צֹר
𐤑𐤓
Tsor
H6865 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Proper noun designating the city of Tyre, a leading Phoenician coastal city north of ancient Israel, renowned in antiquity for its fortifications, commerce, and maritime activity. In a few poetic or metaphorical instances, the word signifies 'rock' or 'cliff,' referencing its geographical setting. The word almost always functions as a place name in the Hebrew Bible.
Semantic Range
Tyre (the Phoenician city); rocky cliff or promontory (rare, poetic); metaphor for strength or security (figurative, rare)
Root / Etymology
From the root צּוּר (tsur), meaning 'rock' or 'cliff.' The proper noun likely derives from this root due to Tyre’s prominent rocky, island setting off the Phoenician coast. The form צוֹר (Tsôr) preserves the original place name as known in the Northwest Semitic milieu.
Historical & Contextual Notes
The name Tsôr appears throughout biblical narratives and prophetic oracles, particularly in Ezekiel, Isaiah, and the historical books, as the principle Phoenician city engaged with Israel and neighboring polities. The usage as a common noun for 'rock' is exceedingly rare and primarily confined to poetry or metaphoric language. The Greek and Latin forms (Τύρος, Tyrus) reflect the Hebrew original, but the English 'Tyre' carries later linguistic adaptations. While Tsôr was ethnically Phoenician, it appears in accounts relating to both diplomatic and commercial activities, and in prophetic texts as a paradigm of maritime power, wealth, and pride. English translations frequently use 'Tyre,' sometimes obscuring the literal connection to the meaning 'rock.'
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
or צוֹר; the same as צֹר; a rock; Tsor, a place in Palestine; Tyre, Tyrus.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
צור (ts-w-r) — rock, cliff, stronghold, bind, confine, press, form
| 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
5 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H6865-04 |
צֹ֑ר | tsor | HNp |
Tyre | Tsor (Rock-City) | Tsor | 32 |
H6865-02 |
לְ/צֹ֔ר | letsor | HR/Np |
to Tyre | to Tyre | to Tsor | 5 |
H6865-03 |
מִ/צֹּֽר | mitsor | HR/Np |
from Tyre | from Tsor | from Tsor | 3 |
H6865-01 |
כְ/צ֔וֹר | khetsor | HR/Np |
like Tyre | like Tyre | like Tsor | 1 |
H6865-05 |
וְ/צ֣וֹר | vetsor | HC/Np |
and-Tyre | and Tyre | and Tsor | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
42 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H6865-04 |
Joshua 19:29 | צֹ֑ר | tsor | HNp |
of Tyre | Tsor (Rock-City) | Tsor |
H6865-04 |
2 Samuel 5:11 | צֹ֥ר | tsor | HNp |
of Tyre | Tsor (Rock-City) | Tsor |
H6865-04 |
2 Samuel 24:7 | צֹ֔ר | tsor | HNp |
of Tyre | Tsor (Rock-City) | Tsor |
H6865-04 |
1 Kings 5:15 | צ֤וֹר | tsor | HNp |
of Tyre | Tsor (Rock-City) | Tsor |
H6865-03 |
1 Kings 7:13 | מִ/צֹּֽר | mitsor | HR/Np |
from Tyre | from Tsor | from Tsor |
H6865-04 |
1 Kings 9:11 | צֹ֠ר | tsor | HNp |
of Tyre | Tsor (Rock-City) | Tsor |
H6865-03 |
1 Kings 9:12 | מִ/צֹּ֔ר | mitsor | HR/Np |
from Tyre | from Tsor | from Tsor |
H6865-04 |
Isaiah 23:1 | צֹ֑ר | tsor | HNp |
of Tyre | Tsor (Rock-City) | Tsor |
H6865-04 |
Isaiah 23:5 | צֹֽר | tsor | HNp |
of Tyre | Tsor (Rock-City) | Tsor |
H6865-04 |
Isaiah 23:8 | צֹ֖ר | tsor | HNp |
Tyre | Tsor (Rock-City) | Tsor |