צִבְיָא
𐤑𐤁𐤉𐤀
Tsiveya
H6644 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Tsibya is a personal name, used for both men and women in the Hebrew Bible, most notably as a male proper name (the father of Joash, a royal official of King Joash of Judah) and as a female name (Zibiah, mother of King Joash). The meaning of the name, likely derived from the noun 'zvi' (gazelle), may connote beauty, grace, or preciousness. Its lexical sense is thus best understood as a name meaning 'gazelle' or 'like a gazelle.'
Semantic Range
proper name (male), proper name (female), 'gazelle' as symbolic/metaphorical sense in personal naming
Root / Etymology
Derived from the root צבה (ts-b-h), but the form צִבְיָא is a theophoric or descriptive personal name, likely based on the noun צְבִי (zvi) meaning 'gazelle.' The feminine suffix -ah is commonly used in personal names. Alternatively, the name might reflect a dialectical variant or spelling. The precise etymology is therefore 'from צבי (zvi, gazelle), perhaps with a suffix.'
Historical & Contextual Notes
The name Tsibya (Zibiah) appears in the context of the Judahite royal family: Zibiah, a woman from Beersheba, is listed as mother of King Joash (2 Kings 12:1; 2 Chronicles 24:1). The male form occurs as the father of Joash, a royal official during the reign of King Joash of Judah (2 Chronicles 24:27). The name is closely related to the more common noun צְבִי (zvi, gazelle), a common motif in Hebrew names for its associations with beauty and swiftness. In English translations, the name is rendered variously as Zibiah or Zibia, sometimes obscuring the animal association. The use as both a masculine and a feminine name is notable. No theological or religious connotations are inherent in the name; it is descriptive rather than theophoric.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
for צִבְיָּה; Tsibja, an Israelite; Zibia.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
צבה (ts-b-h) — to wish for, desire, to be beautiful, to be precious
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H6644-01 |
צִבְיָ֔א | tsiveya | HNp |
Zibia | Gazelle | Tsiveya | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H6644-01 |
1 Chronicles 8:9 | צִבְיָ֔א | tsiveya | HNp |
Zibia | Gazelle | Tsiveya |