צָעַן
𐤑𐤏𐤍
tsâʻan
H6813 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To load up (typically referring to loading or burdening pack animals) for a journey; by extension, to set out, especially in the context of migration or relocation. The verb primarily denotes the act of preparing for departure, often involving the movement of households or groups using transported goods or animals, especially in pastoral contexts. In some contexts, it can allude to the process of decamping or breaking camp.
Semantic Range
to load (beasts) for travel, to pack up or burden with goods, to migrate (especially with flocks or households), to decamp, to relocate as a group
Root / Etymology
Root: צען. The root conveys the idea of loading or packing up, particularly with a view toward setting out or moving camp. Derived from a basic action involving burdening animals with goods (compare the related noun צֹאן, 'flock'), though the noun's semantic boundary is distinct. The verb is a primitive root and appears to be related through the semantic field of movement and transportation in pastoral life. No further etymological development is evident.
Historical & Contextual Notes
The verb צָעַן is very rare, only occurring in specific narrative or poetic contexts where the movement of a group—often nomadic or semi-nomadic pastoralists—is in view. It captures a central aspect of ancient Israelite and ancestral Canaanite life, where household and community mobility was common, especially among those engaged in herding flocks. It is distinct from more generic terms for 'to go' (הלך) or 'to journey' (נסע), with an emphasis specifically on the loaded preparation and the act of migration with baggage or possessions. English translations often render the term as 'migrate', 'depart', or even 'be taken down', but these may obscure the concrete imagery of loading or packing up for travel. The term does not carry technical or religious connotations, and its semantic range remains rooted in everyday life rather than liturgical or institutional use. Over time, with the move from nomadic to sedentary lifestyles, uses of this verb faded from post-exilic Hebrew, with later writings preferring more general movement verbs.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
a primitive root; to load up (beasts), i.e. to migrate; be taken down.
Bantu Hebrew
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צען (ṣ-ʿ-n) — to load, to pack up for travel, to migrate with baggage
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H6813-01 |
יִצְעָן֙ | yitsean | HVqi3ms |
be-taken-down | he will pack up for travel | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 total occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H6813-01 |
Isaiah 33:20 | יִצְעָן֙ | yitsean | HVqi3ms |
be-taken-down | he will pack up for travel |