צִנּוּר
𐤑𐤍𐤅𐤓
tsinnûwr
H6794 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A conduit, channel, or pipe-like structure designed to carry water or liquid, usually man-made and hollow. In some contexts refers specifically to physical passages or shafts, such as water tunnels or gutters. Semantic range includes various types of conduits, open or enclosed, especially for water transport or drainage.
Semantic Range
conduit, pipe, gutter, tunnel, shaft, water channel, pipe-like structure
Root / Etymology
Root etymology is uncertain; proposed connection to a root meaning 'to be hollow' or 'to channel,' but no clear attested Hebrew verbal root is associated. The form suggests a noun of instrument or result, possibly constructed to describe an object permitting the flow of water or similar materials.
Historical & Contextual Notes
צִנּוּר appears rarely in the Hebrew Bible, most notably in 2 Samuel 5:8, where it is generally understood as a physical conduit or shaft in the Jebusite fortress at Jerusalem, interpreted as the means by which David's men entered the city. The precise nature of this structure has been widely debated—suggestions range from a water shaft or tunnel to a gutter, but the context is specifically architectural/hydraulic. In post-biblical usage, צִנּוּר came to mean 'pipe' or 'tube' more generally. The term does not imply ritual or symbolic meaning and is distinct from other channels described in biblical texts (e.g., תְּעָלָה te‘alah, a more general word for 'canal, aqueduct'). Standard English translations like 'gutter' or 'water-spout' capture only a portion of the word's semantic field and may underrepresent its function and significance as a structural water conduit in ancient engineering.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from an unused root perhaps meaning to be hollow; a culvert; gutter, water-spout.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
צנר (ṣ-n-r) — to channel, to be hollow (proposed)
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H6804 | צַנְתָּרָה | conduits of |
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H6794-01 |
בַּ/צִּנּ֔וֹר | batsinor | HRd/Ncmsa |
the-water-shaft | water conduit | 1 |
H6794-02 |
צִנּוֹרֶ֑י/ךָ | tsinoreykha | HNcmpc/Sp2ms |
of your waterfalls | your water-conduits | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H6794-01 |
2 Samuel 5:8 | בַּ/צִּנּ֔וֹר | batsinor | HRd/Ncmsa |
the-water-shaft | water conduit |
H6794-02 |
Psalms 42:8 | צִנּוֹרֶ֑י/ךָ | tsinoreykha | HNcmpc/Sp2ms |
of your waterfalls | your water-conduits |