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H2154 · Hebrew · Old Testament
זִמָּה
Zimmah
Noun, feminine
Evil plan / Wickedness / Lewdness

Definition

The Hebrew noun zimmah refers to a wicked plan, moral wickedness, or especially sexual lewdness and perversion. It describes premeditated evil — sin that is devised and deliberate rather than accidental.

Usage & Theological Significance

Zimmah appears frequently in Leviticus and Ezekiel in legal and prophetic contexts describing sexual sin and abomination. It carries the sense of deliberate moral depravity — a calculated departure from God's holy standard. The word is associated with the sexual violations condemned in Leviticus 18-20 and the spiritual adultery of Israel in Ezekiel.

Theologically, zimmah warns that not all sin is equal — planned, deliberate moral perversion is especially serious before God. It also points to the holiness code as God's protection of human dignity and sacred relationships.

Key Bible Verses

Leviticus 18:17 Do not have sexual relations with both a woman and her daughter. Do not take her son's daughter or her daughter's daughter; they are her close relatives. That would be wickedness.
Ezekiel 16:27 So I stretched out my hand against you and reduced your territory; I gave you over to the greed of your enemies, the daughters of the Philistines, who were shocked by your lewd conduct.
Proverbs 10:23 A fool finds pleasure in wicked schemes, but a person of understanding delights in wisdom.
Psalm 26:10 ...in whose hands are wicked schemes, whose right hands are full of bribes.
Ezekiel 22:9 In you are slanderers who are bent on shedding blood; in you are those who eat at the mountain shrines and commit lewdness.

Related Words

External Resources

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