צְבִיָּה
𐤑𐤁𐤉𐤄
tsᵉbîyâh
H6646 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A female gazelle, specifically designating the female of the swift, graceful antelope native to the Levant. The term is also used as a proper name, most notably as the name of the mother of King Joash of Judah. The primary sense denotes the animal, but by extension the word can be attested as a personal name, likely connoting beauty or grace.
Semantic Range
female gazelle, roe (animal); as a personal name, Tsibiah (mother of King Joash)
Root / Etymology
Derived from the root צבי (tz-b-y), meaning 'gazelle, beauty, splendor.' The feminine ending -ה forms the feminine noun, 'female gazelle.'
Historical & Contextual Notes
צְבִיָּה appears rarely in the Hebrew Bible, with the most notable occurrence as a personal name (the mother of King Joash, 2 Kings 12:1; 2 Chronicles 24:1). As an animal term, it follows the pattern of using animal names as proper names, often with positive associations of beauty, elegance, or valued traits in biblical naming practices. The root צבי carries meanings not only of the animal 'gazelle' but also 'splendor' or 'glory,' so the personal name צְבִיָּה is likely meant to evoke imagery of loveliness or preciousness. Later English Bible translations often render it by the more generic 'roe' or maintain it as a personal name, but these do not always convey the animal's specific symbolic association with beauty and desirability in Israelite culture. The term does not have significant semantic shifts between periods, as both animal and proper name senses remain stable.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
feminine of צְבִי; a female gazelle; roe.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
צבי (ts-b-y) — beauty, splendor, gazelle
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H6380 | פֹּכֶרֶת צְבָיִים | the gazelles |
| H6636 | צְבֹאִים | Gazelles |
| H6645 | צִבְיָּה | Gazelle-of-Yahweh |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H6646-01 |
צְבִיָּ֑ה | tseviyah | HNcfsa |
of a gazelle | female gazelle | 2 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H6646-01 |
Song of Songs 4:5 | צְבִיָּ֑ה | tseviyah | HNcfsa |
of a gazelle | female gazelle |
H6646-01 |
Song of Songs 7:4 | צְבִיָּֽה | tseviyah | HNcfsa |
of a gazelle | female gazelle |