צָוָה (tsa.vah)
tsa.vah
to command
H:VQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 447 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:V
Word Overview
The Hebrew verb tsa.vah means to issue a formal charge or command, often with the force of establishing an order that must be obeyed. It appears nearly five hundred times in the Old Testament, particularly in the books of Exodus and Deuteronomy where God’s instructions to Israel are recorded. The word carries a sense of authority, indicating that the directive comes from someone with the right to dictate terms.
Its usage extends beyond simple verbal orders to include appointing people to specific roles or tasks. For instance, Moses is described as laying charges over the Levites for their service in the tabernacle (Numbers 1:50), and God commands Abraham to keep His covenant (Genesis 17:9). This dual sense of giving instructions and assigning responsibility highlights its importance in structuring community life and religious duty.
Translators typically render tsa.vah as "command," "charge," or "appoint," depending on the context. The term underscores the seriousness of divine law, suggesting that obedience is not optional but required by the authority of the one speaking. Its frequent use in legal and covenantal contexts reinforces its role in defining the relationship between God and His people.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
When we read that God commanded something in Scripture, it is easy to feel the weight of obligation. The Hebrew word tsa.vah carries the force of a formal charge from an authority figure. It is not a suggestion or a gentle preference. It is a directive that establishes order and defines responsibility within the covenant relationship between God and His people.
Yet this command is rooted in relationship, not merely rule-making. When Noah did all that God commanded him (Genesis 6:22), his obedience was an act of trust in the midst of chaos. Similarly, when Abraham circumcised Isaac as God had commanded (Genesis 21:4), he was responding to a promise, not just a law. These moments show us that divine commands are given to guide us toward life and faithfulness.
For your daily walk, this word reminds you that God’s instructions are trustworthy. They come from One who knows the end from the beginning. You do not need to decipher hidden meanings or worry about arbitrary rules. Instead, you can rest in the fact that following God’s charge is a path of safety and purpose. His commands are designed to protect and direct your steps.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 447 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- he had commanded104×
- he commanded48×
- and/ he commanded46×
- [am] commanding/ you26×
- he has commanded24×
- I commanded19×
- I have commanded10×
- he had commanded/ him9×
- command9×
- [am] commanding9×
- I will command8×
- he commanded/ you7×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- צִוָּ֥ה75×
- צִוָּ֣ה29×
- צִוָּ֧ה17×
- וַ/יְצַ֣ו15×
- צִוָּ֖ה14×
- צִוָּ֨ה11×
- צִוָּ֤ה11×
- מְצַוְּ/ךָ֖11×
- צִוִּ֖יתִי9×
- מְצַוֶּ֥ה8×
- וַ/יְצַ֤ו8×
- צִוָּ֖/הוּ6×
Key Verses
-
Genesis 6:22
Thus Noah did. He did all that God commanded him.
This verse highlights Noah’s complete obedience, showing that tsa.vah involves doing everything God specifically instructed, even when the task seemed overwhelming.
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Genesis 21:4
Abraham circumcised his son, Isaac, when he was eight days old, as God had commanded him.
Here the command is tied to covenant identity, as Abraham acts immediately to fulfill God’s specific instruction regarding Isaac.
-
Exodus 4:28
Moses told Aaron all Yahweh’s words with which he had sent him, and all the signs with which he had instructed him.
Moses reports Yahweh’s words to Aaron, demonstrating how tsa.vah functions as the transmission of divine authority from God to His chosen leaders.
-
Genesis 18:19
For I have known him, to the end that he may command his children and his household after him, that they may keep the way of Yahweh, to do righteousness and justice; to the end that Yahweh may bring on Abraham that which he has spoken of him.”
Abraham is chosen so he may command his household to keep the way of Yahweh, extending the concept of divine charge into familial and communal responsibility.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the Hebrew word tsa.vah mean?
How is tsa.vah different from other words for speaking?
Where does this word appear most often?
Every Occurrence (447 verses across 24 books)
Genesis 23 verses
Yahweh God commanded the man, saying, “You may freely eat of every tree of the garden;
Genesis 3:11God said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?”
Genesis 3:17To Adam he said, “Because you have listened to your wife’s voice, and have eaten from the tree, about which I commanded…
Genesis 6:22Thus Noah did. He did all that God commanded him.
Genesis 7:5Noah did everything that Yahweh commanded him.
Genesis 7:9went by pairs to Noah into the ship, male and female, as God commanded Noah.
Genesis 7:16Those who went in, went in male and female of all flesh, as God commanded him; then Yahweh shut him in.
Genesis 12:20Pharaoh commanded men concerning him, and they escorted him away with his wife and all that he had.
Genesis 18:19For I have known him, to the end that he may command his children and his household after him, that they may keep the…
Genesis 21:4Abraham circumcised his son, Isaac, when he was eight days old, as God had commanded him.
Genesis 26:11Abimelech commanded all the people, saying, “He who touches this man or his wife will surely be put to death.”
Genesis 27:8Now therefore, my son, obey my voice according to that which I command you.
Genesis 28:1Isaac called Jacob, blessed him, and commanded him, “You shall not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan.
Genesis 28:6Now Esau saw that Isaac had blessed Jacob and sent him away to Paddan Aram, to take him a wife from there, and that as…
Genesis 42:25Then Joseph gave a command to fill their bags with grain, and to restore each man’s money into his sack, and to give…
Genesis 44:1He commanded the steward of his house, saying, “Fill the men’s sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put each…
Genesis 45:19Now you are commanded to do this: Take wagons out of the land of Egypt for your little ones, and for your wives, and…
Genesis 47:11Joseph placed his father and his brothers, and gave them a possession in the land of Egypt, in the best of the land, in…
Genesis 49:29He instructed them, and said to them, “I am to be gathered to my people. Bury me with my fathers in the cave that is in…
Genesis 49:33When Jacob finished charging his sons, he gathered up his feet into the bed, breathed his last breath, and was gathered…
Genesis 50:2Joseph commanded his servants, the physicians, to embalm his father; and the physicians embalmed Israel.
Genesis 50:12His sons did to him just as he commanded them,
Genesis 50:16They sent a message to Joseph, saying, “Your father commanded before he died, saying,