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צִיבָא

𐤑𐤉𐤁𐤀

Tsiva

H6717 noun

SILEX Entry

Root צ-ב-א to station, set, arrange, serve

Definition

Proper name; servant or steward of the household of Saul, later associated with Mephibosheth and David. Not a common noun but a personal name designating a specific individual in the Davidic narrative. The semantic range is limited exclusively to this individual's role as a character in the historical account.

Semantic Range

proper name for a servant associated with Saul's household; not a common noun or term; limited to personal name use in historical narrative

Root / Etymology

Derived from the root צבא (ts-b-ʼ), which can mean 'to station, set, arrange, or serve'. The formation likely reflects a nominal form meaning 'stationed one' or 'one set in place'. In the context of proper names, may emphasize a role or status, though the personal naming usage does not always preserve the literal sense. The word does not function as a general noun in biblical Hebrew, but as a proper name, its meaning may be suggestive of social or occupational status.

Historical & Contextual Notes

צִיבָא (Tsîybâʼ) appears exclusively in the books of Samuel as the name of a servant/slave and former steward belonging to the house of Saul, who becomes involved in the transfer of Saulide property to Mephibosheth under David. The term does not appear outside this narrative context and is not attested as a general noun or ethnonym elsewhere in the Tanakh. There is no evidence of the later English term 'Jew' ever being associated with Tsîybâʼ or his descendants, nor is there indication of non-Israelite ancestry, but the biblical account is silent on ethnic origins outside of his connection to Saul's household. In all biblical passages, the name is transliterated as 'Ziba' in traditional English Bibles, but this reflects later pronunciation conventions. The rendering 'Ziba' does not reflect a common noun or indicative title. The Septuagint transliterates the name as Σιβά (Siba).

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from the same as צוֹבָא; station; Tsiba, an Israelite; Ziba.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

צבא (ts-b-ʾ) — station, set, arrange, serve

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H6633 צָבָא the one mobilizing for service
H6634 צְבָא willing one
H6635 צָבָא in the organized host
H6640 צְבוּ determined purpose
H6648 צֶבַע host of

Word Forms

4 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H6717-02 צִיבָ֔א tsiva HNp Ziba Stationed-One 12
H6717-04 וְ/צִיבָ֗א vetsiva HC/Np and Ziba and Tsiva 2
H6717-01 לְ/צִבָ֔א letsiva HR/Np to Ziba to Stationed-One 1
H6717-03 וּ/לְ/צִיבָ֗א uletsiva HC/R/Np and to Ziba and to Tsiva 1

Occurrences in Scripture

16 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H6717-02 2 Samuel 9:2 צִיבָ֔א tsiva HNp Ziba Stationed-One
H6717-02 2 Samuel 9:2 צִיבָ֖א tsiva-2 HNp Ziba Stationed-One
H6717-02 2 Samuel 9:3 צִיבָא֙ tsiva HNp Ziba Stationed-One
H6717-02 2 Samuel 9:4 צִיבָא֙ tsiva HNp Ziba Stationed-One
H6717-02 2 Samuel 9:9 צִיבָ֛א tsiva HNp Ziba Stationed-One
H6717-03 2 Samuel 9:10 וּ/לְ/צִיבָ֗א uletsiva HC/R/Np and to Ziba and to Tsiva
H6717-02 2 Samuel 9:11 צִיבָא֙ tsiva HNp Ziba Stationed-One
H6717-02 2 Samuel 9:12 צִיבָ֔א tsiva HNp of Ziba Stationed-One
H6717-02 2 Samuel 16:1 צִיבָ֛א tsiva HNp Ziba Stationed-One
H6717-02 2 Samuel 16:2 צִיבָ֖א tsiva HNp Ziba Stationed-One
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