כָּזַב kâzab — to lie (i.e. deceive), literally or figuratively

pronounced kaw-zab' · Strong's H3576 · 16 occurrences in the Hebrew Bible · 4 stems: Pi'el, Niph'al, Hiph'il, Qal (Pa'al)

Translated in the KJV as fail, (be found a, make a) liar, lie, lying, be in vain.

a primitive root; to lie (i.e. deceive), literally or figuratively.

kâzab in each stem

Pi'el 12×

Intensive · active — the action intensified, repeated or brought about; the subject does it

Imperfect (yiqtol) 9Jussive 1Infinitive construct 1Perfect (qatal) 1

וִֽיכַזֵּ֔ב Num 23:19 Imperfect (yiqtol), 3rd person masculine singular

God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good? (KJV)

תְּכַזֵּ֖ב 2Kgs 4:16 Jussive, 2nd person masculine singular

And he said, About this season, according to the time of life, thou shalt embrace a son. And she said, Nay, my lord, thou man of God, do not lie unto thine handmaid. (KJV)

אֲכַזֵּֽב Job 6:28 Imperfect (yiqtol), 1st person common singular

Now therefore be content, look upon me; for it is evident unto you if I lie. (KJV)

Niph'al 2×

Simple · passive — the plain action; the subject has it done to them

Perfect (qatal) 1Sequential perfect (weqatal) 1

נִכְזָ֑בָה Job 41:1 Perfect (qatal), 3rd person feminine singular

Canst thou draw out leviathan with an hook? or his tongue with a cord which thou lettest down? (KJV)

וְנִכְזָֽבְתָּ Prov 30:6 Sequential perfect (weqatal), 2nd person masculine singular

Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar. (KJV)

Hiph'il 1×

Causative · active — causing someone or something to do the action; the subject does it

Imperfect (yiqtol) 1

יַכְזִיבֵ֑נִי Job 24:25 Imperfect (yiqtol), 3rd person masculine singular

And if it be not so now, who will make me a liar, and make my speech nothing worth? (KJV)

Qal (Pa'al) 1×

Simple · active — the plain action; the subject does it

Participle (active) 1

כֹּזֵֽב Ps 116:11 Participle (active), masculine singular

I said in my haste, All men are liars. (KJV)

What the stems mean

A Hebrew verb is its root letters set into a pattern. The pattern — the binyan — is the grammar's way of saying three things at once: whether the action is simple, intensive or causative, and whether its subject is active, passive or reflexive. That is why one Hebrew word can need six English ones. All seven binyanim, explained ›

Open in Hebrew Explorer with Verb Anatomy on →

In the app, tap any Hebrew verb while reading: its root, stem and form are named, the letters of the word itself are coloured to show which is which, and the stem's meaning is put in plain English. kâzab in the lexicon ›

Morphology from OpenScriptures MorphHB (CC BY 4.0); definitions from Strong's Hebrew Lexicon (public domain); text from the Westminster Leningrad Codex.

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