Lexical Summary
tsad: Side, beside, alongside
Original Word:צַד
Part of Speech:Noun Masculine
Transliteration:tsad
Pronunciation:tsad
Phonetic Spelling:(tsad)
KJV: (be-)side
NASB:side, sides, arms, hip, side on sides, side to the other
Word Origin:[contr. from an unused root meaning to sidle off]
1. a side
2. (figuratively) an adversary
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
beside
Contr. From an unused root meaning to sidle off; a side; figuratively, an adversary -- (be-)side.
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom an unused word
Definitiona side
NASB Translationarms (1), beside* (4), hip (1), side (17), side on sides (1), side to the other (1), sides (7).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
Exodus 25:32 ; — absolute
Ezekiel 34:21;
Isaiah 60:4, construct
2 Samuel 2:16 +; suffix
Genesis 6:16 +, etc; for
1 Samuel 20:20 read (or ; compare Dr, > ); plural
Judges 2:3, read probably as
Numbers 33:55;
Joshua 23:13; construct
Exodus 26:13, etc.; —
side, of man
2 Samuel 2:16;
Numbers 33:55 (H)
Joshua 23:13 (D),
Judges 2:3 (probably read context as
Numbers 33:55 GFM; Dl
Pr 75 compare Assyrian
ƒaddu,
snare,
trap); of one lying
Ezekiel 4:4,6,9,
Ezekiel 4:8turn from side to side; children carried (i.e. probably on hip)
Isaiah 60:4;
Isaiah 66:12; of cattle
Ezekiel 34:12 (in figurative); of things
1 Samuel 20:20 (compare Dr),
Genesis 6:16;
Exodus 25:32 (3 t. in verse) =
Exodus 37:18 (3 t. in verse),
Exodus 26:13;
Exodus 30:4 =
Exodus 37:27,
Deuteronomy 31:26 (all P);
at the side of, with Genitive person
1 Samuel 20:25;
Ruth 2:14, so
Psalm 91:7; with Genitive of location
Joshua 3:16;
Joshua 12:9,
2 Samuel 13:34;
1 Samuel 23:26 bis
on this side of the hill and on
that side; with suffix of thing
1 Samuel 6:8.
Topical Lexicon
Overviewצַד (tsad, Strong’s 6654) denotes the “side” or “edge” of something—whether of sacred furniture, a building, a camp, a city, or the very land of Israel. The term occurs about thirty-three times across the Old Testament, often in technical descriptions that establish precise spatial relationships. Though seemingly mundane, the word frames critical theological truths: the holiness of God’s dwelling, the ordered life of His covenant people, and the assurance that the Lord positions Himself beside those who trust Him.
Distribution of Occurrences
• Exodus: 20 uses (largely in Tabernacle construction)
• Numbers: 5 uses (camp arrangement and city-of-refuge perimeters)
• Deuteronomy: 1 use
• 1 Samuel: 1 use
• 2 Chronicles: 1 use
• Nehemiah: 1 use
• Job: 1 use
• Ezekiel: 3 uses
Sacred Architecture and Furniture
The bulk of occurrences cluster inExodus 25–38, where meticulous blueprints for the Tabernacle rely on צַד to indicate exact placement:
• “Cast four gold rings for it and attach them to its four feet, two rings on one side and two on the other” (Exodus 25:12).
• “Insert the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark to carry it” (Exodus 25:14).
Each side is measured, mirrored, and sanctified. By specifying “side,” the text affirms that nothing in the divine dwelling is random; holiness embraces symmetry, order, and accessibility. Ministry today draws from this: God still calls His people to serve with precision, beauty, and reverence.
Boundary Markers in the Land
צַד frames the borders surrounding the Levitical cities of refuge:
“Measure two thousand cubits outside the city on the east side, two thousand on the south side, two thousand on the west side, and two thousand on the north side” (Numbers 35:5).
Israel’s inheritance was not an amorphous grant but a defined stewardship. Clear edges protect justice (cities of refuge), preserve inheritance, and remind modern readers that God-given domains—whether geographic, moral, or vocational—have discernible limits.
Camp Alignment and Community Order
In the wilderness, the tribes broke camp “each in position next to his banner” while the Levites and the Tabernacle remained “in the middle of the camps; whenever the camps set out, they would move out in the same order” (Numbers 2:17). Though צַד appears only implicitly here, Exodus’s repeated “on the one side … on the other side” language shapes the culture of ordered movement. The presence of God dwells at the center; life aligns at the sides. Christian ministry learns to let worship and mission orbit around God’s central presence rather than personal preference.
Warfare and Valor
1 Samuel 17:40 records David’s approach to Goliath: he “chose five smooth stones from the brook and put them in the pouch of his shepherd’s bag, and his sling was in his hand; then he approached the Philistine.” The phrase “from the brook” incorporates צַד to locate David at the side of the stream—an apparently trivial detail that underscores God’s sovereignty in the minutiae that precede great victories.
Temple Expansion
2 Chronicles 4:9 inventories the outer court Solomon built “on the right side of the temple.” The precise mention of side signals continuity with the Mosaic pattern: the later Temple remained congruent with the Tabernacle’s theology of spatial holiness.
Nehemiah’s Wall-Building
Nehemiah 12:38 references choirs that processed “by the Tower of the Ovens to the Broad Wall, then above the Gate of Ephraim, Jeshanah Gate, Fish Gate, Tower of Hananel, and the Tower of the Hundred, to the Sheep Gate; they stopped at the Gate of the Guard.” Tsad phrases appear to anchor the procession along one side of the wall, accenting covenantal joy in a restored boundary.
Poetic and Wisdom Literature
Job 18:12 personifies calamity: “His strength is famished, and calamity is ready at his side.” The “side” here portrays misfortune lurking adjacent to the wicked—a sobering counterpart to the believer’s assurance that “the Lord is at your side” (cf.Psalm 121:5, using a different Hebrew word but echoing the motif).
Prophetic Vision
Ezekiel 40–41 employs צַד in detailing side chambers and thresholds of the eschatological temple. The prophet’s vision of perfected worship turns on accurate lateral measurements, foreshadowing a future order where every “side” is consecrated to God’s glory.
Theological Motifs
1. Nearness: Whether describing the ark’s rings or a city perimeter, the term stresses proximity. God draws near, and His people draw near in orderly fashion.
2. Protection: A well-defined side protects the sanctum from encroachment and guards life within the camp.
3. Balance: Repeated left/right symmetry reflects God’s character—just, harmonious, without partiality.
4. Continuity: From Sinai to Solomon’s Temple to Ezekiel’s vision, identical vocabulary testifies to a single unfolding plan.
Ministry Implications
• Build With Intentionality: Precision in side measurements models deliberate ministry planning.
• Guard Boundaries: Healthy congregational life respects doctrinal and moral edges, shielding holiness.
• Value Proximity: Serve “alongside” one another; discipleship thrives when leaders walk close to those they teach.
• Celebrate Symmetry: Order in worship and governance mirrors the ordered beauty of God’s dwelling.
Christological Reflections
At Calvary the spear pierced the side of Jesus (John 19:34, Greek pleura). The Gospel’s climactic wound recalls Old Testament “sides” where sacrifice, presence, and boundary converged. From Tabernacle panels to the pierced Messiah, Scripture proclaims that God opens His side so sinners may draw near.
Conclusion
צַד may appear to be a mere blueprint term, yet its consistent testimony is that every dimension of sacred space—and of covenant life—rests under God’s sovereign design. Wherever the Lord appoints a “side,” He is declaring closeness, protection, and order. Modern believers, confronted by shifting cultural boundaries, find in צַד a quiet summons to live, serve, and worship within the divinely drawn lines—confident that the One who dwells in the midst also stands faithfully at their side.
Forms and Transliterations
בְּצִדֵּיכֶ֑ם בְּצִדֵּיכֶם֙ בְּצִדָּ֣הּ בְּצַ֣ד בְּצַ֤ד בצד בצדה בצדיכם לְצִדִּ֔ים לצדים מִֽצִּדְּךָ֙ מִצִּדְּךָ֨ ׀ מִצִּדֶּ֑יהָ מִצִּדָּ֖הּ מִצִּדָּהּ֙ מִצִּדּ֑וֹ מִצַּ֛ד מִצַּ֣ד מִצַּ֤ד מִצַּ֥ד מצד מצדה מצדו מצדיה מצדך צִדְּךָ֗ צִדְּךָ֣ צִדְּךָ֤ צִדֵּ֧י צִדֶּ֔ךָ צִדָּ֑יו צִדָּ֣ה צַ֥ד צַד֙ צד צדה צדי צדיו צדך bə·ṣaḏ bə·ṣid·dāh bə·ṣid·dê·ḵem bəṣaḏ bəṣiddāh bəṣiddêḵem beTzad betzidDah betziddeiChem lə·ṣid·dîm ləṣiddîm letzidDim miṣ·ṣaḏ miṣ·ṣid·dāh miṣ·ṣid·de·hā miṣ·ṣid·də·ḵā miṣ·ṣid·dōw miṣṣaḏ miṣṣiddāh miṣṣiddehā miṣṣiddəḵā miṣṣiddōw mitzTzad mitztzidDah mitztziddeCha mitztzidDeiha mitztzidDo ṣaḏ ṣid·dāh ṣid·dāw ṣid·dê ṣid·de·ḵā ṣid·də·ḵā ṣiddāh ṣiddāw ṣiddê ṣiddeḵā ṣiddəḵā tzad tzidDah tzidDav tziddeCha tzidDei
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