צִיר (tsir)
tsir
envoy; hinge; pang
H:N-MQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 11 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-M
Word Overview
The Hebrew noun tsir carries a striking range of meanings that connect physical movement with human experience. It primarily denotes an envoy or messenger, someone sent to deliver a message or perform a task. This sense appears in contexts where a representative acts on behalf of another, such as when Obadiah is described as serving as a courier for the king.
Less commonly, the word refers to the pivot or hinge of a door, the fixed point around which movement occurs. Proverbs 26:14 uses this image to describe a lazy person who lies in bed like a door that swings on its hinges but never leaves its place. This concrete imagery highlights stagnation and lack of progress.
A third meaning, pang or distress, describes the sharp pain of childbirth or intense emotional suffering. Isaiah employs this sense when speaking of anguish that grips people like labor pains. The connection between these meanings may lie in the idea of a turning point: a messenger turns to deliver news, a door turns on its hinge, and a person turns in agony. Each usage reflects a moment of change or transition.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word tsir reminds us that we are never truly alone in our darkest moments. When Isaiah describes being seized by pangs like labor pains, he is voicing a raw, human reality. God does not dismiss this deep distress; instead, He meets us in it. The imagery suggests that even in our most intense suffering, there is a turning point, a moment where pain becomes part of a larger story rather than the end of it.
At other times, tsir refers to an envoy or messenger. Proverbs 25:13 praises a faithful messenger who refreshes the soul of those he serves. This offers a gentle picture of how God often works through people. Whether through a word of comfort from a friend or a quiet strength in our own hearts, we are sent and supported. We carry messages of hope to one another, acting as hinges that allow movement and connection in a stagnant world.
Ultimately, this word bridges the gap between physical pain and purposeful action. It invites us to trust that our struggles have meaning and that our roles as messengers matter. We are held in distress and equipped for service, finding rest in the knowledge that God values both our suffering and our faithfulness.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 11 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- pangs2×
- and/ an envoy2×
- pangs/ my1×
- pangs/ her1×
- like/ [the] pangs of1×
- hinge[s]/ its1×
- envoys/ your1×
- envoys1×
- and/ an envoy of1×
- an envoy1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- וְ/צִ֖יר2×
- צִרַ֙י/ךְ֙1×
- צִרֶֽי/הָ\׃1×
- צִירָ֑/הּ1×
- צִירַ/י֙1×
- צִירִ֤ים1×
- צִירִ֣ים1×
- צִירִ֗ים1×
- צִ֣יר1×
- כְּ/צִירֵ֖י1×
- וְ/צִיר֙1×
Key Verses
-
Isaiah 13:8
They will be dismayed. Pangs and sorrows will seize them. They will be in pain like a woman in labor. They will look in amazement one at another. Their faces will be faces of flame.
This verse uses the word to describe overwhelming dread and physical anguish, showing how the term captures intense emotional and bodily distress.
-
Proverbs 25:13
As the cold of snow in the time of harvest, so is a faithful messenger to those who send him; for he refreshes the soul of his masters.
Here the word highlights the refreshing impact of a reliable messenger, connecting the concept of service with spiritual relief.
-
Proverbs 26:14
As the door turns on its hinges, so does the sluggard on his bed.
The term describes a door hinge to illustrate the stagnation of a lazy person who refuses to take action or move forward.
-
I Samuel 4:19
His daughter-in-law, Phinehas’ wife, was with child, near to giving birth. When she heard the news that God’s ark was taken and that her father-in-law and her husband were dead, she bowed herself and gave birth; for her pains came on her.
This occurrence links the word directly to the physical pain of childbirth, grounding the abstract concept in a universal human experience.