← H6863 H6865 →

צֹר

𐤑𐤓

tsôr

H6864 noun

SILEX Entry

Root צור to be hard, to press, to bind, to form, to be a rock

Definition

Tsôr denotes 'flint' or 'hard stone,' specifically a very hard, fine-grained siliceous stone typically used in antiquity for making tools, weapons, or implements. In context, it can refer more broadly to implements made from such stone, notably knives or blades used for cutting or ritual purposes. The term is primarily material in reference but by extension can refer to objects crafted from flint, especially those with practical or ritual use (such as circumcision knives).

Semantic Range

flint, hard stone, sharp stone, flint knife, blade made of flint, cutting implement made from flint

Root / Etymology

Derived from the root צוּר (tsûr), meaning 'to press, bind, form' or 'rock, stone.' The word emphasizes the character of being extremely hard and suited for producing sharp edges. Although directly connected to the root for 'rock,' צֹר specifies the type — flint, which is distinctly valued for its sharpness and suitability for crafting tools due to its hardness and conchoidal fracture.

Historical & Contextual Notes

צֹר is used in a limited set of contexts in the Hebrew Bible, most notably in Exodus 4:25 and Joshua 5:2-3, where flint knives are used for circumcision. The specific reference to flint emphasizes both the antiquity and the sharpness required for the task, underlining continuity with earlier custom even when metal was available in the Iron Age. The term is not used generically for all stones but retains a technical nuance — hard, sharp stones worked for specific uses. This differentiates it from general terms like אֶבֶן (ʼeven, 'stone') or סֶלַע (sela‘, 'rock' or 'crag'). Later English translations sometimes substitute 'sharp knife,' but the Hebrew specifies the material, not just the result. During the monarchic and post-exilic periods, metal implements predominated, but the use of צֹר in ritual contexts signaled intentional archaism or symbolism. The term does not carry religious, geographic, or ethnic connotations itself, and in English versions 'flint' or 'flint knife' is most accurate. In the Septuagint the term is rendered sometimes as 'stone knife' or equivalents, later tradition occasionally associates such implements with 'Jewish' rites, but this is anachronistic for biblical contexts.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from צוּר; a stone (as if pressed hard or to a point); (by implication, of use) a knife; flint, sharp stone.

Bantu Hebrew

No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.

+ Add Bantu Hebrew Word

Root Family

צור (ts-w-r) — hardness, pressing, binding, rock-forming

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H1049 בֵּית צוּר Rock
H4692 מָצוֹר in the siege
H4693 מָצוֹר besieged stronghold
H4694 מְצוּרָה the fortified places
H6676 צַוַּאר her nape

Word Forms

2 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H6864-02 צֹ֗ר tsor HNcmsa a flint flint stone 1
H6864-01 מִ/צֹּ֖ר mitsor HR/Ncmsa than flint from flint 1

Occurrences in Scripture

2 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H6864-02 Exodus 4:25 צֹ֗ר tsor HNcmsa a flint flint stone
H6864-01 Ezekiel 3:9 מִ/צֹּ֖ר mitsor HR/Ncmsa than flint from flint
← H6863 Hebrew Lexicon H6865 →