צָב
𐤑𐤁
tsâb
H6632 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A portable structure for carrying people or goods, such as a litter, palanquin, or canopy; in other contexts, a type of reptile (likely a lizard), possibly characterized by its clinging or covering behavior. The term is used to denote both a covered mode of transport or shelter and a specific animal species, depending on context.
Semantic Range
portable shared litter or palanquin, canopy, covered portable structure; lizard, tortoise, creeping/clinging reptile
Root / Etymology
From the root צבב or צב (uncertain), possibly meaning 'to establish, set, place.' The derivation of the word is debated: for the sense 'litter/palanquin,' it may refer to an established or set-in-place structure. For the sense 'lizard/tortoise,' it may derive from the notion of clinging or being firmly attached (as lizards cling to surfaces). The precise root meaning is uncertain and may represent two homographs.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In the Hebrew Bible, צָב appears in two primary contexts: 1) as a designation for a kind of portable, covered litter or palanquin, and 2) as the name of a particular reptile (often identified as a lizard, possibly a gecko). The identification of the reptile is uncertain; later tradition (e.g., rabbinic sources) sometimes associates it with the common lizard or gecko, but the term may refer more generally to a creeping or clinging reptile. In Levitical purity laws (Leviticus 11:29), צָב is among the 'unclean' swarming creatures (sheratzim). In Song of Songs 3:9, its application to a palanquin or litter suggests a sense connected to shelter or covering. English versions often render the animal as 'tortoise' or 'lizard,' and the object as 'litter' or 'palanquin,' but these translations may not fully capture the range of meanings. The separation between the two meanings in translation reflects an underlying ambiguity or semantic broadening in the original Hebrew.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from an unused root meaning to establish; a palanquin or canopy (as a fixture); also a species of lizard (probably as clinging fast); covered, litter, tortoise.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
צב (ts-b) — to set, establish, fix in place
Word Forms
3 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H6632-01 |
צָב֙ | tsav | HNcmsa |
covered | palanquin | 1 |
H6632-03 |
וְ/הַ/צָּ֥ב | vehatsav | HC/Td/Ncmsa |
and the great lizard | the clinging reptile | 1 |
H6632-02 |
וּ/בַ/צַּבִּ֨ים | uvatsabim | HC/Rd/Ncmpa |
and-in-litters | and in the palanquins | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
3 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H6632-03 |
Leviticus 11:29 | וְ/הַ/צָּ֥ב | vehatsav | HC/Td/Ncmsa |
and the great lizard | the clinging reptile |
H6632-01 |
Numbers 7:3 | צָב֙ | tsav | HNcmsa |
covered | palanquin |
H6632-02 |
Isaiah 66:20 | וּ/בַ/צַּבִּ֨ים | uvatsabim | HC/Rd/Ncmpa |
and-in-litters | and in the palanquins |