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צַו

𐤑𐤅

tsav

H6673 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

A command, order, or directive issued by an authority, typically expressing a clear, binding instruction or precept. In biblical usage, often denotes a formal directive, particularly in legal or ritual contexts.

Semantic Range

command, injunction, precept, formal directive, order (especially in cultic/legal contexts), instruction

Root / Etymology

From the root צוה (ts-v-h), meaning 'to command, give an order, instruct.' The noun form צַו (tsav) is a nominalization from this root, indicating the substance or outcome of commanding.

Historical & Contextual Notes

צַו appears primarily in legal, cultic, or prophetic texts, notably in Leviticus (e.g., Lev 6:2, 'This is the law [torah] of the burnt offering...') and in prophetic contexts (e.g., Isaiah 28:10, tsav latsav, line upon line). Unlike מִצְוָה (mitsvah), which generally refers to an individual commandment within the broader law (particularly in the context of the Sinaitic covenant), צַו more often refers to a specific, official directive with binding force, often relating to priestly or sacrificial procedures. Its use is less frequent and more specialized than מצוה, emphasizing formalized instruction over the general category of commandment. In later periods, Greek translation sometimes rendered צַו as ἐντολή (entolē), which by the time of the Second Temple period would come to overlap with the concept of 'commandment,' though the distinction was more precise in earlier times. In English Bible translations, 'precept,' 'command,' or 'injunction' are typically used, but none fully conveys the specialized, formal authority the term carried in Israelite legal and ritual contexts.

Translation Consistency

primary "command" 9 occurrences

"Command" is the most natural, common English rendering that captures the primary semantic range (command, injunction, precept, formal directive) used in cultic and legal contexts. It matches the attested P2 renderings (9×) and is broad enough to cover typical uses without sounding overly formal or obscure, supporting consistency across all forms.

✓ All renderings match approved senses

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

or צָו; from צָוָה; an injunction; commandment, precept.

Bantu Hebrew

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

Root Family

צוה (mitsvâh) — to command, to order, to instruct

Root צוה to command, instruct, give an order
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H4687 מִצְוָה in his commands
H6680 צָוָה I will command
H6716 צִי in seagoing ships

Word Forms

2 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H6673-02 צָֽו tsav HNcmsa precept Command! Command! 5
H6673-01 לָ/צָו֙ latsav HR/Ncmsa upon precept to a command to a command 4

Occurrences in Scripture

9 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H6673-02 Isaiah 28:10 צַ֤ו tsav HNcmsa precept Command! Command!
H6673-01 Isaiah 28:10 לָ/צָו֙ latsav HR/Ncmsa upon-precept to a command to a command
H6673-02 Isaiah 28:10 צַ֣ו tsav-2 HNcmsa precept Command! Command!
H6673-01 Isaiah 28:10 לָ/צָ֔ו latsav-2 HR/Ncmsa upon-precept to a command to a command
H6673-02 Isaiah 28:13 צַ֣ו tsav HNcmsa precept Command! Command!
H6673-01 Isaiah 28:13 לָ/צָ֞ו latsav HR/Ncmsa upon precept to a command to a command
H6673-02 Isaiah 28:13 צַ֤ו tsav-2 HNcmsa precept Command! Command!
H6673-01 Isaiah 28:13 לָ/צָו֙ latsav-2 HR/Ncmsa upon precept to a command to a command
H6673-02 Hosea 5:11 צָֽו tsav HNcmsa command Command! the command
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