צֵן
𐤑𐤍
tsên
H6791 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A specific kind of thorny plant, likely referring to a species of cactus, thistle, or related spiny shrub native to arid regions. In some contexts, used as a place name designating a location characterized by such vegetation or arid environment.
Semantic Range
thorn, prickly plant, cactus-like shrub; place name designating a region characterized by such vegetation
Root / Etymology
From the root צן (tsel), meaning uncertain; likely related to the idea of being sharp or prickly, but the specific root is otherwise unattested in Hebrew. Derived as a noun describing a prickly plant or thorn.
Historical & Contextual Notes
צֵן (tsên) appears rarely in the Hebrew Bible, notable in Joshua 15:3 as the name of a boundary point for the tribal allotments in the southern region near the wilderness of Zin. The precise identification is debated; reference is likely to a region marked by thorny, arid brush or a prominent landmark of desert vegetation. The word's root is otherwise unused, making etymological certainty difficult; later Hebrew uses different terms (e.g., קוֹץ, דרדר) for 'thorn' and related plants. English translations often render it as 'thorns' or, less accurately, as a cactus-hedge, though the botanical species in mind is not clear. The place name is not to be confused with צִן (Zin), a desert region, though the two are geographically and terminologically related. The term lacks religious connotation or later Judean/Jewish associations; its use is descriptive of geography and vegetation during the territorial period of Israelite settlement.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from an unused root meaning to be prickly; a thorn; hence, a cactus-hedge; thorn.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
צן (ṣ-n) — prickliness, sharpness, thorniness
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H6790 | צִן | Tsin |
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H6791-01 |
מִ/צִּנִּ֥ים | mitsinim | HR/Ncmpa |
from thorns | from prickly shrubs | 1 |
H6791-02 |
צִנִּ֣ים | tsinim | HNcmpa |
thorns | prickly shrubs | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H6791-02 |
Proverbs 22:5 | צִנִּ֣ים | tsinim | HNcmpa |
thorns | prickly shrubs |
H6791-01 |
Job 5:5 | מִ/צִּנִּ֥ים | mitsinim | HR/Ncmpa |
from thorns | from prickly shrubs |