צִיִּי
𐤑𐤉𐤉
tsîyîy
H6728 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A denizen of arid or desolate places, particularly a creature or being associated with inhospitable or uninhabited wilderness regions. In context, most often refers to predatory animals of the steppe or desert, but occasionally the word encompasses ambiguous wilderness-dwelling beings or creatures of the imagination, such as wild beasts, jackals, or other inhabitants of deserted ruins.
Semantic Range
desert-dweller, inhabitant of dry places, wild beast of the wilderness, jackal, mythical or ambiguous wilderness creature, denizen of ruins or deserted cities
Root / Etymology
From the root ציה (ts-y-h), whose core meaning is 'dryness, aridity.' The noun derives from this root by signifying something (usually an animal) belonging to or characteristic of dry, desolate places—i.e., 'inhabitant of dryness/desert.'
Historical & Contextual Notes
In the Hebrew Bible, צִיִּי (tsîyîy) is a rare term (e.g., Isaiah 13:21, 34:14; Zephaniah 2:14), found in poetic or prophetic contexts describing ruined cities or lands under divine judgment where human habitation has ceased. It most often denotes animate beings—sometimes specifically wild animals like jackals (cf. parallelism with אִיִּים 'ayyim'), but occasionally the referent is mythic or ambiguous, signifying the eerie atmosphere of a deserted wilderness, perhaps alluding to demonic or legendary creatures but not inherently specifying such as its primary sense. Modern translations often render the word as 'wild beast(s) of the desert,' but the precise identification is debated and context-dependent; it signifies the overall sense of wildness and desolation more than a specific taxonomic group. In later Hebrew, the root continues to carry connotations of barren or abandoned wastelands, but this specific form is relatively rare outside of biblical and poetic use.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from the same as צִיָּה; a desert-dweller, i.e. nomad or wild beast; wild beast of the desert, that dwell in (inhabiting) the wilderness.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
ציה (ṣ-y-h) — dryness, aridity, to be dry
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H6728-02 |
צִיִּ֔ים | tsiyim | HNcmpa |
wild beasts of the desert | dryland dwellers | 4 |
H6728-01 |
לְ/צִיִּ֑ים | letsiyim | HR/Ncmpa |
for desert creatures | to desert-dwellers | 2 |
Occurrences in Scripture
6 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H6728-02 |
Isaiah 13:21 | צִיִּ֔ים | tsiyim | HNcmpa |
wild beasts of the desert | dryland dwellers |
H6728-01 |
Isaiah 23:13 | לְ/צִיִּ֑ים | letsiyim | HR/Ncmpa |
for-desert-creatures | to desert-dwellers |
H6728-02 |
Isaiah 34:14 | צִיִּים֙ | tsiyim | HNcmpa |
wild beasts of the desert | dryland dwellers |
H6728-02 |
Jeremiah 50:39 | צִיִּים֙ | tsiyim | HNcmpa |
wild beasts | dryland dwellers |
H6728-02 |
Psalms 72:9 | צִיִּ֑ים | tsiyim | HNcmpa |
desert tribes | dryland dwellers |
H6728-01 |
Psalms 74:14 | לְ/צִיִּֽים | letsiyim | HR/Ncmpa |
for desert creatures | to desert-dwellers |