צֶאֱלִים (tse.el)
tse.el
lotus
H:N-MQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 2 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-M
Word Overview
The Hebrew noun tse’elim refers to a specific type of lotus, identified in the sources as a thorny shrub or bush. It appears only twice in the Bible, both times in the book of Job. In these passages, the plant is not described as a cultivated flower but as a wild, rugged vegetation found in harsh environments.
This context gives the word its emotional weight. When Job laments his condition, he compares his dwelling place to that of ostriches among the tse’elim. The image is one of desolation and discomfort; the thorns suggest pain and isolation rather than beauty or shelter. Translators often render it simply as "lotus," but the qualifier "thorny" helps convey the bleakness Job feels in his suffering.
Understanding tse’elim as a prickly, wild plant clarifies why Job uses it to describe his state. It is not a place of rest or honor, but a barren landscape where one endures exposure and irritation. The word anchors Job’s poetic despair in a tangible, physical reality that any ancient reader would recognize as unpleasant.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
When Job speaks of lying among the tse’elim, he is not describing a peaceful garden. These are thorny shrubs found in harsh, wild places. The image conveys isolation and discomfort rather than beauty or shelter. It is a landscape of exposure where one endures irritation and desolation.
This word reminds us that our deepest struggles often feel like being stranded in such barren ground. Yet even in these moments of raw honesty before God, we are not abandoned. Scripture shows us that lamenting our pain is part of faithful conversation with the Creator. We can bring our thorny realities to Him without pretense.
May you find comfort in knowing that God meets us in our wildest places too. His presence does not require a perfect setting, only your honest heart.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 2 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- thorny lotus plants2×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- צֶאֱלִ֥ים1×
- צֶאֱלִ֣ים1×
Key Verses
-
Job 40:21
He lies under the lotus trees, in the covert of the reed, and the marsh.
This verse establishes the tse’elim as part of a desolate habitat where the creature lies exposed among reeds and marsh, emphasizing isolation rather than comfort.
-
Job 40:22
The lotuses cover him with their shade. The willows of the brook surround him.
Here the lotuses cover him with shade, but in context this is not gentle shelter; it is a wild, thorny concealment that highlights the ruggedness of his environment.