צִיר
tsir
image
Lexicon Entry
Lexicon data from STEPBible TIPNR, Tyndale House, Cambridge. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.
What Original Readers Understood
Supported# Analysis of צִיר (tsir) The Hebrew word צִיר (tsir) carries the meaning "image" and appears exactly once in the biblical text. This extremely limited occurrence makes it a rare term in the Hebrew Bible, which restricts what can be confidently determined about its full semantic range or common usage patterns. The single appearance provides only one context for understanding how the word functioned in ancient Hebrew communication. Because צִיר appears only once, it is impossible to establish whether it was a standard, frequently used term for "image" or a specialized or archaic word choice made for a particular purpose. The lexicon data alone cannot reveal whether it served as a general term for any visual representation, whether it had specific associations with religious imagery, or whether it carried connotations that distinguish it from other Hebrew words with similar meanings. Without multiple biblical contexts to compare, the word remains lexically isolated. For readers of biblical texts, the singular occurrence of צִיר suggests this was not a dominant vocabulary choice among biblical authors. Its meaning as "image" is established, but its significance and precise nuance within ancient Hebrew discourse remain largely opaque based solely on the available lexical evidence.
Source data & methodology
Occurrences in Scripture
1 total occurrence across the text