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צִיר

𐤑𐤉𐤓

tsîyr

H6735 noun

SILEX Entry

Root צור to press, squeeze, confine, send urgently

Definition

(1) A hinge, specifically the pivot or axis on which a door swings, reflecting an object subjected to pressure or rotation. (2) Pain or pang, particularly of childbirth or severe distress, both physical and emotional. (3) Messenger or envoy, one dispatched with an official message, often under authority or constraint. The term spans from tangible objects (hardware) to metaphorical or social functions, always implying pressure, urgency, or constraint.

Semantic Range

hinge; pivot; labor pain; pang; throe; intense distress (physical or emotional); messenger; envoy; herald (one dispatched under compulsion or urgent necessity)

Root / Etymology

From the root צוּר (tswr), which fundamentally conveys the idea of pressing, squeezing, or confining. This root gives rise from the notion of applying pressure (as in pressing a hinge into a post, or the constriction of pain or labor) to that of sending or dispatching someone urgently (messenger under compulsion or duty). The noun צִיר develops concrete meanings (door hinge) and abstract or extended ones (pain, envoy).

Historical & Contextual Notes

In early biblical texts, צִיר appears primarily in three contexts: (1) As a physical object ('hinge'; Proverbs 26:14), it refers to the axis or pivot on which a door turns, often used in metaphor (as the hinge turns, so does the sluggard in bed). (2) As a figure of distress, it is employed for the intense pain of labor (Isaiah 13:8) or anguish, sometimes extending metaphorically to national calamity. (3) As an official role, it denotes an envoy or messenger sent between nations (Proverbs 13:17, Isaiah 18:2), with the nuance of being compelled by duty. Over time, the 'messenger' sense persisted, while the 'hinge' sense faded outside metaphorical usage. The association with pressure or compulsion (physical or social) runs through all uses. Later English translations sometimes used 'ambassador' or 'herald', which capture only part of the semantic field. The term is distinct from other Hebrew words for messenger (מַלְאָךְ, שָׁלִיחַ), which often lack the nuance of compulsion or urgency implied by צִיר.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from צוּר; a hinge (as pressed in turning); also a throe (as a phys. or mental pressure); also a herald or erranddoer (as constrained by the principal); ambassador, hinge, messenger, pain, pang, sorrow. Compare צִיר.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

צור (ts-w-r) — press, squeeze, confine, send urgently

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H1049 בֵּית צוּר Rock
H4692 מָצוֹר in the siege
H4693 מָצוֹר besieged stronghold
H4694 מְצוּרָה the fortified places
H6676 צַוַּאר her nape

Word Forms

8 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H6735-07 צִירִ֤ים tsirim HNcmpa pangs pressure-throes 3
H6735-08 וְ/צִ֖יר vetsir HC/Ncmsa and an envoy and an envoy 3
H6735-05 צִרַ֨יִ/ךְ֙ tsirayikhe HNcmpc/Sp2fs your envoys your envoys 1
H6735-02 צִ֣יר tsir HNcmsa a messenger urgent envoy 1
H6735-06 צִרֶֽי/הָ tsireyha HNcmpc/Sp3fs pains her hinges 1
H6735-03 צִירָ֑/הּ tsirah HNcmsc/Sp3fs its hinges her hinge 1
H6735-01 כְּ/צִירֵ֖י ketsirey HR/Ncmpc like-the-pangs-of hinges of 1
H6735-04 צִירַ/י֙ tsiray HNcmpc/Sp1cs my pains my pangs 1

Occurrences in Scripture

12 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H6735-06 1 Samuel 4:19 צִרֶֽי/הָ tsireyha HNcmpc/Sp3fs pains her hinges
H6735-07 Isaiah 13:8 צִירִ֤ים tsirim HNcmpa pangs pressure-throes
H6735-07 Isaiah 18:2 צִירִ֗ים tsirim HNcmpa envoys pressure-throes
H6735-07 Isaiah 21:3 צִירִ֣ים tsirim HNcmpa pangs pressure-throes
H6735-01 Isaiah 21:3 כְּ/צִירֵ֖י ketsirey HR/Ncmpc like-the-pangs-of hinges of
H6735-05 Isaiah 57:9 צִרַ֨יִ/ךְ֙ tsirayikhe HNcmpc/Sp2fs your envoys your envoys
H6735-08 Jeremiah 49:14 וְ/צִ֖יר vetsir HC/Ncmsa and an envoy and an envoy
H6735-08 Obadiah 1:1 וְ/צִיר֙ vetsir HC/Ncmsa and an envoy and an envoy
H6735-08 Proverbs 13:17 וְ/צִ֖יר vetsir HC/Ncmsc but an envoy and an envoy
H6735-02 Proverbs 25:13 צִ֣יר tsir HNcmsa a messenger urgent envoy
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