צַיָּד (tsay.yad)
tsay.yad
hunter
H:N-MQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-M
Word Overview
The Hebrew noun tsayyad means a hunter, specifically one who actively pursue game with traps or nets rather than just chasing it on foot. In the Bible, this word appears only once, in Jeremiah 16:16, where God warns that He will send many hunters to chase His people.
This single usage carries heavy theological weight. The image of a hunter implies an inescapable pursuit. Unlike a casual observer, a tsayyad is intent on capture. Here, the metaphor suggests that those who have turned away from God will be relentlessly tracked down by divine judgment, leaving no place to hide.
Translators typically render this word simply as "hunters," preserving the starkness of the original image. The brevity of its biblical appearance makes it a rare but potent symbol of inevitable confrontation between human rebellion and divine justice.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word tsayyad describes a hunter who uses traps or nets to catch game. It appears only once in Scripture, in Jeremiah 16:16. God uses this image to show that those who have turned away from Him will be pursued relentlessly. There is no place to hide from divine justice.
This passage reminds us that God’s pursuit is inescapable. He does not ignore rebellion. Instead, He sends messengers to bring people back to accountability. The image of the hunter highlights the seriousness of turning away from truth.
For believers, this word underscores the reality of God’s sovereignty. It calls us to live with integrity and humility before Him. We are never beyond His reach, whether in judgment or grace.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- hunters1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- צַיָּדִ֔ים1×
Key Verses
-
Jeremiah 16:16
“Behold, I will send for many fishermen,” says Yahweh, “and they will fish them up. Afterward I will send for many hunters, and they will hunt them from every mountain, from every hill, and out of the clefts of the rocks.
This verse uses tsayyad to depict God’s agents pursuing those who have abandoned Him, emphasizing that no location offers escape from divine accountability.