שִׁזּוּף (Shizzuf) — tanning
Etymology
In the Hebrew Bible, the verb shazaf (שָׁזַף) primarily meant "to catch with the eye" or "to see." This is evident in the Book of Job, which describes a path that "the eye of the falcon has not seen (shazafatu)." This meaning persisted in liturgical and poetic Hebrew for centuries, almost always appearing in conjunction with the word "eye" (ayin).
The modern meaning of "tanning" originates from a single verse in the Song of Songs: "Look not upon me, because I am black, because the sun hath looked upon me (she-shazafatni ha-shamesh)." Here, the poet used the metaphor of the sun "looking" at the beloved to describe the darkening of her skin. Over time, Hebrew writers began using the verb exclusively in the context of the sun's effect. By the late 19th century, the association with the sun became so strong that the explicit mention of "sun" was dropped, and the adjective shazuf (tanned) began to stand on its own.
In the 1920s and 30s, a global cultural shift—popularized by figures like Coco Chanel and new medical findings regarding Vitamin D—transformed tanned skin from a sign of lower-class outdoor labor to a symbol of health and status. This fashion reached Mandatory Palestine, where the reflexive verb hishtazzef (to tan oneself) and the noun shizzuf (tanning) became firmly established in the daily lexicon.
During the late 20th century, as the health risks of UV radiation became better understood, the terminology shifted again. The popular "tanning oil" or "tanning cream" (krem shizzuf) was gradually replaced by "sunscreen" (krem hagana), a term that gained dominance in the 1990s as the focus moved from encouraging tanning to protecting the skin.
Key Quotes
"נָתִיב לֹא יְדָעוֹ עָיִט וְלֹא שְׁזָפַתּוּ עֵין אַיָּה" — איוב כ״ח, ז׳
"אַל תִּרְאוּנִי שֶׁאֲנִי שְׁחַרְחֹרֶת שֶׁשֱּׁזָפַתְנִי הַשָּׁמֶשׁ" — שיר השירים א׳, ו׳
"פניהם שזופים" — הצפירה, 18 בספטמבר 1894
Timeline
- Biblical Era: Shazaf means "to see" or "to catch sight of."
- 1859: Ha-Magid uses the phrase "tanned from the sun," showing the transition is still tied to the celestial body.
- 1894: Ha-Tzefira uses shazuf as a standalone adjective for tanned skin.
- 1923: Coco Chanel popularizes tanning as a fashion statement in Europe.
- 1931: Doar Ha-Yom reports that "sun baths" have become a daily health necessity.
- 1938: The Israeli company "Shemen" begins marketing "Volta," a local tanning oil.
- 1983: Journalists begin suggesting the term "protection cream" instead of "tanning cream."
- 1990s: Krem Hagana (sunscreen) becomes the standard term as health awareness rises.
Related Words
- שָׁזוּף (shazuf) — Tanned (adjective)
- הִשְׁתַּזֵּף (hishtazzef) — To tan oneself (reflexive verb)
- חִוֵּר (hiver) — Pale (Modern Hebrew replacement for the Aramaic hivar)
- קְרֵם הֲגַנָּה (krem hagana) — Sunscreen