צוּף
𐤑𐤅𐤐
Tsuf
H6689 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A personal and place name in the Hebrew Bible. As a noun, refers primarily to a proper name—Tsuph/Zuph—associated with an Israelite ancestor and a geographic location; in archaic usage, the underlying root can mean 'honeycomb' or a form of 'flow', though this is relatively rare.
Semantic Range
personal name (Tsuph/Zuph, Tsophai, Tsiph), clan ancestor, place name, rare noun for 'honeycomb' or 'flow'
Root / Etymology
Derived from the root צוּף (ts-w-p), whose core meaning is 'to flow, to overflow,' often applied metaphorically or concretely to substances like honey. The name Tsuph/Zuph is constructed from this root, but as a proper noun, its meaning is generally a conventionalized marker for ancestry or geography rather than retaining its verbal meaning. Variant forms (Tsophai, Tsiph) represent differing vocalizations or orthographic traditions.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In biblical genealogies (1 Samuel 1:1; 1 Chronicles 6:20, 35) Tsuph/Zuph appears as an Israelite ancestor, potentially an eponym for a clan or territory in the hill country of Ephraim. The name is also used in reference to a place (1 Samuel 9:5-6), situated within the Benjaminite and Ephraimite interface. While the root meaning ('to flow', 'honeycomb') influenced the naming, by the time of biblical usage the name functions primarily to mark descent or locality. English translations sometimes attempt to connect the name to 'honeycomb', but this is not the contextual function. The variant spellings (Tsophai, Tsiph) reflect different manuscript traditions or editorial practices rather than distinct meanings. Later Jewish tradition sometimes associated the locations with prophetic activity, but this is extrabiblical. The translation 'Zuph' or 'Zophai' preserves the personal or toponymic name rather than rendering a descriptive meaning. Compare with similar Israelite names built on naturalistic roots, which primarily indicate affiliation rather than retaining literal meanings.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
or צוֹפַי; or צִיף; from צוּף; honey-comb; Tsuph or Tsophai or Tsiph, the name of an Israelite and of a place in Palestine; Zophai, Zuph.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
צוף (ts-w-p) — to flow, to overflow, honeycomb
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H6687 | צוּף | he caused to overflow |
| H6688 | צוּף | dripping honeycomb |
| H6851 | צַפְצָפָה | flow-grown willow |
Word Forms
3 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H6689-02 |
צ֖וּף | tsuf | HNp |
Zuph | Tsuph | 3 |
H6689-03 |
ציף | tsyf | HNp |
Zuph | Tsuph | 1 |
H6689-01 |
צוֹפַ֥י | tsofay | HNp |
Zophai | Tsophai | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
5 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H6689-02 |
1 Samuel 1:1 | צ֖וּף | tsuf | HNp |
Zuph | Tsuph |
H6689-02 |
1 Samuel 9:5 | צ֔וּף | tsuf | HNp |
of Zuph | Tsuph |
H6689-01 |
1 Chronicles 6:11 | צוֹפַ֥י | tsofay | HNp |
Zophai | Tsophai |
H6689-03 |
1 Chronicles 6:20 | ציף | tsyf | HNp |
Zuph | Tsuph |
H6689-02 |
1 Chronicles 6:20 | צוּף֙ | tsuf | HNp |
Zuph | Tsuph |