צֹבֵבָה
𐤑𐤁𐤁𐤄
Tsovevah
H6637 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Zobebah; a personal name, likely signifying 'one who surrounds' or 'encompasses'. The feminine active participle form suggests a woman whose name possibly invokes protective or encompassing imagery. Occurs as the name of an Israelite woman in post-exilic genealogies. The meaning is best understood as a proper noun; any further sense is speculative without additional data.
Semantic Range
proper name of an Israelite woman, literally 'she who surrounds' or 'the encircler'
Root / Etymology
Derived from the root צבב (tsbb), meaning 'to go around, surround, encircle.' Tsôbêbâh is the feminine participle form, indicating 'she who surrounds' or 'the encircler.' This is a morphological derivation common in Hebrew for active feminine participles used as personal names.
Historical & Contextual Notes
Tsôbêbâh occurs in 1 Chronicles 4:8 as part of a genealogical listing, referring to an Israelite woman. The use reflects a tradition of naming based on active participles, which may carry metaphorical or aspirational connotations, such as protection or encompassing care, but the precise nuance is uncertain due to lack of narrative context. In English Bibles, the name is variously rendered as Tsobebah, Zobebah, or Zobebah. Notably, the KJV and other translations simply transliterate the name, and there is no post-biblical equivalent or known etymological relationship to later Jewish or Judean identities. The presence of the article in the Hebrew (הַצֹּבֵבָה) is a grammatical feature sometimes used in personal names, particularly in genealogical registers. This word illustrates how personal names in biblical texts may use active participles and carry meanings related to other verb roots, but function exclusively as names within the biblical narrative. There are no substantive differences in meaning between sections of the Hebrew Bible, as the term only appears within a post-exilic genealogical context.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
feminine active participle of the same as צָב; the canopier (with the article); Tsobebah, an Israelitess; Zobebah.
Bantu Hebrew
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צבב (ts-b-b) — go around, surround, encircle
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H6637-01 |
הַ/צֹּבֵבָ֑ה | hatsovevah | HTd/Np |
Zobebah | the Encircling One | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 total occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H6637-01 |
1 Chronicles 4:8 | הַ/צֹּבֵבָ֑ה | hatsovevah | HTd/Np |
Zobebah | the Encircling One |