צַמָּה
𐤑𐤌𐤄
tsammâh
H6777 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A type of head covering, veil, or headdress often worn by women, sometimes referring specifically to braided or plaited hair wrapped or arranged in a covering fashion. The term can denote both a textile veil or the arrangement of hair itself, particularly when it is styled or bound as a head covering.
Semantic Range
veil, headdress, covering for the head, braided or plaited hair, locks of hair arranged as a covering
Root / Etymology
Root: צמם (tsamam), likely meaning 'to bind, to wrap, to fasten,' though the root is not attested elsewhere in Biblical Hebrew. The noun צַמָּה (tsammâh) is derived from this root, with sense development toward physical objects used for binding or covering the head, such as veils or braided hair arrangements.
Historical & Contextual Notes
The word צַמָּה occurs rarely in the Hebrew Bible (e.g. Song of Songs 4:1, 6:7), where it refers either to the locks of hair—specifically styled or braided—or to the veil covering the head. The exact distinction between textile veil and hair arrangement may not always be clear from context, as both can carry connotations of beauty, modesty, or social status. Later translations sometimes render this word as 'locks' or 'veil,' but the usage in ancient Israelite society suggests an overlap between hair styling and veiling practices. In post-biblical Hebrew, related terms focus more on the concept of tying or binding rather than covering specifically. The English 'veil' does not fully capture the nuance of braided or arranged hair represented here. The word does not occur in contexts related to later Jewish religious head coverings.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from an unused root meaning to fasten on; a veil; locks.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been recorded for this word yet.
Root Family
צמם (tsammâh) — to fasten, bind, wrap
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H6777-01 |
לְ/צַמָּתֵ֑/ךְ | letsamatekhe | HR/Ncfsc/Sp2fs |
your veil | to your bound head-covering | your veil | 3 |
H6777-02 |
צַמָּתֵ֧/ךְ | tsamatekhe | HNcfsc/Sp2fs |
your veil | your bound headdress | your bound headdress | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
4 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H6777-02 |
Isaiah 47:2 | צַמָּתֵ֧/ךְ | tsamatekhe | HNcfsc/Sp2fs |
your veil | your bound headdress | your bound headdress |
H6777-01 |
Song of Songs 4:1 | לְ/צַמָּתֵ֑/ךְ | letsamatekhe | HR/Ncfsc/Sp2fs |
your veil | to your bound head-covering | your bound head-covering |
H6777-01 |
Song of Songs 4:3 | לְ/צַמָּתֵֽ/ךְ | letsamatekhe | HR/Ncfsc/Sp2fs |
your veil | to your bound head-covering | your veil |
H6777-01 |
Song of Songs 6:7 | לְ/צַמָּתֵֽ/ךְ | letsamatekhe | HR/Ncfsc/Sp2fs |
your veil | to your bound head-covering | your veil |