זֶבַח

1. of the God of Israel 1 Mos 46,1; 2 Mos 10,25; 2 Mos 18,12 (E) Hos 3,4; Hos 6,6; Hos 9,4; Amos 5,25; Es 1,11; Es 19,21; 5 Mos 12,27; 5 Mos 18,3; 1 Sam 2,13; 1 Sam 2,29; 1 Sam 3,14; 1 Sam 6,15; 1 Sam 9,12; 1 Sam 9,13; 1 Sam 15,22 (twice in verse); 1 Sam 16,3; 1 Sam 16,5 (twice in verse); 2 Sam 15,12; 1 Kong 8,62; 1 Kong 12,27; 2 Kong 5,17; 2 Kong 16,15; Sl 40,7; Sl 50,8; Sl 51,18; Sl 51,19; Ord 15,8; Ord 21,3; Ord 21,27; Es 43,23; Es 43,24; Es 56,7; Jer 6,20; Jer 7,21; Jer 7,22; Jer 17,26; Jer 33,18; Ezk 40,42; Ezk 44,11; 1 Kron 29,21 (twice in verse); 2 Kron 7,1; 2 Kron 7,4; 2 Kron 7,5; 2 Kron 7,12; Neh 12,43; Dan 9,27; Praed 4,17. They should be זִבְחֵי צֶדֶק sacrifices of righteousness (offered in righteousness by the righteous) 5 Mos 33,19; Sl 4,6; Sl 51,21 זִבְחֵי הַבְהָבַי sacrifices of gifts to me (׳י) Hos 8,13 the temple is בֵּית זָבַ֑ח 2 Kron 7,12 they should not be רִיב ׳ז sacrifices of strife, where strife prevails Ord 17,1.

2. of other deities 2 Mos 34,15; 4 Mos 25,2; 5 Mos 32,38 (JE) Dom 16,23; 2 Kong 10,19; 2 Kong 10,24; Hos 4,19; Es 57,7; Ezk 20,28 these are זִבְחֵי מֵתִים sacrifices to dead things (lifeless gods, opposed to ׳י as living), Sl 106,28. II. there are several kinds of זְבָחִים which are gradually distinguished:

1. the covenant sacrifice, between Jacob and Laban 1 Mos 31,54 (E), with God Sl 50,5 (compare 2 Mos 24,5; 1 Sam 11,15).

2. the passover זֶבַח חַג הַפֶּסַח 2 Mos 34,25 (JE), זבח פסח 2 Mos 12,27 (J); and probably also זבחי 2 Mos 23,18 (JE) = 2 Mos 34,25 (id.)

3. annual sacrifice זֶבַח הַיָּמִים 1 Sam 1,21; 1 Sam 2,19; 1 Sam 20,6, compare מִשְׁפָּחָה ׳ז sacrifice of the clan 1 Sam 20,29.

4. thank offering (הַ)תּוֺדָה ׳ז 3 Mos 7,12; 3 Mos 22,29; Sl 107,22; Sl 116,17, which is given as קָרְבָּנוֺ ׳ז, זִבְחוֺ, הַזָּבַח 3 Mos 7,16; 3 Mos 7,17 and as a variety of שְׁלָמִים 3 Mos 7,13; 3 Mos 7,15 it is implied in זִבְחֵי תְרוּעָה Sl 27,6 yet זֶבַח is generic with תּוֺדָה 2 Kron 29,31 (twice in verse).

5. in ritual of H & P זבחים are defined by שׁלמים (q. v.) 3 Mos 3,1 + 39 t. Leviticus, Numbers, 1 Sam 10,8; 1 Kong 8,63; 2 Kron 30,22; 2 Kron 33,16; Ord 7,14, but sometimes (rarely) ׳ז alone is used in this sense, with or without suffix, where the meaning is plain from the context: 3 Mos 17,5; 3 Mos 17,7; 3 Mos 17,8; 3 Mos 19,6; 3 Mos 23,37 (H) 4 Mos 15,3; 4 Mos 15,5; 4 Mos 15,8; Jos 22,26; Jos 22,29 (all P). These ritual offerings are of three varieties תּוֺדָה, נֶדֶר and נְדָבָה 3 Mos 7,12; 3 Mos 7,16 (P); in the several lists זבחים are distinguished from תודות Amos 2,31, from נדרים 4 Mos 15,8 (P) 5 Mos 12,6; 5 Mos 12,11; Jon 1,16, from נדבות Amos 4,4f.; 5 Mos 12,6 and from the more comprehensive שׁלמים 4 Mos 15,8; Jos 22,27 (P). So also the sacrifice at the institution of the covenant at Horeb 2 Mos 24,5 (J E) and the sacrifice at the installation of Saul 1 Sam 11,5 are defined as זבחים שׁלמים. Thus ׳ז seems not only to be used for all these special forms but also to include other festal sacrifices not defined in the codes of law. The ritual was the same for the entire class. They were all sacrifices for feasts in which the flesh of the victim was eaten by the offerers, except so far as the officiating priests had certain choice pieces and the blood and fat pieces went to the altar for God. The sacrifice at the institution of the covenant at Horeb, the Passover victim, and the ram of consecration, were special, in that there was an application of a portion of the blood to the persons and things which were to be consecrated, 2 Mos 12,22; 2 Mos 24,8; 3 Mos 8,23.

6. the slaughter of hostile nations is also a זֶבַח offered by God Himself, in which the vultures devour the flesh of the victims Es 34,6; Jer 46,10; Ezk 39,17 (twice in verse); Ezk 39,19; Sef 1,7; Sef 1,8.

7. the verb used with זֶבַח is ordinarily זָבַח but others also are found e.g. עָשָׂה 4 Mos 6,17; 4 Mos 15,3; 4 Mos 15,5; 4 Mos 15,8; Jos 22,23 (P) 1 Kong 12,27; 2 Kong 5,17; 2 Kong 10,24; Jer 33,18 (compare Sabean עסי דֿבח Hal¹⁴⁸ DHM^{ZMG 1888, 374}); הֵבִיא Amos 4,4; 5 Mos 12,6; 5 Mos 12,11; Jer 17,26, הִגִּישׁ Amos 5,25, הִקְרִיב 3 Mos 7,11; 3 Mos 7,16; 3 Mos 22,21 (all P), עָבַד Es 19,21, נָתַן Praed 4,17, יַעֲלָה עֹלָה אוֺ זֶבַח 3 Mos 17,8 (H), ׳בִּשֵּׁל ז Ezk 46,24, שָׁחַט אֶתהָֿעוֺלָה וְהַזָּבַ֑ח Ezk 40,42 compare Ezk 44,11.