The Hebrew verb zahar means to warn, admonish, or give caution. In the Niphal stem it carries the sense of being warned or taking heed; in the Hiphil it means to cause to shine or to enlighten. It appears in key prophetic and wisdom texts where the responsibility to warn others is emphasized.
In Ezekiel 3 and 33, God charges the prophet as a watchman whose duty is to zahar — warn — the wicked. The failure to warn carries moral culpability, underscoring that love is not silence. This concept of holy warning reflects God's own nature as one who does not desire the death of the wicked (Ezek 33:11). The word also carries the nuance of shining or enlightening, linking correction with light and truth.