צִיּוּן
𐤑𐤉𐤅𐤍
tsîyûwn
H6725 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A physical marker or monument set up as a sign or waymark; specifically, an object—such as a stone, pillar, or heap—erected to indicate a place, to mark a grave or boundary, or to serve as a directional guide. In a later development, צִיּוּן also comes to signify a commemorative monument, memorial, or marker with function tied to memory or guidance.
Semantic Range
marker, signpost, memorial stone, monument, waymark, grave marker, boundary marker, commemorative object
Root / Etymology
From the Hebrew root צין (צִיּה/צִיַּה), meaning 'dryness' or more broadly, something conspicuous or distinguishable, suggesting something that stands out in the landscape (cf. the idea of marking an arid spot). Some connect it to the concept of being prominent or permanent, although the root meaning is more related to marking or making conspicuous than to memorializing per se. The relation to נָצַח ('to shine, be conspicuous') is typological, not strictly etymological.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In the Hebrew Bible, צִיּוּן occurs primarily in the sense of a memorial or guiding marker (see Jeremiah 31:21). Its core function is to serve as a visible point of reference—either as a directional aide (along a route), a grave marker, or a boundary stone. Over time, the term becomes associated in post-biblical Hebrew with various types of commemorative monuments and, by the Second Temple period and beyond, comes to refer also to a grave marker or tombstone. The English 'sign', 'marker', or 'monument' variously capture only portions of the term's range of meaning. Not to be confused with the closely related but distinct word צִיּוֹן (Zion), which denotes a location (Jerusalem, Temple Mount) and has an entirely separate etymology and usage. Standard English translations often narrow the meaning to 'sign' or 'waymark', but the lexical range, particularly in later Hebrew, is broader, including the concept of a gravestone (see post-biblical and Mishnaic Hebrew). The word appears rarely in the Hebrew Bible but is significant in later Hebrew for its role in burial customs and memory. No evidence for anachronistic later religious meanings in biblical occurrence.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
lemma צִיוּן missing dagesh, corrected to צִיּוּן; from the same as צִיָּה in the sense of conspicuousness (compare נָצַח); a monumental or guiding pillar; sign, title, waymark.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
צין (ṣ-y-n) — to mark, to make conspicuous, to designate
Word Forms
3 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H6725-01 |
הַ/צִּיּ֣וּן | hatsiun | HTd/Ncmsa |
monument | the waymark | 1 |
H6725-02 |
צִיּ֑וּן | tsiun | HNcmsa |
a marker | waymark monument | 1 |
H6725-03 |
צִיֻּנִ֗ים | tsiyunim | HNcmpa |
road signs | marker-monuments | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
3 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H6725-01 |
2 Kings 23:17 | הַ/צִּיּ֣וּן | hatsiun | HTd/Ncmsa |
monument | the waymark |
H6725-03 |
Jeremiah 31:21 | צִיֻּנִ֗ים | tsiyunim | HNcmpa |
road signs | marker-monuments |
H6725-02 |
Ezekiel 39:15 | צִיּ֑וּן | tsiun | HNcmsa |
a marker | waymark monument |