צֵאָה
tsa.ah
excrement
Lexicon Entry
Lexicon data from STEPBible TIPNR, Tyndale House, Cambridge. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.
What Original Readers Understood
ExploredThe Hebrew word "צֵאָה" (tsa.ah) is defined as "excrement." This term appears three times in the Bible, conveying a basic and straightforward meaning. Its usage is limited to referring to human waste, indicating a focus on the physical and practical aspects of human biology. The significance of this word lies in its role as a descriptive term for human waste, highlighting the physical realities of human existence. Its occurrence in the Bible suggests that the writers considered human waste a natural and necessary part of life, rather than something to be ashamed of or avoided. This word serves as a reminder of the importance of physical hygiene and the need for proper waste management in ancient societies.
Source data & methodology
Occurrences in Scripture
3 total occurrences across the text
You shall defile the overlaying of your engraved images of silver, and the plating of your molten images of gold. You shall cast them away as an unclean thing. You shall tell it, “Go away!”
Ezekiel 4:12You shall eat it as barley cakes, and you shall bake it in their sight with dung that comes out of man.”
Deuteronomy 23:13You shall have a trowel among your weapons. It shall be, when you relieve yourself, you shall dig with it, and shall turn back and cover your excrement;