צָפַד
𐤑𐤐𐤃
tsâphad
H6821 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To adhere closely, cling, or stick together; primarily to join or attach oneself to another object or surface with the sense of close contact, but also extending idiomatically in some rare contexts to the idea of close association. The term is rarely attested and is generally used in a physical or metaphorical sense of adhesion or clinging.
Semantic Range
to adhere, to stick together, to cling, to remain joined, to be fastened, to be closely united physically
Root / Etymology
Root צ-פ-ד (צָפַד). The core meaning of the root is 'to stick, to cling, to adhere.' The verb derives from the idea of things becoming fastened or tightly joined together. This root is infrequent and does not develop a wide range of derived nouns or forms in biblical Hebrew.
Historical & Contextual Notes
צָפַד (tsâphad) appears very rarely in the Hebrew Bible, with only one clear attestation (Leviticus 1:17), where it describes the processing of a bird for the burnt offering, specifically referring to splitting but not dividing it entirely, implying keeping parts closely joined. The sense is consistently that of physically keeping together or adhering—unlike more commonly used roots such as דבק (dāvaq) which also means 'to cling' but is more frequent and often used in both physical and figurative senses. In post-biblical Hebrew or later usage, this root does not significantly develop. English translations typically use terms like 'not sever,' 'cleave,' or 'adhere,' but these do not always capture the physical technique described in Leviticus. The word is not used in reference to social or covenantal bonds, nor is it associated with the idiomatic uses found in other roots for clinging (such as דבק). There is no significant evidence of semantic shift after the biblical period.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
a primitive root; to adhere; cleave.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
צפד (ṣ-p-d) — to stick, to adhere, to cling
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H6821-01 |
צָפַ֤ד | tsafad | HVqp3ms |
has shriveled | he clung fast | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 total occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H6821-01 |
Lamentations 4:8 | צָפַ֤ד | tsafad | HVqp3ms |
has shriveled | he clung fast |