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יָצַב

𐤉𐤑𐤁

yâtsab

H3320 verb

SILEX Entry

Definition

To take a position, stand firm, or set oneself in place. In various contexts, יָצַב refers to physically standing, establishing or positioning oneself, or figuratively holding fast, remaining steadfast, or persisting in a stance. The verb can be used of individuals taking their place before someone of authority, forming up for battle, or figuratively, of fixedness or constancy in any circumstance.

Semantic Range

to take a position, to stand firm, to station or post (as for duty), to present oneself, to remain steadfast, to persist in a stance, to establish oneself or something firmly, to be set (in place)

Root / Etymology

The term derives from the root י־צ־ב (יצב), which carries the core sense of setting or placing something in a fixed or upright position. It is distinct from similar roots such as עמד ('to stand') and נצב ('to take one's stand, to be stationed').

Historical & Contextual Notes

יָצַב is used both in literal and figurative senses throughout the Hebrew Bible. In the Torah, it appears when people or objects are stationed or set in place, such as standing before Yahweh at covenantal ceremonies (Deuteronomy 29:10), or preparing for battle. Its reflexive form (hitpa'el) frequently conveys the idea of presenting oneself or standing before someone (e.g., Exodus 34:5). While the common English translations ('stand,' 'set oneself') often convey the core meaning, they can obscure subtle distinctions between physical position and metaphorical steadfastness. The term is less frequent than עמד (ʿamad), which more generally means 'to stand' in Hebrew. יָצַב often implies intentional placement or persistence, sometimes under challenge or scrutiny, underscoring a sense of purposeful or resolute positioning. Its usage is relatively evenly distributed across narrative, legal, and prophetic texts, with little semantic change observed across periods of biblical Hebrew.

Translation Consistency

primary "stand" 34 occurrences

Stand is the most natural, versatile English verb that covers the full semantic range of יָצַב: literal standing in place, taking a position or post, presenting oneself before someone, and figurative steadiness or remaining firm. It reads naturally in military, ceremonial, and metaphorical contexts (e.g. stand firm, stand guard, stand before), so using “stand” consistently will produce clear, idiomatic renderings across all forms.

Alternatives (14 occurrences):
"stationed" (7x) "set yourself firm" (2x) "present yourselves" (1x) "station yourselves" (1x) "station myself" (1x) "set yourself firmly" (1x) "station" (1x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a primitive root; to place (any thing so as to stay); reflexively, to station, offer, continue; present selves, remaining, resort, set (selves), (be able to, can, with-) stand (fast, forth, -ing, still, up).

Bantu Hebrew

No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been recorded for this word yet.

Root Family

יצב (yâtsab) — to set, to place, to stand firm, to station

Root יצב to set, to place, to stand firm, to station
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H3321 יְצַב to firmly establish
H3330 יַצִּיב and firm

Word Forms

17 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H3320-16 יִתְיַצֵּ֥ב yiteyatsev HVti3ms will be able to stand he will station himself he will stand himself 7
H3320-03 הִֽתְיַצְּבוּ֙ hiteyatsevu HVtv2mp stand Station yourselves Stand yourselves 6
H3320-09 וַ/יִּתְיַצֵּ֖ב vayiteyatsev HC/Vtw3ms and he stood and he stationed himself and he stationed himself 5
H3320-10 וַ/יִּֽתְיַצְּב֤וּ vayiteyatsevu HC/Vtw3mp and presented themselves and they stationed themselves and they stood themselves 5
H3320-02 הִתְיַצֵּ֣ב hiteyatsev HVtv2ms Stand station yourself stand yourself 4
H3320-04 לְ/הִתְיַצֵּֽב lehiteyatsev HR/Vtc to present themselves to station oneself to stand oneself 4
H3320-13 וְ/הִֽתְיַצְּב֛וּ vehiteyatsevu HC/Vtv2mp and present yourselves and they stationed themselves and present yourselves 3
H3320-05 מֵֽ/הִתְיַצֵּ֖ב mehiteyatsev HR/Vtc from standing from taking one's stand from taking one's stand 2
H3320-12 וְ/הִתְיַצֵּב֙ vehiteyatsev HC/Vtv2ms and present yourself and set yourself firm and set yourself firm 2
H3320-15 יִתְיַצָּֽב yiteyatsav HVti3ms he will stand he will station himself he will stand himself 2

Occurrences in Scripture

48 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H3320-07 Exodus 2:4 וַ/תֵּתַצַּ֥ב vatetatsav HC/Vtw3fs And stationed herself and she stationed herself and she stationed herself
H3320-12 Exodus 8:16 וְ/הִתְיַצֵּב֙ vehiteyatsev HC/Vtv2ms and present yourself and set yourself firm and set yourself firm
H3320-12 Exodus 9:13 וְ/הִתְיַצֵּ֖ב vehiteyatsev HC/Vtv2ms and stand and set yourself firm and set yourself firm
H3320-03 Exodus 14:13 הִֽתְיַצְב֗וּ hiteyatsevu HVtv2mp stand firm Station yourselves Stand yourselves
H3320-10 Exodus 19:17 וַ/יִּֽתְיַצְּב֖וּ vayiteyatsevu HC/Vtw3mp and they stood and they stationed themselves and they stood themselves
H3320-09 Exodus 34:5 וַ/יִּתְיַצֵּ֥ב vayiteyatsev HC/Vtw3ms and stood and he stationed himself and he stationed himself
H3320-13 Numbers 11:16 וְ/הִֽתְיַצְּב֥וּ vehiteyatsevu HC/Vtq3cp and they shall stand and they stationed themselves and they shall stand
H3320-09 Numbers 22:22 וַ/יִּתְיַצֵּ֞ב vayiteyatsev HC/Vtw3ms and took his stand and he stationed himself and he stationed himself
H3320-02 Numbers 23:3 הִתְיַצֵּב֮ hiteyatsev HVtv2ms Stand station yourself stand yourself
H3320-02 Numbers 23:15 הִתְיַצֵּ֥ב hiteyatsev HVtv2ms Stand station yourself stand yourself
H3320-16 Deuteronomy 7:24 יִתְיַצֵּ֥ב yiteyatsev HVti3ms will be able to stand he will station himself he will stand himself
H3320-16 Deuteronomy 9:2 יִתְיַצֵּ֔ב yiteyatsev HVti3ms can stand he will station himself can take a stand
H3320-16 Deuteronomy 11:25 יִתְיַצֵּ֥ב yiteyatsev HVti3ms will be able to stand he will station himself it will stand itself
H3320-13 Deuteronomy 31:14 וְ/הִֽתְיַצְּב֛וּ vehiteyatsevu HC/Vtv2mp and present yourselves and they stationed themselves and present yourselves
H3320-10 Deuteronomy 31:14 וַ/יִּֽתְיַצְּב֖וּ vayiteyatsevu HC/Vtw3mp and presented themselves and they stationed themselves and they stood themselves
H3320-16 Joshua 1:5 יִתְיַצֵּ֥ב yiteyatsev HVti3ms shall be able to stand he will station himself he will stand himself
H3320-10 Joshua 24:1 וַ/יִּֽתְיַצְּב֖וּ vayiteyatsevu HC/Vtw3mp and they presented themselves and they stationed themselves and they stood themselves
H3320-10 Judges 20:2 וַ/יִּֽתְיַצְּב֞וּ vayiteyatsevu HC/Vtw3mp and-presented-themselves and they stationed themselves and they stood themselves
H3320-08 1 Samuel 3:10 וַ/יִּתְיַצַּ֔ב vayiteyatsav HC/Vtw3ms and stood and he stationed himself and he stationed himself
H3320-03 1 Samuel 10:19 הִֽתְיַצְּבוּ֙ hiteyatsevu HVtv2mp present-yourselves Station yourselves Stand yourselves
H3320-09 1 Samuel 10:23 וַ/יִּתְיַצֵּ֖ב vayiteyatsev HC/Vtw3ms and he stood and he stationed himself and he stationed himself
H3320-03 1 Samuel 12:7 הִֽתְיַצְּב֛וּ hiteyatsevu HVtv2mp stand Station yourselves Stand yourselves
H3320-03 1 Samuel 12:16 הִתְיַצְּב֣וּ hiteyatsevu HVtv2mp stand Station yourselves Stand yourselves
H3320-09 1 Samuel 17:16 וַ/יִּתְיַצֵּ֖ב vayiteyatsev HC/Vtw3ms and presented himself and he stationed himself and he stationed himself
H3320-06 2 Samuel 18:13 תִּתְיַצֵּ֥ב titeyatsev HVti2ms would stand you will station yourself would stand
H3320-02 2 Samuel 18:30 הִתְיַצֵּ֣ב hiteyatsev HVtv2ms and stand station yourself stand yourself
H3320-05 2 Samuel 21:5 מֵֽ/הִתְיַצֵּ֖ב mehiteyatsev HR/Vtc from standing from taking one's stand from taking one's stand
H3320-09 2 Samuel 23:12 וַ/יִּתְיַצֵּ֤ב vayiteyatsev HC/Vtw3ms and he took his stand and he stationed himself and he stationed himself
H3320-13 Jeremiah 46:4 וְ/הִֽתְיַצְּב֖וּ vehiteyatsevu HC/Vtv2mp and take your stand and they stationed themselves and station yourselves
H3320-02 Jeremiah 46:14 הִתְיַצֵּב֙ hiteyatsev HVtv2ms Stand fast station yourself stand yourself
H3320-11 Habakkuk 2:1 וְ/אֶֽתְיַצְּבָ֖ה veeteyatsevah HC/Vth1cs and I will station myself and let me take my stand and I will station myself
H3320-05 Zechariah 6:5 מֵֽ/הִתְיַצֵּ֖ב mehiteyatsev HR/Vtc from standing from taking one's stand from taking one's stand
H3320-17 Psalms 2:2 יִ֥תְיַצְּב֨וּ yiteyatsevu HVti3mp set themselves they will station themselves they will stand themselves
H3320-17 Psalms 5:6 יִתְיַצְּב֣וּ yiteyatsevu HVti3mp shall stand they will station themselves they will stand themselves
H3320-16 Psalms 36:5 יִ֭תְיַצֵּב yiteyatsev HVti3ms he sets himself he will station himself he will stand himself
H3320-16 Psalms 94:16 יִתְיַצֵּ֥ב yiteyatsev HVti3ms will stand up he will station himself he will stand himself
H3320-15 Proverbs 22:29 יִתְיַצָּ֑ב yiteyatsav HVti3ms he will stand he will station himself he will stand himself
H3320-16 Proverbs 22:29 יִ֝תְיַצֵּב yiteyatsev HVti3ms he will stand he will station himself he will stand himself
H3320-04 Job 1:6 לְ/הִתְיַצֵּ֖ב lehiteyatsev HR/Vtc to present themselves to station oneself to stand oneself
H3320-04 Job 2:1 לְ/הִתְיַצֵּ֖ב lehiteyatsev HR/Vtc to present themselves to station oneself to stand oneself
H3320-04 Job 2:1 לְ/הִתְיַצֵּ֖ב lehiteyatsev-2 HR/Vtc to present himself to station oneself to stand oneself
H3320-01 Job 33:5 הִתְיַצָּֽבָ/ה hiteyatsavah HVtv2ms/Sh stand Set yourself firmly set yourself firmly
H3320-14 Job 38:14 וְ֝/יִֽתְיַצְּב֗וּ veyiteyatsevu HC/Vti3mp and they stand forth and they station themselves and they station themselves
H3320-15 Job 41:2 יִתְיַצָּֽב yiteyatsav HVti3ms will-stand he will station himself he will stand himself
H3320-10 1 Chronicles 11:14 וַ/יִּֽתְיַצְּב֤וּ vayiteyatsevu HC/Vtw3mp and they stationed themselves and they stationed themselves and they stood themselves
H3320-03 2 Chronicles 11:13 הִֽתְיַצְּב֥וּ hiteyatsevu HVtp3cp stood Station yourselves stood themselves
H3320-04 2 Chronicles 20:6 לְ/הִתְיַצֵּֽב lehiteyatsev HR/Vtc to stand to station oneself to stand oneself
H3320-03 2 Chronicles 20:17 הִתְיַצְּב֣וּ hiteyatsevu HVtv2mp station-yourselves Station yourselves Stand yourselves
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