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צֹר

𐤑𐤓

Tsor

H6865 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

Proper noun designating the city of Tyre, a leading Phoenician coastal city north of ancient Israel, renowned in antiquity for its fortifications, commerce, and maritime activity. In a few poetic or metaphorical instances, the word signifies 'rock' or 'cliff,' referencing its geographical setting. The word almost always functions as a place name in the Hebrew Bible.

Semantic Range

Tyre (the Phoenician city); rocky cliff or promontory (rare, poetic); metaphor for strength or security (figurative, rare)

Root / Etymology

From the root צּוּר (tsur), meaning 'rock' or 'cliff.' The proper noun likely derives from this root due to Tyre’s prominent rocky, island setting off the Phoenician coast. The form צוֹר (Tsôr) preserves the original place name as known in the Northwest Semitic milieu.

Historical & Contextual Notes

The name Tsôr appears throughout biblical narratives and prophetic oracles, particularly in Ezekiel, Isaiah, and the historical books, as the principle Phoenician city engaged with Israel and neighboring polities. The usage as a common noun for 'rock' is exceedingly rare and primarily confined to poetry or metaphoric language. The Greek and Latin forms (Τύρος, Tyrus) reflect the Hebrew original, but the English 'Tyre' carries later linguistic adaptations. While Tsôr was ethnically Phoenician, it appears in accounts relating to both diplomatic and commercial activities, and in prophetic texts as a paradigm of maritime power, wealth, and pride. English translations frequently use 'Tyre,' sometimes obscuring the literal connection to the meaning 'rock.'

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

or צוֹר; the same as צֹר; a rock; Tsor, a place in Palestine; Tyre, Tyrus.

Bantu Hebrew

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

Root Family

צור (Matsor) — to bind, to press in, to enclose, to besiege

Root צור to bind, to confine, to form, to press, rock, cliff, stronghold
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H4693 מָצוֹר besieged stronghold
H4694 מְצוּרָה the fortified places
H6676 צַוַּאר her nape
H6677 צַוָּאר in the binding-neck
H6696 צוּר the ones besieging

Word Forms

5 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H6865-04 צֹ֥ר tsor HNp Tyre Tsor (Rock-City) Tsor 32
H6865-02 לְ/צ֑וֹר letsor HR/Np to Tyre to Tyre to Tsor 5
H6865-03 מִ/צֹּֽר mitsor HR/Np from Tyre from Tsor from Tsor 3
H6865-01 כְ/צ֔וֹר khetsor HR/Np like Tyre like Tyre like Tsor 1
H6865-05 וְ/צ֣וֹר vetsor HC/Np and-Tyre and Tyre and Tsor 1

Occurrences in Scripture

42 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H6865-04 Joshua 19:29 צֹ֑ר tsor HNp of Tyre Tsor (Rock-City) Tsor
H6865-04 2 Samuel 5:11 צֹ֥ר tsor HNp of Tyre Tsor (Rock-City) Tsor
H6865-04 2 Samuel 24:7 צֹ֔ר tsor HNp of Tyre Tsor (Rock-City) Tsor
H6865-04 1 Kings 5:15 צ֤וֹר tsor HNp of Tyre Tsor (Rock-City) Tsor
H6865-03 1 Kings 7:13 מִ/צֹּֽר mitsor HR/Np from Tyre from Tsor from Tsor
H6865-04 1 Kings 9:11 צֹ֠ר tsor HNp of Tyre Tsor (Rock-City) Tsor
H6865-03 1 Kings 9:12 מִ/צֹּ֔ר mitsor HR/Np from Tyre from Tsor from Tsor
H6865-04 Isaiah 23:1 צֹ֑ר tsor HNp of Tyre Tsor (Rock-City) Tsor
H6865-04 Isaiah 23:5 צֹֽר tsor HNp of Tyre Tsor (Rock-City) Tsor
H6865-04 Isaiah 23:8 צֹ֖ר tsor HNp Tyre Tsor (Rock-City) Tsor
H6865-04 Isaiah 23:15 צֹר֙ tsor HNp Tyre Tsor (Rock-City) Tsor
H6865-02 Isaiah 23:15 לְ/צֹ֔ר letsor HR/Np for Tyre to Tyre to Tsor
H6865-04 Isaiah 23:17 צֹ֔ר tsor HNp Tyre Tsor (Rock-City) Tsor
H6865-04 Jeremiah 25:22 צֹ֔ר tsor HNp Tyre Tsor (Rock-City) Tsor
H6865-04 Jeremiah 27:3 צֹ֖ר tsor HNp of Tyre Tsor (Rock-City) Tsor
H6865-02 Jeremiah 47:4 לְ/צֹר֙ letsor HR/Np from Tyre to Tyre to Tsor
H6865-04 Ezekiel 26:2 צֹּ֤ר tsor HNp Tyre Tsor (Rock-City) Tsor
H6865-04 Ezekiel 26:3 צֹ֑ר tsor HNp Tyre Tsor (Rock-City) Tsor
H6865-04 Ezekiel 26:4 צֹ֗ר tsor HNp Tyre Tsor (Rock-City) Tsor
H6865-04 Ezekiel 26:7 צֹ֗ר tsor HNp Tyre Tsor (Rock-City) Tsor
H6865-02 Ezekiel 26:15 לְ/צ֑וֹר letsor HR/Np to Tyre to Tyre to Tsor
H6865-04 Ezekiel 27:2 צֹ֖ר tsor HNp Tyre Tsor (Rock-City) Tsor
H6865-02 Ezekiel 27:3 לְ/צ֗וֹר letsor HR/Np to-Tyre to Tyre to Tsor
H6865-04 Ezekiel 27:3 צ֕וֹר tsor HNp Tyre Tsor (Rock-City) Tsor
H6865-04 Ezekiel 27:8 צוֹר֙ tsor HNp Tyre Tsor (Rock-City) Tsor
H6865-01 Ezekiel 27:32 כְ/צ֔וֹר khetsor HR/Np like Tyre like Tyre like Tsor
H6865-04 Ezekiel 28:2 צֹ֜ר tsor HNp of Tyre Tsor (Rock-City) Tsor
H6865-04 Ezekiel 28:12 צ֑וֹר tsor HNp of Tyre Tsor (Rock-City) Tsor
H6865-04 Ezekiel 29:18 צֹ֔ר tsor HNp Tyre Tsor (Rock-City) Tsor
H6865-03 Ezekiel 29:18 מִ/צֹּ֔ר mitsor HR/Np from Tyre from Tsor from Tsor
H6865-02 Hosea 9:13 לְ/צ֖וֹר letsor HR/Np Tyre to Tyre to Tsor
H6865-04 Joel 4:4 צֹ֣ר tsor HNp Tyre Tsor (Rock-City) Tsor
H6865-04 Amos 1:9 צֹ֔ר tsor HNp Tyre Tsor (Rock-City) Tsor
H6865-04 Amos 1:10 צֹ֑ר tsor HNp Tyre Tsor (Rock-City) Tsor
H6865-04 Zechariah 9:2 צֹ֣ר tsor HNp Tyre Tsor (Rock-City) Tsor
H6865-04 Zechariah 9:3 צֹ֛ר tsor HNp Tyre Tsor (Rock-City) Tsor
H6865-04 Psalms 45:13 צֹ֨ר tsor HNp Tyre Tsor (Rock-City) Tsor
H6865-04 Psalms 83:8 צֽוֹר tsor HNp Tyre Tsor (Rock-City) Tsor
H6865-05 Psalms 87:4 וְ/צ֣וֹר vetsor HC/Np and-Tyre and Tyre and Tsor
H6865-04 1 Chronicles 14:1 צֹ֥ר tsor HNp of Tyre Tsor (Rock-City) Tsor
H6865-04 2 Chronicles 2:2 צֹ֖ר tsor HNp of Tyre Tsor (Rock-City) Tsor
H6865-04 2 Chronicles 2:10 צֹר֙ tsor HNp of Tyre Tsor (Rock-City) Tsor
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