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צֶמֶד

𐤑𐤌𐤃

tsemed

H6776 noun

SILEX Entry

Root צמד to join, bind closely, pair

Definition

A pair, specifically referring to two animals (usually oxen or other draft animals) yoked together for work; by extension, a unit of land measured by what such a pair could plow in a day, known as an 'acre.' The term can also denote the act of being coupled or joined together, and in rare idiomatic uses, it may refer to two individuals or entities paired for a common purpose or action.

Semantic Range

pair (of yoked animals), team (of oxen, donkeys, etc.), unit of land (acre) plowed by a pair in a day, joined couple, yoked together, together as a unit

Root / Etymology

From the root צמד (ts-m-d), which conveys the sense of 'to join, bind closely, pair.' צֶמֶד is a noun form derived from this root, and in usage typically refers to things that go together in a functional pair, most commonly animals yoked for agricultural labor.

Historical & Contextual Notes

צֶמֶד in the Hebrew Bible is primarily used for a pair of animals, especially oxen, joined together by a yoke for plowing or pulling. This pairing was fundamental to ancient Israelite agricultural practice, and so 'a tsemed of oxen' signified the pair necessary for effective plowing. By extension, the term was applied to the area of land (approximate to an acre) that such a pair could plow in a day—this metonymic use reflects administrative and economic contexts (e.g., 1 Samuel 14:14, Isaiah 5:10). In rare figurative uses, 'tsemed' might refer more generally to a couple or unit working together. English translations may restrict the word's meaning to 'yoke' or 'team,' but in context the term is more specifically about a functional pairing for labor, and occasionally the resulting measure of land. Related terms include עוּל (ʿol, 'yoke' itself), but עוּל refers to the physical implement, while צֶמֶד emphasizes the paired animals or the measure defined by their activity. In later Hebrew and rabbinic use, the term could continue to refer to joined pairs but is largely retained with its biblical range in mind.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a yoke or team (i.e. pair); hence, an acre (i.e. day's task for a yoke of cattle to plough); acre, couple, [idiom] together, two (donkeys), yoke (of oxen).

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

צמד (ts-m-d) — to join, bind closely, pair

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H6775 צָמַד the closely-joined ones
H6781 צָמִיד the binding-bands

Word Forms

5 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H6776-02 צֶ֤מֶד tsemed HNcmsc a yoke yoked pair of 9
H6776-01 צְמָדִים֙ tsemadim HNcmpa pairs of oxen yoked pairs 2
H6776-04 וְ/צֶ֣מֶד vetsemed HC/Ncmsc a couple and a yoked-pair of 2
H6776-05 וְ/צִמְדּ֑/וֹ vetsimedo HC/Ncmsc/Sp3ms and-his-team and his yoked-pair 1
H6776-03 צִמְדֵּי tsimedey HNcmpc acres yoked pairs of 1

Occurrences in Scripture

15 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H6776-04 Judges 19:3 וְ/צֶ֣מֶד vetsemed HC/Ncmsc and a couple and a yoked-pair of
H6776-02 Judges 19:10 צֶ֤מֶד tsemed HNcmsc a pair yoked pair of
H6776-02 1 Samuel 11:7 צֶ֨מֶד tsemed HNcmsc a yoke yoked pair of
H6776-02 1 Samuel 14:14 צֶ֥מֶד tsemed HNcmsc yoke yoked pair of
H6776-04 2 Samuel 16:1 וְ/צֶ֨מֶד vetsemed HC/Ncmsc a couple and a yoked-pair of
H6776-01 1 Kings 19:19 צְמָדִים֙ tsemadim HNcmpa pairs of oxen yoked pairs
H6776-02 1 Kings 19:21 צֶ֧מֶד tsemed HNcmsc a yoke yoked pair of
H6776-02 2 Kings 5:17 צֶֽמֶד tsemed HNcmsc pair yoked pair of
H6776-01 2 Kings 9:25 צְמָדִים֙ tsemadim HNcmpa together yoked pairs
H6776-03 Isaiah 5:10 צִמְדֵּי tsimedey HNcmpc acres yoked pairs of
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