צִיּוּן (tsiy.yun)
tsiy.yun
signpost
H:N-MQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 2 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-M
Word Overview
The noun tsiyyun refers to a standing marker, such as a signpost or monument. In the Hebrew Bible, it denotes a physical object erected to mark a location or commemorate an event. The sources list its meanings as signpost, monument, and occasionally market, suggesting a place where people gather or pass through.
This word appears only twice in Scripture, both in contexts involving judgment or historical record. In 2 Kings 14:28, it describes the acts of King Jeroboam II recorded on the "signpost" (tsiyyun) of his deeds, implying a public record or monument to his reign. Similarly, Jeremiah 51:26 uses the term when describing Babylon being made a desolation where no man sojourns, and no sheep make their tsiyyun there, indicating a place that was once marked by presence or activity but is now abandoned.
The rarity of tsiyyun highlights its specific function as a marker of human action or territorial claim. Unlike words for general stones or boundaries, it implies a deliberate erection for recognition. The contrast between its use in 2 Kings as a record of power and in Jeremiah as a sign of emptiness underscores the transient nature of such monuments when divine judgment is involved.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word tsiyyun describes a marker set up to show where something happened or who was there. It is a physical reminder for those passing by, turning an ordinary spot into a place of memory. In the ancient world, these posts helped travelers navigate and reminded communities of important events in their shared history.
Today, we do not build stone signposts in the same way, but we still leave markers of our lives. The choices we make and the love we show become part of the landscape for others. This word invites us to think about what remains after we are gone. It suggests that our actions can point others toward truth or away from it.
While human monuments often fade, the impact of a faithful life endures in ways that matter more than stone. We are called to live in a manner that points others toward God’s goodness. May your days be filled with acts that serve as gentle guides for those walking beside you.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 2 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- signposts1×
- [is] the/ monument1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- צִיֻּנִ֗ים1×
- הַ/צִּיּ֣וּן1×
Key Verses
-
II Kings 23:17
Then he said, “What monument is that which I see?” The men of the city told him, “It is the tomb of the man of God who came from Judah and proclaimed these things that you have done against the altar of Bethel.”
This verse shows the word used for a tomb monument, highlighting how physical markers preserve the memory of a person's life and message.
-
Jeremiah 31:21
“Set up road signs. Make guideposts. Set your heart toward the highway, even the way by which you went. Turn again, virgin of Israel. Turn again to these your cities.
Here the term is linked to setting up road signs, emphasizing its function as a guide for travelers returning home.