Lexical Summary
tsedah: Provision, food, supplies
Original Word:צֵידָה
Part of Speech:Noun Feminine
Transliteration:tseydah
Pronunciation:tseh-daw'
Phonetic Spelling:(tsay-daw')
KJV: meat, provision, venison, victuals
NASB:provisions, food
Word Origin:[feminine ofH6718 (צַּיִד - Game)]
1. food
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
meat, provision, venison, victuals
Or tsedah {tsay-daw'}; feminine oftsayid; food -- meat, provision, venison, victuals.
see HEBREWtsayid
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom the same as
tsayidDefinitionprovision, food
NASB Translationfood (2), provisions (7).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
id.; — absolute
Joshua 9:11 2t.,
Genesis 42:25 + 5t.; —
provision for journey, march,
Genesis 42:25;
Genesis 45:21;
Exodus 12:39 (all E),
Joshua 1:11 (D),
Joshua 9:11 (JE),
Judges 7:8 (text dubious compare GFM),
Judges 20:10;
1 Samuel 22:10;
supply of foodPsalm 78:25. —Genesis 27:3 see I. , below .Topical Lexicon
Essential Ideaצֵידָה denotes travel provisions—food and supplies gathered in advance for a journey or military campaign. Each occurrence pictures people on the move, whether patriarchs, pilgrims, soldiers, fugitives, or an entire nation, and highlights the tension between human preparation and God’s sustaining hand.
Survey of Biblical Occurrences
•Genesis 27:3 – Isaac asks Esau to “hunt me game,” reminding the patriarchal family that a successful journey (even from the field back home) depends on food secured beforehand.
•Genesis 42:25; 45:21 – Joseph “gave them provisions for the journey,” an act of unexpected grace that mirrors later redemptive deliverance.
•Exodus 12:39 – At the Exodus the Israelites “had prepared no provisions” and so baked unleavened cakes, illustrating God’s haste‐demanding salvation.
•Joshua 1:11 – Joshua commands, “Prepare provisions, for within three days you will cross this Jordan,” coupling personal readiness with promised conquest.
•Joshua 9:5, 11 – The Gibeonites display moldy provisions to deceive Israel; failed discernment reminds leaders to test appearances.
•Judges 7:8 – Gideon keeps three hundred men who “took the provisions and the trumpets,” showing that victory depends on the Lord, not on bulk stores.
•Judges 20:10 – Israel organizes a supply corps, recognizing that righteous warfare requires orderly logistics.
•1 Samuel 22:10 – Ahimelech gives David provisions, an act of priestly kindness that provokes Saul yet prefigures Christ’s merciful supply to the rejected.
•Psalm 78:25 – “Man ate the bread of angels; He sent them food in abundance,” elevating צֵידָה from mere rations to heaven-sent nourishment.
Historical and Cultural Background
Travel in the Ancient Near East demanded forethought. Paths were long, inns scarce, and crops seasonal; without portable food a family, caravan, or army faced peril. Bread cakes, dried figs, roasted grain, and wine skins formed typical צֵידָה, easily carried yet sustaining. Military encampments also stockpiled provisions (Judges 20:10), while nomads like Esau combined foraging and hunting.
Theological Themes
1. Divine Provision in Human Hands
Although people prepare, God remains the ultimate source. Joseph’s generosity (Genesis 45:21) and manna’s angelic origin (Psalm 78:25) show that hands distribute what heaven supplies.
2. Urgency of Salvation
Exodus 12:39 portrays deliverance too swift for adequate packing. Redemption by grace often interrupts normal preparation, forcing reliance on God after the initial step of faith.
3. Faith-Filled Readiness
Joshua 1:11 balances promise and planning. Believers trust God for victory yet still bake the bread, fill the skins, and sharpen the swords—a partnership expressed through obedient readiness.
4. Discernment Against Deception
The dry, crumbled provisions of the Gibeonites (Joshua 9) reveal how counterfeit evidence can sway leaders who neglect prayerful inquiry.
5. Spiritual Sustenance
Psalm 78 connects physical provisions with spiritual nourishment, anticipating Jesus Christ, the true “bread of life.” Earthly rations point beyond themselves to God’s sustaining Word.
Ministry Implications
• Missions and Church Planting – Adequate planning (financial, logistical, prayer) honorsJoshua 1:11, yet teams must depend on the Lord when plans prove inadequate, echoingExodus 12:39.
• Benevolence – Joseph’s example legitimizes tangible aid; congregations should supply travelers, refugees, and the persecuted with modern צֵידָה (“support for their journey”).
• Leadership Discernment – TheJoshua 9 incident warns elders to test accounts and consult God before covenanting with partners.
• Worship – Remembering manna encourages gratitude at the Lord’s Table, where believers receive heavenly bread that never molds.
Christological Reflection
Just as Joseph furnished his brothers, so Christ “sends” His disciples with what they need (Luke 22:35). Manna inPsalm 78 foreshadows Jesus’ self-revelation: “For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world” (John 6:33). Temporal rations thus lead to eternal sustenance found in Him.
Practical Counsel
Prepare wisely, depend wholly, give generously, test carefully, and feed daily on the true bread. When both pantry and heart carry God-given צֵידָה, every believer can cross Jordan, rout Midian, aid the needy, and journey homeward under the Shepherd’s care.
Forms and Transliterations
וְצֵידָ֖ה וצידה צֵדָ֖ה צֵדָה֩ צֵידָ֑ה צֵידָ֔ם צֵידָ֬ה צֵידָה֙ צָֽיִד׃ צדה ציד׃ צידה צידם ṣā·yiḏ ṣāyiḏ ṣê·ḏāh ṣê·ḏām ṣêḏāh ṣêḏām Tzayid tzeDah tzeiDah tzeiDam vetzeiDah wə·ṣê·ḏāh wəṣêḏāh
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