צוּרִיאֵל
𐤑𐤅𐤓𐤉𐤀𐤋
Tsuriel
H6700 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Personal name: 'My rock is El' (or 'El is my rock'), indicating faith in the deity's steadfastness, reliability, or protection. Functions solely as an Israelite proper name, with no concrete or abstract general noun application. Used to designate a specific individual among the leadership in early Israelite tribal structure.
Semantic Range
personal name, 'my rock is El', 'El is my rock', used only as a proper name for a Merarite leader in Numbers 3:35
Root / Etymology
Compound of the noun צוּר (tsur, 'rock', from the root צור meaning 'to bind, to enclose, to form rock' or more broadly, 'rock, cliff') and the theophoric element אֵל ('El', a common designation for the Deity in ancient Israel). Thus, literally, 'rock of El', or with possessive nuance, 'my rock is El/El is my rock'. Derived from the common practice of forming personal theophoric names with a divine attribute plus 'El'.
Historical & Contextual Notes
צוּרִיאֵל appears in Numbers 3:35 as the name of the leader of the Merarite clan among the Levites during Israel's wilderness period. The name is typical of early Israelite theophoric personal names, expressing trust in or association with El (here, likely understood as the God of Israel). The term צוּר (rock) was a frequent metaphor for the deity as exemplar of strength, protection, and unyielding support, but as a name-forming element, it should not be misunderstood as a descriptive or titular use for the divine. In English Bible translation traditions, 'Zuriel' is used as a transliterated form, but the meaning is not generally rendered—'Jew' as an English term has no relevance to the context or translation here. The name is not used outside genealogical/tribal contexts and carries no broader semantic development or additional meanings. Related names with this formation include names like Eliezer ('El is help') or Zurishaddai, sharing a similar naming convention. The root 'צור' therein contributes only the metaphorical base for the theophoric expression, distinct from the concrete use in geographical or poetic settings elsewhere in the Hebrew Bible.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from צוּר and אֵל; rock of God; Tsuriel, an Israelite; Zuriel.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
צור (ṣ-w-r) — to bind, to enclose, to form rock, to be a rock; rock, cliff, steadfastness
| 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
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H6700-01 |
צוּרִיאֵ֖ל | tsuriel | HNp |
Zuriel | My-Rock-is-El | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 total occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H6700-01 |
Numbers 3:35 | צוּרִיאֵ֖ל | tsuriel | HNp |
Zuriel | My-Rock-is-El |