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צוּר

𐤑𐤅𐤓

tsûwr

H6696 verb

SILEX Entry

Root צור to press, constrain, bind, besiege, encircle, form

Definition

To press, constrain, bind, or encircle—commonly in the sense of besieging or restraining, but also extended to forming, shaping, or enclosing. The term is most frequently used for laying siege to a city, but also appears in the sense of distressing, oppressing, or hemming in people, physically or metaphorically. Less commonly, it refers to enclosing or binding objects tightly (e.g., valuables, bundles) or to forming something closely (fashioning).

Semantic Range

to lay siege, to besiege, to oppress, to constrain, to enclose, to bind up, to put into bags or bundles, to form by pressing, to distress, to assault, to confine, to put pressure on physically or metaphorically

Root / Etymology

From the root צוּר (צ-ו-ר) meaning 'to press, constrain, bind, encircle.' The root describes the basic act of applying pressure or narrowing space, leading to senses of besieging, encircling, distressing, or binding.

Historical & Contextual Notes

Throughout Israelite history, especially the monarchic period, the verb צוּר is frequently associated with military campaigns—especially the activity of surrounding cities or fortresses to cut them off, i.e., besieging them (e.g., 2 Sam 11:1, Isa 29:3). The concept extends metaphorically to personal or national distress (e.g., Deut 28:52). In prose and poetry, it may carry hostile or formative connotations. In some cases, it is used of enclosing objects or persons and of acts of forming or fashioning (as in tightly shaping a vessel or object). The meaning overlaps with related roots expressing constraining (e.g., צרר) but with different connotations. English translations may obscure whether the passage refers to literal siege or broader forms of pressure or distress; the nuance depends heavily on context. The meaning developed little over time, but post-exilic usage is rarer, focused more on inherited formulaic language from earlier periods.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a primitive root; to cramp, i.e. confine (in many applications, literally and figuratively, formative or hostile); adversary, assault, beset, besiege, bind (up), cast, distress, fashion, fortify, inclose, lay siege, put up in bags.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

צור (ṣ-w-r) — press, constrain, bind, besiege, encircle, 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

14 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H6696-10 וַ/יָּ֛צַר vayatsar HC/Vqw3ms and he besieged and he encircled 8
H6696-11 וַ/יָּצֻ֖רוּ vayatsuru HC/Vqw3mp and they besieged and they besieged 6
H6696-08 צָרִ֥ים tsarim HVqrmpa were besieging the ones pressing in 5
H6696-01 הַ/צָּרִ֣ים hatsarim HTd/Vqrmpa besieging the ones besieging 4
H6696-12 וְ/צַרְתָּ֖ vetsareta HC/Vqq2ms and bind and you besieged 3
H6696-13 וְ/צַרְתִּ֖י vetsareti HC/Vqq1cs and-I-will-besiege and I pressed in 2
H6696-09 צוּרִ֣י tsuri HVqv2fs lay siege my rock-mass 1
H6696-02 לָ/צ֥וּר latsur HR/Vqc to besiege to besiege 1
H6696-03 נָצ֥וּר natsur HVqi1cp we will enclose we will besiege 1
H6696-04 תָּ֨צַר֙ tatsar HVqj2ms harass may you besiege 1

Occurrences in Scripture

36 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H6696-13 Exodus 23:22 וְ/צַרְתִּ֖י vetsareti HC/Vqq1cs and I will oppose and I pressed in
H6696-04 Deuteronomy 2:9 תָּ֨צַר֙ tatsar HVqj2ms harass may you besiege
H6696-06 Deuteronomy 2:19 תְּצֻרֵ֖/ם tetsurem HVqj2ms/Sp3mp you-shall-distress-them may you besiege them
H6696-12 Deuteronomy 20:12 וְ/צַרְתָּ֖ vetsareta HC/Vqq2ms then you shall besiege and you besieged
H6696-05 Deuteronomy 20:19 תָצ֣וּר tatsur HVqi2ms you besiege you will besiege
H6696-08 Judges 9:31 צָרִ֥ים tsarim HVqrmpa are stirring up the ones pressing in
H6696-02 1 Samuel 23:8 לָ/צ֥וּר latsur HR/Vqc to besiege to besiege
H6696-11 2 Samuel 11:1 וַ/יָּצֻ֖רוּ vayatsuru HC/Vqw3mp and they besieged and they besieged
H6696-11 2 Samuel 20:15 וַ/יָּצֻ֣רוּ vayatsuru HC/Vqw3mp and they besieged and they besieged
H6696-10 1 Kings 7:15 וַ/יָּ֛צַר vayatsar HC/Vqw3ms And he cast and he encircled
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