צְפוּעַ
𐤑𐤐𐤅𐤏
tsᵉphûwaʻ
H6832 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Dried excrement; solid animal or human waste material after evacuation. Used primarily for animal dung but can refer to dried droppings more generally. The term emphasizes the physical characteristics of the waste, particularly its dried, protruding, or separated state, often as found in the environment.
Semantic Range
dried dung, droppings, animal excrement, fecal matter in a protruded or dried state
Root / Etymology
From the root צפע (ts-p-‘), likely related to the sense of 'protruding' or 'swelling.' The root as attested elsewhere (e.g., in צֶפַע, 'to swell' or 'to protrude') refers to something that juts out. The noun צְפוּעַ denotes a substance that stands out or is separated from the body—thus, dried fecal matter. The specific formation with a vav as a mater lectionis points to an adjectival or substantive noun form signifying the resultant state.
Historical & Contextual Notes
צְפוּעַ appears only in Malachi 2:3, where it denotes the animal dung that is ultimately swept away from sacrificial scenes, emphasizing ritual impurity and the necessity of removing waste from the holy space. Its precise meaning—dried or visible dung—stresses the contrast with fresh excrement or less overtly polluting substances. The term’s single attestation means it did not become a standard term for dung in post-biblical Hebrew, where אשפה or גלל were more common. In early English translations, the rendering as 'dung' is accurate but fails to capture the nuance of 'dried' or 'protruding' excrement. It is not a general term for defilement but a specific reference to physical waste. There is no evidence this term was ever used to refer to any form of religious or ethnic identity, and later translation traditions such as 'filth' or 'offal' may be too broad.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from the same as צֶפַע; excrement (as protruded); dung.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
צפע (ts-p-ʿ) — to swell, to protrude, to bulge
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H6832-02 |
צפועי | tsfvy | HNcmpc |
cow's | dried droppings of | 1 |
H6832-01 |
צְפִיעֵ֣י | tsefiey | HNcmpc |
dung | dried droppings of | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H6832-02 |
Ezekiel 4:15 | צפועי | tsfvy | HNcmpc |
cow's | dried droppings of |
H6832-01 |
Ezekiel 4:15 | צְפִיעֵ֣י | tsefiey | HNcmpc |
dung | dried droppings of |