צָבֶה (tsa.veh)
tsa.veh
swollen
H:AQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:A
Word Overview
The Hebrew word tsavveh describes a physical state of being swollen or distended. It appears only once in the Old Testament, found in Numbers 5:21 within the ritual text concerning the suspected adulteress.
In this specific context, the term is part of a curse formula that invokes divine judgment on the body. The priest pronounces that if the woman has been unfaithful, her thigh will waste away and her belly will swell. This vivid imagery contrasts the wasting of one limb with the painful distension of another, serving as a tangible sign of the consequences described in the law.
As an adjective, tsavveh focuses on the visible condition of enlargement or puffiness rather than the act of swelling itself. Translators typically render it simply as "swollen," preserving the stark, physical reality of the curse without adding interpretive commentary.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word tsavveh appears only once in Scripture, nestled within the solemn ritual of Numbers 5:21. Here it describes a physical swelling as part of a curse against unfaithfulness. This stark imagery reminds us that actions have real consequences, and that God sees what is hidden.
For your faith life, this word underscores the seriousness of integrity. It invites you to value honesty and purity, not out of fear alone, but because these virtues reflect the character of a holy God. When we choose transparency over secrecy, we align ourselves with His light.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- swollen1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- צָבָֽה\׃1×
Key Verses
-
Numbers 5:21
then the priest shall cause the woman to swear with the oath of cursing, and the priest shall tell the woman, “May Yahweh make you a curse and an oath among your people, when Yahweh allows your thigh to fall away, and your body to swell;
The term describes the physical swelling that serves as the visible sign of divine judgment in this specific curse ritual.