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צִיּוֹן

𐤑𐤉𐤅𐤍

Tsîyôwn

H6726 noun

SILEX Entry

Root ציה to be dry, parched, desert-like (root meaning, though direct connection to צִיּוֹן uncertain)

Definition

A specific and prominent elevation in Jerusalem, initially referring to the fortified Jebusite stronghold captured by David and thereafter associated with the location of the royal citadel. Over time, the term came to serve as a poetic or symbolic designation for Jerusalem as a whole, and in some texts as a metonym for the Israelite nation or its spiritual center. The term frequently appears in contexts emphasizing the city's religious or national significance, especially as the chosen locus of YHWH's presence.

Semantic Range

citadel in Jerusalem, city of David, Jerusalem (as the Israelite capital), city as religious center, poetic symbol of Jerusalem, collective term for the Israelite nation, metaphor for hope or restoration

Root / Etymology

The word derives from the root ציה (tsi/tswy), which may mean 'to be dry, parched,' though the precise etymology is uncertain; some scholars connect it loosely to Arabic roots meaning 'castle' or 'fortress,' but its original derivation remains unclear. The form צִיּוֹן is a proper noun designating this particular geographical and cultural landmark.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the oldest layers of the Hebrew Bible (e.g. Samuel, Kings), צִיּוֹן is the specific fortress dwelling of the pre-Israelite Jebusites and the first seat of David's monarchy. By the time of the exilic and post-exilic prophets and biblical poetry (e.g. Isaiah, Psalms, Lamentations), צִיּוֹן evolves into a poetic synonym for Jerusalem, often representing its people, their destiny, or Israelite hopes in general. In certain later Second Temple texts, צִיּוֹן occasionally broadens further to symbolize eschatological or cosmic realities. English translations traditionally render צִיּוֹן as 'Zion,' but this often obscures the layered development of the term—from a specific topographic landmark, to the city as a whole, to its symbolic uses. In later Jewish tradition and Christian usage, 'Zion' acquired theological dimensions not present in the primary biblical contexts, which should not be retrojected onto earlier Israelite usage.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

the same (regularly) as צִיּוּןlemma צִיוּן missing dagesh, corrected to צִיּוּן; Tsijon (as a permanent capital), a mountain of Jerusalem; Zion.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

ציה (ṣ-y-h) — dryness, parched land, desert-like place

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H1323 בַּת Tsiyon
H6723 צִיָּה in the arid lands
H6728 צִיִּי to desert-dwellers

Word Forms

9 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H6726-04 צִיּ֑וֹן tsion HNp Zion Tsiyon 106
H6726-01 בְּ/צִיּ֗וֹן betsion HR/Np in Zion in Tsiyon 21
H6726-03 מִ/צִּיּוֹן֙ mitsion HR/Np from Zion from Zion 12
H6726-02 לְ/צִיּ֖וֹן letsion HR/Np to Zion to Zion 5
H6726-09 בְ/צִיּוֹן֙ vetsion HR/Np in Zion in Zion 5
H6726-06 וּֽ/לֲ/צִיּ֨וֹן ulatsion HC/R/Np And of Zion and to Tsiyon 1
H6726-05 צִיּ֔וֹנָ/ה tsionah HNp/Sd toward Zion Zion-ward 1
H6726-07 וּ/לְ/צִיּ֖וֹן uletsion HC/R/Np and for Zion and to Tsiyon 1
H6726-08 וּ֝/מִ/צִּיּ֗וֹן umitsion HC/R/Np and from Zion and from Tsiyon 1

Occurrences in Scripture

153 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H6726-04 2 Samuel 5:7 צִיּ֑וֹן tsion HNp of Zion Tsiyon
H6726-04 1 Kings 8:1 צִיּֽוֹן tsion HNp Zion Tsiyon
H6726-04 2 Kings 19:21 צִיּ֔וֹן tsion HNp of Zion Tsiyon
H6726-04 2 Kings 19:31 צִיּ֑וֹן tsion HNp Zion Tsiyon
H6726-04 Isaiah 1:8 צִיּ֖וֹן tsion HNp of Zion Tsiyon
H6726-04 Isaiah 1:27 צִיּ֖וֹן tsion HNp Zion Tsiyon
H6726-03 Isaiah 2:3 מִ/צִּיּוֹן֙ mitsion HR/Np from-Zion from Zion
H6726-04 Isaiah 3:16 צִיּ֔וֹן tsion HNp of Zion Tsiyon
H6726-04 Isaiah 3:17 צִיּ֑וֹן tsion HNp of Zion Tsiyon
H6726-01 Isaiah 4:3 בְּ/צִיּ֗וֹן betsion HR/Np in Zion in Tsiyon
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