צְחִיחָה
𐤑𐤇𐤉𐤇𐤄
tsᵉchîychâh
H6707 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A parched, arid, or scorched region—specifically, dry land or desert terrain characterized by a lack of water and vegetation. In biblical Hebrew, the feminine noun designates inhospitable, barren stretches of land, usually in contrast to fertile territory.
Semantic Range
parched land, dry land, scorched region, arid terrain, desert (emphasizing lack of water and fertility)
Root / Etymology
From the root צ-ח-ח (צחח), meaning 'to be parched, dry, scorched.' The noun צְחִיחָה is the feminine form, formed from the same root as the adjective צְחִיחַ ('parched, dry, scorched').
Historical & Contextual Notes
צְחִיחָה appears in Hebrew poetic and prophetic language to evoke the image of desolation and lifelessness, often within parallelism to wilderness (מִדְבָּר) or other terms for barren land. Its use emphasizes the complete lack of moisture or fertility, distinguishing it from more generic terms for wilderness or uninhabited land. Unlike מִדְבָּר (wilderness), which can refer to pasture or open country, צְחִיחָה connotes utter dryness and uninhabitability—terrain that cannot support agriculture or settlement. In later biblical literature and Second Temple texts, צְחִיחָה sometimes serves to amplify contrasts between blessings of fertility and divine punishment of desolation. English translations such as 'dry land' or 'parched land' are generally adequate, though 'desert' can be misleading if it suggests any vegetation or animal life, as the Hebrew emphasizes total aridity. The term is not used with religious overtones in the biblical period but acquires metaphorical associations (e.g., spiritual dryness) only in later interpretive traditions.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
feminine of צְחִיחַ; a parched region, i.e. the desert; dry land.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
צחח (ṣ-ḥ-ḥ) — to be parched, to be dry, to be scorched
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H6703 | צַח | radiant |
| H6705 | צָחַח | they blazed white |
| H6706 | צְחִיחַ | in the sunlit heights |
| H6708 | צְחִיחִי | in parched exposures |
| H6710 | צַחְצָחָה | in parched places |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H6707-01 |
צְחִיחָֽה | tsechichah | HNcfsa |
a-parched-land | parched land | a parched land | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H6707-01 |
Psalms 68:7 | צְחִיחָֽה | tsechichah | HNcfsa |
a-parched-land | parched land | a parched land |