צִבְיָּה
𐤑𐤁𐤉𐤄
Tsiveyah
H6645 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Tsibyâh is a personal name meaning 'Gazelle of Yahweh' or 'Yahweh is my Gazelle,' attested as a feminine proper name in the Hebrew Bible. As a personal name, it does not describe an attribute but rather identifies a woman, specifically the mother of King Joash of Judah. The semantic range is limited to its use as a feminine personal name.
Semantic Range
personal name, 'Gazelle of Yahweh', 'Yahweh is my gazelle', feminine proper name, mother of King Joash, gracefulness (metaphorical only in naming convention)
Root / Etymology
From the Hebrew root צ־ב־י (צבי, ts-v-y), meaning 'gazelle', with the theophoric suffix -יה (-yâh), representing the divine name Yahweh. Thus, Tsibyâh means 'Yahweh is my gazelle' or 'gazelle of Yahweh'. It is a compound name typical of ancient Israelite theophoric personal names.
Historical & Contextual Notes
The name צִבְיָּה (Tsibyâh) appears only in 2 Kings 12:1 (=2 Chronicles 24:1), identifying the mother of King Joash. The first element, צִבְי (tsiviy), refers to a gazelle or graceful animal and was common in Israelite personal names, symbolizing beauty or grace. The addition of -יה (-yah) reflects the common Israelite practice of forming personal names invoking the national deity, Yahweh. Although the English tradition renders the name as 'Zibiah', the Hebrew more accurately transliterates as Tsibyâh. The name is not used as a common noun but strictly as a personal name. In the context of ancient Israelite naming practices, the use of animal imagery paired with a divine element signified both beauty and divine favor. Later translations may refer to her as 'Zibiah', but this does not convey the theophoric or zoological nuance found in the Hebrew form.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
for צְבִיָּה; Tsibjah, an Israelite; Zibiah.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
צבי (ts-v-y) — gazelle, beauty, grace
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H6380 | פֹּכֶרֶת צְבָיִים | the gazelles |
| H6636 | צְבֹאִים | Gazelles |
| H6646 | צְבִיָּה | female gazelle |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H6645-01 |
צִבְיָ֖ה | tsiveyah | HNp |
Zibiah | Gazelle-of-Yahweh | 2 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H6645-01 |
2 Kings 12:2 | צִבְיָ֖ה | tsiveyah | HNp |
Zibiah | Gazelle-of-Yahweh |
H6645-01 |
2 Chronicles 24:1 | צִבְיָ֖ה | tsiveyah | HNp |
Zibiah | Gazelle-of-Yahweh |