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צָעָה

𐤑𐤏𐤄

tsâʻâh

H6808 verb

SILEX Entry

Root ציה to wander, to be displaced, to go astray, to depart

Definition

To wander, to depart or move about without fixed direction; often used of forced movement or exile, both literal and figurative. The word carries senses of roaming, being displaced from one's home or land, and, by extension, being in a state of captivity, exile, or estrangement. In some usages, it can denote going astray or being driven into exile or captivity, and in a small number of contexts, it can refer to lying prostrate (whether for rest, intercourse, or by compulsion).

Semantic Range

to wander, to go astray, to be displaced, to be exiled, to be a captive or fugitive, to lie prostrate (rare), to stray from the path, to travel without fixed direction

Root / Etymology

Root: צעה. The root conveys the idea of moving away, wandering, or deviating from a set place or path. The verb ב form means to wander, go astray, or be exiled. The noun forms (notably צֵעָה and מְצוּעָה) are rare and generally refer to a wanderer or exile. The core meaning is movement away from the point of origin, which in usage shades into the experience of displacement, alienation, or enforced movement (as in exile or captivity).

Historical & Contextual Notes

צָעָה appears infrequently in the Hebrew Bible (notably in Isa 51:14 and Ps 119:176), with primary reference either to exile/captivity or to wandering as a state of alienation or lostness. In prophetic literature, it can convey the condition of Israelites who have been removed from their land, often under duress, and thus carries socio-political and theological connotations of loss, dislocation, or estrangement from one's ancestral home. Due to its rarity, its semantic nuances are inferred both from immediate context and from comparison with related verbs (such as נָדַח 'to drive/push away, banish' and גָּלָה 'to uncover, go into exile'). Later translations sometimes render the term as 'captive' or 'exile,' or use interpretive glosses such as 'wanderer.' Standard English translations, especially in poetic or prophetic passages, often flatten the nuance of enforced movement, so the word's force as a description of compelled wandering/fugitive status may be underrepresented. There is limited evidence for a literal sense like 'to tip over,' so modern scholarship focuses primarily on the semantic field of displacement and wandering, rather than physical pouring or overturning.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a primitive root; to tip over (for the purpose of spilling or pouring out), i.e. (figuratively) depopulate; by implication, to imprison or conquer; (reflexive) to lie down (for coitus); captive exile, travelling, (cause to) wander(-er).

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

צעה (ṣ-ʿ-h) — to wander, to be displaced, to go astray, to depart

Word Forms

4 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H6808-02 צֹעֶ֖ה tsoeh HVqrmsa marching the wandering-one 2
H6808-01 צֹעָ֥ה tsoah HVqrfsa have lain down wandering 1
H6808-04 וְ/צֵעֻ֑/הוּ vetseuhu HC/Vpq3cp/Sp3ms and they will pour him out and they drove him into exile 1
H6808-03 צֹעִ֖ים tsoim HVqrmpa decanters wandering ones 1

Occurrences in Scripture

5 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H6808-02 Isaiah 51:14 צֹעֶ֖ה tsoeh HVqrmsa the captive exile the wandering-one
H6808-02 Isaiah 63:1 צֹעֶ֖ה tsoeh HVqrmsa marching the wandering-one
H6808-01 Jeremiah 2:20 צֹעָ֥ה tsoah HVqrfsa have lain down wandering
H6808-03 Jeremiah 48:12 צֹעִ֖ים tsoim HVqrmpa decanters wandering ones
H6808-04 Jeremiah 48:12 וְ/צֵעֻ֑/הוּ vetseuhu HC/Vpq3cp/Sp3ms and they will pour him out and they drove him into exile
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