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צָאָה

𐤑𐤀𐤄

tsâʼâh

H6627 noun

SILEX Entry

Root יָצָא to go out, exit, come forth

Definition

Human excrement; specifically, solid waste eliminated from the body. In some contexts, the term can refer more generally to refuse or filth associated with human waste. The word is used to denote physical excrement, often in discussions of ritual impurity, defilement, or prohibitions regarding cleanliness and proper burial of waste (e.g., Deuteronomy 23:13-14).

Semantic Range

human excrement, filth, refuse, impurity; (metaphorical) that which defiles or pollutes

Root / Etymology

The noun צָאָה (tsaʼah) derives from the root יָצָא (y-tz-ʼ), meaning 'to go out, come forth, exit'. The formation of צָאָה likely reflects something that 'comes out' or is 'put out', specifically indicating that which exits the body. The noun concretizes the act of going out into a specific result—excrement. The precise morphological pathway is not entirely certain, but it is cognate conceptually with the root's core idea of movement outward.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the Hebrew Bible, צָאָה appears primarily in contexts associated with ritual purity and camp sanitation, notably in Deuteronomy 23:13-14, where it describes the need to dispose of human waste outside the camp for reasons of purity. The focus in such passages is practical ritual maintenance rather than moral condemnation. By the prophetic era, the term can also be used metaphorically to describe uncleanness or moral pollution (e.g., Isaiah 28:8, where it is used to evoke revulsion and abomination in the context of judgment). English translations commonly render it as 'dung', 'filth', or 'excrement', but may not always convey the directness of the Hebrew term or its strong associations with impurity in ancient Israelite ritual practice. Distinct from other Hebrew terms connected to waste, such as פֶּרֶשׁ (peresh, dung, animal excrement), צָאָה specifically refers to human excrement. Over time, rabbinic literature develops technical vocabulary for various contaminant types, often building on the biblical use but elaborating further distinctions. The term itself does not carry the later religious connotations of sin or spiritual corruption present in some English or rabbinic uses. Instead, in the biblical context, its meaning remains concretely focused on bodily waste and defilement.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from יָצָא; issue, i.e. (human) excrement; that (which) cometh from (out).

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

יצא (y-ṣ-ʾ) — to go out, exit, come forth

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H3318 יָצָא in your bringing-out
H3319 יְצָא and he brought out
H3329 יָצִיא and from the descendants of
H3381 יָרַד they went out
H4161 מוֹצָא like outgoings of

Word Forms

2 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H6627-01 צֵאַ֣ת tseat HNcfsc excrement excrement of 1
H6627-02 צֵאָתֶֽ/ךָ tseatekha HNcfsc/Sp2ms your-excrement your excrement 1

Occurrences in Scripture

2 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H6627-02 Deuteronomy 23:14 צֵאָתֶֽ/ךָ tseatekha HNcfsc/Sp2ms your-excrement your excrement
H6627-01 Ezekiel 4:12 צֵאַ֣ת tseat HNcfsc excrement excrement of
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