צָמַח (H6779) — Hebrew Lexicon

צָמַח

𐤑𐤌𐤇

tsâmach

H6779 verb

SILEX Entry

Root צמח to sprout, to grow, to cause to grow, to spring forth

Definition

To sprout, grow, or bring forth new growth, especially of plants or vegetation; by extension, to originate or arise, whether of physical, metaphorical, or prophetic realities. The verb is used for literal plant growth, for causing something to grow or develop, and metaphorically for the emergence of new circumstances, prosperity, or individuals (e.g., leaders or descendants).

Semantic Range

to sprout, to grow up (of plants, crops, grass), to cause to grow (produce plants), to emerge or rise (metaphorically of people, events), to cause to bring forth, to bud, to prosper, to bring forth a leader or descendant

Root / Etymology

From the root צמח, which fundamentally means 'to sprout' or 'to grow plants.' The root underlies nouns for sprout, bud, and offspring. The verb form represents the process of sprouting, either as an intransitive action (subject grows) or transitive (subject causes something to grow).

Historical & Contextual Notes

In Biblical Hebrew, צָמַח primarily describes vegetative growth—plants, trees, grass, or crops emerging from the earth (e.g., Genesis 2:5-9; Psalm 104:14). It is also used metaphorically to describe people or events arising (Isaiah 61:11). In prophetic and poetic texts, צָמַח is notably employed to signify the rise or emergence of a person of significance, such as a future leader or descendant (e.g., Jeremiah 33:15, Zechariah 6:12, where the term 'Branch'—צֶמַח—becomes a technical term for a promised figure). English translations often use 'spring up,' 'grow,' or 'bear,' but sometimes render metaphorical senses with terms like 'raise up' or 'bring forth.' The core image is that of organic emergence from hiddenness or dormancy. In later Hebrew (post-biblical), the root continues to be productive, retaining its basic senses but also broadening to abstract uses ('prosper,' 'develop'). The word is distinct from other verbs of fertility or production (such as יָצָא, 'to go out, come forth'), in keeping its focus on organic, often incremental emergence rather than sudden birth or origin.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a primitive root; to sprout (transitive or intransitive, literal or figurative); bear, bring forth, (cause to, make to) bud (forth), (cause to, make to) grow (again, up), (cause to) spring (forth, up).

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Root Family

צמח (ṣ-m-ḥ) — to sprout, to grow, to cause to grow, to spring forth

Strong's	Lemma	SIBI-P1
H6780	צֶמַח	like a sprout of

Word Forms

21 distinct forms

SIDANCE	Surface	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	Occurrences
`H6779-06`	תַּצְמִ֣יחַֽ	tatsemicha	`HVhi3fs`	causes to spring up	she will cause to sprout	4
`H6779-20`	יִצְמָ֑ח	yitsemach	`HVqi3ms`	he-will-branch-out	he will sprout	3
`H6779-01`	אַצְמִ֥יחַ	atsemicha	`HVhi1cs`	I will cause to sprout	I will cause to sprout	3
`H6779-07`	תִצְמָ֔ח	titsemach	`HVqi3fs`	it will spring forth	she will sprout	3
`H6779-19`	יְצַמַּ֥ח	yetsamach	`HVpi3ms`	grow	he causes to sprout	2
`H6779-12`	צֹמְח֖וֹת	tsomechot	`HVqrfpa`	sprang up	sprouting ones	2
`H6779-18`	יַצְמִֽיחַ	yatsemicha	`HVhi3ms`	he make grow	he will cause to sprout	2
`H6779-17`	וְ/צָמְח֖וּ	vetsamechu	`HC/Vqq3cp`	and they will spring up	and they sprouted	1
`H6779-03`	הַ/צֹּמֵ֥חַ	hatsomecha	`HTd/Vqrmsa`	growing	the sprouting one	1
`H6779-15`	וַ/יִּצְמַ֡ח	vayitsemach	`HC/Vqw3ms`	and it sprouted	and he sprouted	1
`H6779-16`	וְ/הִצְמִיחָ֑/הּ	vehitsemichah	`HC/Vhq3ms/Sp3fs`	and sprout it	and he caused her to sprout	1
`H6779-08`	תִּצְמַ֖חְנָה	titsemachenah	`HVqi3fp`	they spring forth	they will sprout	1
`H6779-10`	צִמֵּ֔חַ	tsimecha	`HVpp3ms`	grew	he caused to sprout	1
`H6779-09`	צָֽמַח	tsamach	`HVqp3ms`	has grown	he sprouted	1
`H6779-11`	צוֹמֵ֥חַ	tsomecha	`HVqrmsc`		sprouting one	1
`H6779-21`	יִצְמָֽחוּ	yitsemachu	`HVqi3mp`	will spring up	they will sprout	1
`H6779-13`	וּ֝/לְ/הַצְמִ֗יחַ	ulehatsemicha	`HC/R/Vhc`	and to cause to sprout	and to cause to sprout	1
`H6779-02`	הַ/מַּצְמִ֖יחַ	hamatsemicha	`HTd/Vhrmsa`	who makes grow	the one causing to sprout	1
`H6779-04`	לְ/צַמֵּ֖חַ	letsamecha	`HR/Vpc`	to grow	to cause to sprout	1
`H6779-05`	מַצְמִ֤יחַ	matsemicha	`HVhrmsa`	causing-to-grow	one causing to grow	1
`H6779-14`	וַ/יַּצְמַ֞ח	vayatsemach	`HC/Vhw3ms`	and caused to grow	and he made sprout	1

Occurrences in Scripture

33 total occurrences

SIDANCE	Reference	Word	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1
`H6779-20`	Genesis 2:5	יִצְמָ֑ח	yitsemach	`HVqi3ms`	sprouted	he will sprout
`H6779-14`	Genesis 2:9	וַ/יַּצְמַ֞ח	vayatsemach	`HC/Vhw3ms`	and caused to grow	and he made sprout
`H6779-06`	Genesis 3:18	תַּצְמִ֣יחַֽ	tatsemicha	`HVhi3fs`	it shall bring forth	she will cause to sprout
`H6779-12`	Genesis 41:6	צֹמְח֖וֹת	tsomechot	`HVqrfpa`	sprouted/grew up	sprouting ones
`H6779-12`	Genesis 41:23	צֹמְח֖וֹת	tsomechot	`HVqrfpa`	sprang up	sprouting ones
`H6779-03`	Exodus 10:5	הַ/צֹּמֵ֥חַ	hatsomecha	`HTd/Vqrmsa`	growing	the sprouting one
`H6779-09`	Leviticus 13:37	צָֽמַח	tsamach	`HVqp3ms`	has grown	he sprouted
`H6779-06`	Deuteronomy 29:22	תַצְמִ֔חַ	tatsemicha	`HVhi3fs`	grows	she will cause to sprout
`H6779-04`	Judges 16:22	לְ/צַמֵּ֖חַ	letsamecha	`HR/Vpc`	to grow	to cause to sprout
`H6779-19`	2 Samuel 10:5	יְצַמַּ֥ח	yetsamach	`HVpi3ms`	grow	he causes to sprout
`H6779-18`	2 Samuel 23:5	יַצְמִֽיחַ	yatsemicha	`HVhi3ms`	he make grow	he will cause to sprout
`H6779-08`	Isaiah 42:9	תִּצְמַ֖חְנָה	titsemachenah	`HVqi3fp`	they spring forth	they will sprout
`H6779-07`	Isaiah 43:19	תִצְמָ֔ח	titsemach	`HVqi3fs`	it will spring forth	she will sprout
`H6779-17`	Isaiah 44:4	וְ/צָמְח֖וּ	vetsamechu	`HC/Vqq3cp`	and they will spring up	and they sprouted
`H6779-06`	Isaiah 45:8	תַצְמִ֨יחַ֙	tatsemicha	`HVhi3fs`	spring up	she will cause to sprout
`H6779-16`	Isaiah 55:10	וְ/הִצְמִיחָ֑/הּ	vehitsemichah	`HC/Vhq3ms/Sp3fs`	and sprout it	and he caused her to sprout
`H6779-07`	Isaiah 58:8	תִצְמָ֑ח	titsemach	`HVqi3fs`	will spring forth	she will sprout
`H6779-06`	Isaiah 61:11	תַצְמִ֑יחַ	tatsemicha	`HVhi3fs`	causes to spring up	she will cause to sprout
`H6779-18`	Isaiah 61:11	יַצְמִ֤יחַ	yatsemicha	`HVhi3ms`	will cause to spring up	he will cause to sprout
`H6779-01`	Jeremiah 33:15	אַצְמִ֥יחַ	atsemicha	`HVhi1cs`	I will cause to sprout	I will cause to sprout
`H6779-10`	Ezekiel 16:7	צִמֵּ֔חַ	tsimecha	`HVpp3ms`	grew	he caused to sprout
`H6779-15`	Ezekiel 17:6	וַ/יִּצְמַ֡ח	vayitsemach	`HC/Vqw3ms`	and it sprouted	and he sprouted
`H6779-01`	Ezekiel 29:21	אַצְמִ֤יחַ	atsemicha	`HVhi1cs`	I will cause to sprout	I will cause to sprout
`H6779-20`	Zechariah 6:12	יִצְמָ֔ח	yitsemach	`HVqi3ms`	he-will-branch-out	he will sprout
`H6779-07`	Psalms 85:12	תִּצְמָ֑ח	titsemach	`HVqi3fs`	will sprout	she will sprout
`H6779-05`	Psalms 104:14	מַצְמִ֤יחַ	matsemicha	`HVhrmsa`	causing-to-grow	one causing to grow
`H6779-01`	Psalms 132:17	אַצְמִ֣יחַ	atsemicha	`HVhi1cs`	I will make sprout	I will cause to sprout
`H6779-02`	Psalms 147:8	הַ/מַּצְמִ֖יחַ	hamatsemicha	`HTd/Vhrmsa`	who makes grow	the one causing to sprout
`H6779-20`	Job 5:6	יִצְמַ֥ח	yitsemach	`HVqi3ms`	sprout	he will sprout
`H6779-21`	Job 8:19	יִצְמָֽחוּ	yitsemachu	`HVqi3mp`	will spring up	they will sprout
`H6779-13`	Job 38:27	וּ֝/לְ/הַצְמִ֗יחַ	ulehatsemicha	`HC/R/Vhc`	and to cause to sprout	and to cause to sprout
`H6779-11`	Ecclesiastes 2:6	צוֹמֵ֥חַ	tsomecha	`HVqrmsc`		sprouting one
`H6779-19`	1 Chronicles 19:5	יְצַמַּ֥ח	yetsamach	`HVpi3ms`	grows	he causes to sprout

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