I. זֶ֫בַח₁₆₂ noun masculine^{Judges 16:23} sacrifice **Phoenician זבח of an offering of bread and oil CIS^{i. 165, 12; 167. 8}, compare RS^{Semitic 205 (2nd ed. 222)}. ׳ז absolute Genesis 31:54 +; construct Exodus 34:25 +; זָ֑בַח Leviticus 17:8 16t.; suffix זִבְחוֺ Leviticus 7:16; Ezekiel 34:15, זִבְחֲכֶם Leviticus 19:6; plural זְבָחִים Genesis 46:1 +; construct זִבְחֵי Leviticus 17:5 +; suffix 3 masculine plural זִבְחֵיהֶם Leviticus 17:5, זְבָחֵימוֺ Deuteronomy 32:38, זִבְחֹתָם Hosea 4:19 etc.; — the common and most ancient sacrifice, whose essential rite was eating the flesh of the victim at a feast in which the god of the clan shared by receiving the blood and fat pieces. In the older literature it is distinguished from מִנְחָה and עֹלָה, in the later literature from חַטָּאת and אָשָׁם.

I. general name for all sacrifices eaten at feasts: —

1 of the God of Israel Genesis 46:1; Exodus 10:25; Exodus 18:12 (E) Hosea 3:4; Hosea 6:6; Hosea 9:4; Amos 5:25; Isaiah 1:11; Isaiah 19:21; Deuteronomy 12:27; Deuteronomy 18:3; 1 Samuel 2:13,29; 1 Samuel 3:14; 1 Samuel 6:15; 1 Samuel 9:12,13; 1 Samuel 15:22 (twice in verse); 1 Samuel 16:3,5 (twice in verse); 2 Samuel 15:12; 1 Kings 8:62; 1 Kings 12:27; 2 Kings 5:17; 2 Kings 16:15; Psalm 40:7; Psalm 50:8; Psalm 51:18; Psalm 51:19; Proverbs 15:8; Proverbs 21:3,27; Isaiah 43:23,24; Isaiah 56:7; Jeremiah 6:20; Jeremiah 7:21,22; Jeremiah 17:26; Jeremiah 33:18; Ezekiel 40:42; Ezekiel 44:11; 1 Chronicles 29:21 (twice in verse); 2Chronicles 7:1,4,5,12; Nehemiah 12:43; Daniel 9:27; Ecclesiastes 4:17. They should be זִבְחֵי צֶדֶק sacrifices of righteousness (offered in righteousness by the righteous) Deuteronomy 33:19; Psalm 4:6; Psalm 51:21; זִבְחֵי הַבְהָבַי sacrifices of gifts to me (׳י) Hosea 8:13; the temple is בֵּית זָבַ֑ח2Chronicles 7:12; they should not be רִיב ׳ז sacrifices of strife, where strife prevails Proverbs 17:1.

2 of other deities Exodus 34:15; Numbers 25:2; Deuteronomy 32:38 (JE) Judges 16:23; 2 Kings 10:19,24; Hosea 4:19; Isaiah 57:7; Ezekiel 20:28; these are זִבְחֵי מֵתִים sacrifices to dead things (lifeless gods, opposed to ׳י as living), Psalm 106:28.

II. there are several kinds of זְבָחִים which are gradually distinguished:

1 the covenant sacrifice, between Jacob and Laban Genesis 31:54 (E), with God Psalm 50:5 (compare Exodus 24:5; 1 Samuel 11:15).

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

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

4 thank offering (הַ)תּוֺדָה ׳ז Leviticus 7:12; Leviticus 22:29; Psalm 107:22; Psalm 116:17, which is given as קָרְבָּנוֺ ׳ז, זִבְחוֺ, הַזָּבַח Leviticus 7:16,17; and as a variety of שְׁלָמִים Leviticus 7:13,15; it is implied in זִבְחֵי תְרוּעָה Psalm 27:6; yet זֶבַח is Generic with תּוֺדָה2Chronicles 29:31 (twice in verse).

5 in ritual of H & P זבחים are defined by שׁלמים (q. v.) Leviticus 3:1 39t. Leviticus, Numbers, 1 Samuel 10:8; 1 Kings 8:63; 2Chronicles 30:22; 33:16; Proverbs 7:14, but sometimes (rarely) ׳ז alone is used in this sense, with or without suffix, where the meaning is plain from the context: Leviticus 17:5,7,8; Leviticus 19:6; Leviticus 23:37 (H) Numbers 15:3,5,8; Joshua 22:26,29 (all P). These ritual offerings are of three varieties תּוֺדָה, נֶדֶר and נְדָבָה Leviticus 7:12,16 (P); in the several lists זבחים are distinguished from תודות Amos 4:4f.; 2Chron 29:31, from נדרים Numbers 15:8 (P) Deuteronomy 12:6,11; Jonah 1:16, from נדבות Amos 4:4f.; Deuteronomy 12:6 and from the more comprehensive שׁלמים Numbers 15:8; Joshua 22:27 (P). So also the sacrifice at the institution of the covenant at Horeb Exodus 24:5 (J E) and the sacrifice at the installation of Saul 1 Samuel 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, Exodus 12:22; Exodus 24:8; Leviticus 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 Isaiah 34:6; Jeremiah 46:10; Ezekiel 39:17 (twice in verse); Ezekiel 39:19; Zephaniah 1:7,8.

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