צָבַר
𐤑𐤁𐤓
tsâbar
H6651 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To heap up, pile, or accumulate objects or materials; to gather together into a mass or pile. The word generally refers to physically accumulating things into a heap or collection, especially of natural elements such as stones, grain, or other provisions. In figurative contexts, it can refer to storing up or amassing resources.
Semantic Range
to heap up, to pile together, to accumulate, to collect into a mass, to lay up (goods), to amass (resources)
Root / Etymology
From the root צ-ב-ר, which in Semitic reflects the notion of collecting or heaping together. The noun form צֶבֶר (ṣeber) means 'heap' or 'pile'. The root is attested in Northwest Semitic languages with similar meanings, indicating inherited usage in gathering or piling up. The actual verb form appears infrequently in Biblical Hebrew, mostly in later texts.
Historical & Contextual Notes
The verb צָבַר appears rarely in the Hebrew Bible, with only a handful of occurrences (cf. Exilic or later texts, e.g. verse in Job 27:16), typically describing the collecting or piling up of wealth, goods, or resources. Its usage is generally concrete and physical, involving tangible objects rather than abstract concepts. It does not carry the connotations of community assembly or formal gathering found in roots like אסף (ʾsf) or קבץ (qbtṣ), which refer to assembling people or organizing groups. In contexts where English translations use 'heap up' or 'lay up,' nuance may be lost, as the underlying Hebrew emphasizes a visual or tangible massing. The related noun צֶבֶר ('heap') is more commonly attested. In later Hebrew (e.g., post-biblical and modern), the root retains the sense of collecting or massing items, and can also refer to accumulating intangible things (such as knowledge or sins) in figurative use. Cognate forms exist in Aramaic and other Semitic languages, typically bearing similar senses.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
a primitive root; to aggregate; gather (together), heap (up), lay up.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
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צבר (ṣ-b-r) — to heap up, to pile, to accumulate
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H6652 | צִבֻּר | heaps |
Word Forms
5 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H6651-05 |
יִ֝צְבֹּ֗ר | yitsebor | HVqi3ms |
he heaps up | he heaps up | 2 |
H6651-03 |
וַ/יִּצְבֹּ֨ר | vayitsebor | HC/Vqw3ms |
and he gathered | and he heaped up | 2 |
H6651-02 |
וַ/יִּצְבְּר֥וּ | vayitseberu | HC/Vqw3mp |
And they piled | and they heaped up | 1 |
H6651-01 |
וַ/תִּצְבָּר | vatitsebar | HC/Vqw3fs |
and heaped up | and she heaped up | 1 |
H6651-04 |
וְ/יִצְבְּרוּ | veyitseberu | HC/Vqi3mp |
and let them store up | and they will heap up | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
7 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H6651-04 |
Genesis 41:35 | וְ/יִצְבְּרוּ | veyitseberu | HC/Vqi3mp |
and let them store up | and they will heap up |
H6651-03 |
Genesis 41:49 | וַ/יִּצְבֹּ֨ר | vayitsebor | HC/Vqw3ms |
and he gathered | and he heaped up |
H6651-02 |
Exodus 8:10 | וַ/יִּצְבְּר֥וּ | vayitseberu | HC/Vqw3mp |
And they piled | and they heaped up |
H6651-03 |
Habakkuk 1:10 | וַ/יִּצְבֹּ֥ר | vayitsebor | HC/Vqw3ms |
and he heaps up | and he heaped up |
H6651-01 |
Zechariah 9:3 | וַ/תִּצְבָּר | vatitsebar | HC/Vqw3fs |
and heaped up | and she heaped up |
H6651-05 |
Psalms 39:7 | יִ֝צְבֹּ֗ר | yitsebor | HVqi3ms |
he heaps up | he heaps up |
H6651-05 |
Job 27:16 | יִצְבֹּ֣ר | yitsebor | HVqi3ms |
he heaps up | he heaps up |