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צִפּוֹר

𐤑𐤐𐤅𐤓

Tsipor

H6834 noun

SILEX Entry

Root צפר to bird, chirp, whistle (root); bird (noun)

Definition

A personal name, Tsippôr, meaning likely 'bird.' In biblical usage, Tsippôr denotes a Moabite male, father of Balak, king of Moab in the story of Balaam (Numbers 22–24). The name itself is identical in form to the common noun for 'bird,' but as a proper noun it refers specifically to this individual. The semantic range is constrained to its proper noun usage as a personal name in the Hebrew Bible.

Semantic Range

Tsippôr as a proper personal name, father of Balak; bird (in unrelated common noun usages, not present here)

Root / Etymology

From the root צפר, which in its noun form means 'bird.' The proper name Tsippôr is derived directly from the noun, possibly conveying a meaning like 'bird' or 'of birds,' but as a proper name the semantic content may be idiomatic or lost. The use as a personal name is established, but any further meaning beyond reference to an individual is speculative.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the biblical context, Tsippôr appears as the name of a Moabite male, the progenitor of Balak, and is not used as a common noun in these contexts. Unlike the later English tradition where names like 'Zippor' may be naturalized, the Hebrew texts use Tsippôr with clear reference to a Moabite lineage in the period of Israel's wilderness wanderings. This name should not be confused with similarly spelled but distinct feminine forms or with other terms for 'bird.' In post-biblical and translation traditions, the name is sometimes rendered 'Zippor.' The use of animal names as personal names is not uncommon in ancient Semitic naming practices, though the reason for such naming is unclear. Importantly, the name Tsippôr should not be read as conveying any direct animal qualities about the individual unless supported by context.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

the same as צִפּוֹר; Tsippor, a Moabite; Zippor.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

צפר (ṣ-p-r) — bird, chirping, whistling

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H6691 צוֹפַר Tsophar
H6833 צִפּוֹר the chirping bird
H6841 צְפִיר and he-goats of
H6842 צָפִיר prancing male goat
H6843 צְפִירָה the encircling crown

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H6834-01 צִפּ֑וֹר tsipor HNp Zippor Tsippôr 7

Occurrences in Scripture

7 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H6834-01 Numbers 22:2 צִפּ֑וֹר tsipor HNp Zippor Tsippôr
H6834-01 Numbers 22:4 צִפּ֛וֹר tsipor HNp Zippor Tsippôr
H6834-01 Numbers 22:10 צִפֹּ֛ר tsipor HNp of Zippor Tsippôr
H6834-01 Numbers 22:16 צִפּ֔וֹר tsipor HNp Zippor Tsippôr
H6834-01 Numbers 23:18 צִפֹּֽר tsipor HNp Zippor Tsippôr
H6834-01 Joshua 24:9 צִפּוֹר֙ tsipor HNp Zippor Tsippôr
H6834-01 Judges 11:25 צִפּ֖וֹר tsipor HNp Zippor Tsippôr
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