship, because of Yahweh who is faithful, even the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you.”
He was despised and rejected by men, a man of suffering and acquainted with disease. He was despised as one from whom men hide their face; and we didn’t respect him.
Is this man Coniah a despised broken vessel? Is he a vessel in which no one delights? Why are they cast out, he and his offspring, and cast into a land which they don’t know?
“For, behold, I have made you small among the nations, and despised among men.
“ ‘For the Lord Yahweh says: “I will also deal with you as you have done, who have despised the oath in breaking the covenant.
“ ‘As I live,’ says the Lord Yahweh, ‘surely in the place where the king dwells who made him king, whose oath he despised, and whose covenant he broke, even with him in the middle of Babylon he will die.
For he has despised the oath by breaking the covenant; and behold, he had given his hand, and yet has done all these things. He won’t escape.
“Therefore the Lord Yahweh says: ‘As I live, I will surely bring on his own head my oath that he has despised and my covenant that he has broken.
“In his place a contemptible person will stand up, to whom they had not given the honor of the kingdom; but he will come in time of security, and will obtain the kingdom by flatteries.
Behold, I have made you small among the nations. You are greatly despised.
“A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If I am a father, then where is my honor? And if I am a master, where is the respect due me? Says Yahweh of Armies to you, priests, who despise my name. You say, ‘How have we despised your name?’
You offer polluted bread on my altar. You say, ‘How have we polluted you?’ In that you say, ‘Yahweh’s table is contemptible.’
“But you profane it, in that you say, ‘Yahweh’s table is polluted, and its fruit, even its food, is contemptible.’
“Therefore I have also made you contemptible and wicked before all the people, according to the way you have not kept my ways, but have had respect for persons in the law.