Lexical Summary
tsach: Bright, clear, pure
Original Word:צַח
Part of Speech:Adjective
Transliteration:tsach
Pronunciation:tsakh
Phonetic Spelling:(tsakh)
KJV: clear, dry, plainly, white
NASB:dazzling, clearly, scorching
Word Origin:[fromH6705 (צָּחַח - whiter)]
1. dazzling, i.e. sunny, bright, (figuratively) evident
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
clear, dry, plainly, white
Fromtsachach; dazzling, i.e. Sunny, bright, (figuratively) evident -- clear, dry, plainly, white.
see HEBREWtsachach
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom
tsachachDefinitiondazzling, glowing, clear
NASB Translationclearly (1), dazzling (2), scorching (1).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
; —
Isaiah 18:4glowing heat;
Jeremiah 4:11glowing wind;
Songs 5:10my beloved is dazzling (white) and ruddy (compare
Lamentations 4:7); feminine plural
Isaiah 32:4to speak clear (words),
clearly.
Topical Lexicon
Overviewצַח conveys an idea of brightness, clarity, or dazzling whiteness that can be either pleasantly radiant or fiercely searing. Its four appearances range through poetry, prophecy, and lament, allowing the word to illuminate themes of beauty, revelation, and judgment.
Occurrences
1. Song of Songs 5:10 – the Shulammite extols her beloved as “dazzling and ruddy.”
2.Isaiah 18:4 – the LORD observes the nations “like clear heat in sunshine.”
3.Isaiah 32:4 – the promised renewal includes a tongue that “will speak clearly and fluently.”
4.Jeremiah 4:11 – a coming judgment is compared to “a scorching wind from the barren heights.”
Literary Background and Imagery
Song of Songs places צַח in the intimate realm of marital love. The bride sees her bridegroom as radiantly set apart, a portrait of covenantal devotion. The prophets Isaiah and Jeremiah employ the same word to convey very different moods. Isaiah juxtaposes quiet divine observation with the relentless glare of midsummer heat, while Jeremiah paints a parched, withering wind pressing upon unrepentant Judah. InIsaiah 32 the clarity belongs to speech—a reversal of Babel-like confusion when righteousness reigns.
Taken together, the word functions as a chiaroscuro: the glistening highlight that defines form whether in tenderness, revelation, or wrath. The brightness may attract or scorch, depending on one’s stance toward God.
Theological Themes
Purity and Excellence
Song of Songs 5:10 connects dazzling radiance with excellence “among ten thousand,” anticipating language later used of the Messiah whose purity is unsurpassed (Hebrews 7:26). The moral brilliance of David’s greater Son stands out within the human throng.
Revelatory Clarity
Isaiah 32:4 promises a day when hesitant tongues will speak “clearly,” pointing toward restored comprehension under righteous leadership. With the advent of Pentecost (Acts 2:4-11) clarity of speech becomes a sign of the Spirit’s outpouring.
Divine Surveillance and Timing
Isaiah 18:4 describes the LORD quietly watching “like clear heat.” The intensity is present, but restrained until the harvest moment. The imagery endorses the doctrine of divine patience: judgment is certain, yet executed in perfect timing (2 Peter 3:9-10).
Judgment’s Scorching Heat
Jeremiah’s “scorching wind” forecasts exile. The same brightness that exposes can also consume. Scripture thus holds together goodness and severity (Romans 11:22). צַח becomes a verbal bridge between gracious illumination and righteous retribution.
Christological Foreshadowing
The beloved who is “dazzling and ruddy” embodies a type: radiant in purity, yet marked by blood-like ruddy coloration, reminiscent of the Lamb “who loved us and released us from our sins by His blood” (Revelation 1:5). The juxtaposition of brightness and sacrificial redness invites contemplation of the transfigured Christ, whose garments became “white as light” (Matthew 17:2) even as He moved inexorably toward the cross.
Practical and Ministry Applications
Personal Holiness
Believers are summoned to “walk in the light” (1 John 1:7), cultivating a life that reflects the dazzling purity hinted by צַח. Confession and repentance keep spiritual vision unclouded.
Preaching and Teaching
Isaiah 32:4 encourages communicators of the Word to pursue clear, fluent proclamation. Clarity is not a mere stylistic preference but a promised fruit of the Spirit’s restorative work.
Pastoral Care Amid Suffering
Jeremiah 4:11 alerts shepherds that seasons of searing trial can be divinely appointed. The scorching wind, though painful, separates husk from grain, driving the flock toward deeper reliance on grace.
Missional Watchfulness
Isaiah 18:4 models patient observation of God’s unfolding plan among the nations. Ministry leaders can emulate this posture—vigilant, prayerful, trusting the Lord of the harvest to act in His time.
In every context, צַח reminds the reader that divine light both beautifies and judges, calling the faithful to embrace the radiance of Christ and to reflect it into a darkened world.
Forms and Transliterations
צַ֤ח צַח֙ צָחֽוֹת׃ צח צחות׃ ṣā·ḥō·wṯ ṣaḥ ṣāḥōwṯ tzach tzaChot
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