צְרֵדָה

𐤑𐤓𐤃𐤄

Tseredah

H6868 noun

SILEX Entry

Root צרד (uncertain: possibly to pierce, but root is otherwise unattested)

Definition

Proper name of a location, rendered as 'Tseredah' or 'Zeredah', referring to a specific town or settlement in ancient Israelite territory. The word functions as a toponym and does not have a lexical meaning beyond place identification. Its semantic range is limited to the identification of this geographical location, commonly mentioned as the native town of Jeroboam son of Nebat.

Semantic Range

proper name of a town, toponym used as a place of origin, possibly an industrial center linked to bronze casting

Root / Etymology

The word is possibly derived from the root צרד ('to pierce'), but this root is not attested elsewhere in the Hebrew Bible, and the etymology remains uncertain. The form is consistent with place-names in Hebrew that end with feminine -ָה (ah) or extended -ָתָה (atah), often indicating geographical locations, but this does not provide additional semantic detail.

Historical & Contextual Notes

צְרֵדָה (Tseredah/Zeredah) appears in 1 Kings 11:26 as the birthplace of Jeroboam son of Nebat, an Ephraimite. The variant form צְרֵדָתָה (Tseredathah) appears only in 2 Chronicles 4:17, but likely refers to the same location or region involved in Solomon's temple vessels' casting. English translations have at times rendered these as Zereda or Zeredathah. The association of the name with 'piercing' is based purely on possible root resemblance; there is no narrative or descriptive evidence supporting this connection. The town's exact location has not been conclusively identified archaeologically. In ancient Israelite territorial context, place-names like צְרֵדָה often carried etymological meanings, yet in this instance, the semantic content is opaque and the site is referenced primarily as a point of origin or industrial activity (copper/bronze casting). Later Greek and Latin translations transliterated the name without further explanation since the name lost semantic transparency in subsequent periods. Standard translations present the name as a simple geographical marker.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

or צְרֵדָתָה; apparently from an unused root meaning to pierce; puncture; Tseredah, a place in Palestine; Zereda, Zeredathah.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

צרד (ṣ-r-d) — (uncertain) possibly pierce, puncture

Word Forms

2 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H6868-02 צְרֵדָֽתָ/ה tseredatah HNp/Sd Zeredah Tseredah 1
H6868-01 הַ/צְּרֵדָ֗ה hatseredah HTd/Np Zeredah the Tseredah 1

Occurrences in Scripture

2 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H6868-01 1 Kings 11:26 הַ/צְּרֵדָ֗ה hatseredah HTd/Np Zeredah the Tseredah
H6868-02 2 Chronicles 4:17 צְרֵדָֽתָ/ה tseredatah HNp/Sd Zeredah Tseredah