צִידוֹן
𐤑𐤉𐤃𐤅𐤍
Tsidon
H6721 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Tsidon (Sidon): An ancient coastal city on the northeastern Mediterranean, prominent in the northern Phoenician region, and the name of a progenitor figure in the genealogies of Canaan. As a toponym, it designates an important urban center known for seafaring, commerce, and maritime activities. In genealogical contexts, it refers to a descendant of Canaan, considered the eponymous ancestor of the Sidonians. The name reflects the city's association with fishing and maritime trade. Semantic range includes a personal name (Canaanite progenitor), a prominent city, and its inhabitants (collectively called Sidonians).
Semantic Range
ancient coastal city (Sidon), personal name (descendant of Canaan), territory or population associated with the city, place characterized by fishing/hunting
Root / Etymology
From the root צוּד (tsud), 'to hunt, to fish, to catch,' with the nominal suffix ֹן. The toponym Tsidon likely designates 'place of hunting' or 'fishing town.' The personal name derives from the same root, signifying ancestral connection with coastal/fishing activities.
Historical & Contextual Notes
צִידוֹן appears frequently as a major Phoenician city, often paired with Tyre. In the patriarchal and monarchy narratives, Sidon is portrayed as a distinct, non-Israelite city, a center of Canaanite and later Phoenician culture, and a key player in Levantine maritime commerce. The Israelite texts typically refer to the land and inhabitants as foreign; Sidonians are regularly described as skilled in crafts, particularly in woodwork and navigation (cf. 1 Kings 5:6). The genealogical use (Genesis 10:15,19) roots the city's origin in mythic ancestors and frames Sidon among the original Canaanite populations. In later periods, the term retained a geographic-ethnic sense for Phoenician people. English translations often use 'Sidon,' reflecting the Greek Σιδών; 'Zidon' reflects earlier transliteration conventions, not lexical difference. There is no significant shift in the basic meaning over time, though geopolitical realities changed Sidon's interactions with Israel, Judah, and later Judean contexts. Contrast with related terms such as צור 'Tyre' (H6865), which together comprise the two principal Phoenician cities.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
or צִידֹן; from צוּד in the sense of catching fish; fishery; Tsidon, the name of a son of Canaan, and of a place in Palestine; Sidon, Zidon.
Bantu Hebrew
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+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
צוד (ts-w-d) — to hunt, to fish, to catch
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H4679 | מְצַד | in the mountain stronghold |
| H4685 | מָצוֹד | in the hunting-nets |
| H6679 | צוּד | will you hunt? |
| H6718 | צַיִד | hunted-game of |
Word Forms
5 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H6721-03 |
צִידֹ֥ן | tsidon | HNp |
Sidon | Fishing-Town | Tsidon | 16 |
H6721-05 |
וְ/צִיד֔וֹן | vetsidon | HC/Np |
and Sidon | and Fishing-Town | and Tsidon | 2 |
H6721-02 |
מִ/צִּידֹ֔ן | mitsidon | HR/Np |
from Sidon | from Fishing-Town | from Tsidon | 2 |
H6721-04 |
וּ/לְ/צִיד֔וֹן | uletsidon | HC/R/Np |
and Sidon | and to Fishing-Town | and to Tsidon | 1 |
H6721-01 |
לְ/צִיד֔וֹן | letsidon | HR/Np |
to Sidon | to Tsidon the Fishing-Town | to Tsidon | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
22 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H6721-03 |
Genesis 10:15 | צִידֹ֥ן | tsidon | HNp |
Sidon | Fishing-Town | Tsidon |
H6721-02 |
Genesis 10:19 | מִ/צִּידֹ֔ן | mitsidon | HR/Np |
from Sidon | from Fishing-Town | from Tsidon |
H6721-03 |
Genesis 49:13 | צִידֹֽן | tsidon | HNp |
Sidon | Fishing-Town | Tsidon |
H6721-03 |
Joshua 11:8 | צִיד֣וֹן | tsidon | HNp |
Sidon | Fishing-Town | Tsidon |
H6721-03 |
Joshua 19:28 | צִיד֥וֹן | tsidon | HNp |
Sidon | Fishing-Town | Tsidon |
H6721-03 |
Judges 1:31 | צִיד֑וֹן | tsidon | HNp |
Sidon | Fishing-Town | Tsidon |
H6721-03 |
Judges 10:6 | צִיד֜וֹן | tsidon | HNp |
Sidon | Fishing-Town | Tsidon |
H6721-02 |
Judges 18:28 | מִ/צִּיד֗וֹן | mitsidon | HR/Np |
from Sidon | from Fishing-Town | from Tsidon |
H6721-03 |
2 Samuel 24:6 | צִידֽוֹן | tsidon | HNp |
Sidon | Fishing-Town | Tsidon |
H6721-01 |
1 Kings 17:9 | לְ/צִיד֔וֹן | letsidon | HR/Np |
to Sidon | to Tsidon the Fishing-Town | to Tsidon |