Lexical Summary
tsaah: Filth, excrement, dung
Original Word:צָעָה
Part of Speech:Verb
Transliteration:tsa`ah
Pronunciation:tsaw-aw'
Phonetic Spelling:(tsaw-aw')
KJV: captive exile, travelling, (cause to) wander(-er)
NASB:exile, lain down, marching, tip, tip him over
Word Origin:[a primitive root]
1. to tip over (for the purpose of spilling or pouring out)
2. (figuratively) to depopulate
3. (by implication) to imprison or conquer
4. (reflexively) to lie down (for coitus)
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
captive exile, travelling, cause to wanderer
A primitive root; to tip over (for the purpose of spilling or pouring out), i.e. (figuratively) depopulate; by implication, to imprison or conquer; (reflexive) to lie down (for coitus) -- captive exile, travelling, (cause to) wander(-er).
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origina prim. root
Definitionto stoop, bend, incline
NASB Translationexile (1), lain down (1), marching (1), tip (1), tip him over (1).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
[] (Arabic
(
,
)
incline, lean, compare also
); —
Participle
Isaiah 51:14one stooping (under a burden),Isaiah 63:1bending (forward or backward; from abundant strength), but read probablymarching (Lo Gr Che Du Di-Kit and others); feminineJeremiah 2:20 (in sensu obscoeno).
transitive (=
q. v.) pluralJeremiah 48:12men inclining, tipping a vessel, to empty it.
Perfect3plural suffixJeremiah 48:12 I will send tippersand they shall tip him over (Moab, under figure of vessel).
Topical Lexicon
Root Ideaצָעָה gathers around the picture of something bent or tilted from its upright position. From that physical image, the word is applied to (1) a person forced down into captivity, (2) a majestic figure leaning forward in purposeful stride, (3) a person sprawled in immoral abandon, and (4) vessels tilted so that their contents are poured out. Each nuance retains the core thought of a change in posture—either downward in humiliation or forward in determined action.
Occurrences and Contexts
1.Isaiah 51:14 – Judah as “the captive” whose body is bowed in chains but who is promised speedy release: “The captive will soon be freed; he will not die in the dungeon, and his bread will not be lacking.”
2.Isaiah 63:1 – The conquering Messiah “splendid in His apparel, striding in the greatness of His strength,” leaning forward as one advancing in victory.
3.Jeremiah 2:20 – Faithless Israel “lay down like a prostitute” on every high place, a posture of moral surrender.
4.Jeremiah 48:12 (twice) – Moab’s wine jars are “tilted” by divine agents so that what is treasured is poured away in judgment.
Historical Thread
• Assyrian oppression (eighth–seventh centuries BC) supplied the immediate backdrop forIsaiah 51:14. Political captivity illustrated spiritual bondage, and release by Cyrus prefigured messianic redemption.
•Isaiah 63:1 belongs to the eschatological vision of a victorious Redeemer coming from Edom. The word paints a military champion pressing forward, not bowed but inclined in purposeful motion.
• Jeremiah addresses Judah (chapter 2) and then Moab (chapter 48) on the brink of Babylonian domination. Both peoples would be bent low—Judah for covenant infidelity, Moab for arrogant ease.
Theological Themes
Humiliation and Liberation
The term highlights the contrast between enforced bowing (Isaiah 51:14) and the Lord’s pledge of deliverance. The gospel pattern is clear: humanity bowed under sin, Christ freeing the prisoners (Luke 4:18).
Majesty in Motion
Isaiah 63:1 shows that “bending” need not denote weakness. The Servant-Warrior leans into His stride, emphasizing decisive power. The same root that pictures bondage also magnifies glory when God is the subject.
Spiritual Harlotry
Jeremiah 2:20 connects the body stretched out on pagan altars with the heart stretched away from God. The bowed posture becomes a moral parable: what the body does in secret reflects the soul’s submission to false gods.
Judgment by Pouring Out
Jeremiah 48:12 twice uses the participle for “tilters.” Moab’s vessels are forcibly inclined until empty. The prophetic image anticipates the final outpouring of wrath when every proud thing will be laid low (Revelation 16).
Ministry Significance
Pastoral Consolation
• Encourage believers who feel “bent double” by oppression that “the captive will soon be freed” (Isaiah 51:14).
• Stress that God not only promises escape but sustenance: “his bread will not be lacking.”
Moral Exhortation
• Warn against spiritual complacency that leads to the sprawled posture ofJeremiah 2:20. Private compromise soon becomes public shame.
Christ-Centered Proclamation
• PreachIsaiah 63:1 as a portrait of the ascended Christ returning in glory. The bowed captives of chapter 51 meet the bent-forward Champion of chapter 63; liberation is secured by His advance.
Eschatological Sobriety
•Jeremiah 48:12 teaches that what is not willingly poured out in worship will be forcibly poured out in judgment. Invite hearers to “present your bodies as a living sacrifice” now (Romans 12:1) rather than face compelled emptying later.
Key Insights for Study and Teaching
• One Hebrew root can illuminate both abasement and majesty; context, not the lexicon alone, must guide exposition.
• Physical posture in Scripture often mirrors spiritual condition. Ask: What does this text say about the heart that corresponds to the body’s position?
• Prophetic imagery is multi-layered—historical, moral, and Christological. Trace each layer to avoid reductive readings.
Summary
צָעָה depicts the bending of persons and objects—sometimes through oppression, sometimes through voluntary surrender, sometimes through divine judgment, and supremely in the purposeful stride of the Redeemer. The word calls God’s people to move from forced humiliation to willing humility, from being poured out in judgment to pouring themselves out in worship, and finally to stand upright in the liberty secured by the One “mighty to save.”
Forms and Transliterations
וְצֵעֻ֑הוּ וצעהו צֹעִ֖ים צֹעֶ֖ה צֹעָ֥ה צעה צעים ṣō‘āh ṣō‘eh ṣō‘îm ṣō·‘āh ṣō·‘eh ṣō·‘îm tzoAh tzoEh tzoIm vetzeUhu wə·ṣê·‘u·hū wəṣê‘uhū
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