צָמָא (tsa.ma)
tsa.ma
thirst
H:N-MQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 14 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-M
Definition
Definition
Brown-Driver-Briggs
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
What This Word Means for Your Faith
Thirst is a basic signal of need, reminding us that we cannot survive without water. In the same way, this Hebrew word describes a deep longing that only God can satisfy. When life feels dry or uncertain, it is natural to look for relief, but Scripture points us toward the One who provides living water.
Even in difficult moments, such as when people faced hardship in the wilderness, they were reminded of God’s provision. This word invites us to bring our honest needs to Him. He does not ignore our cries; instead, He offers spiritual refreshment that sustains us through every season.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 14 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- by <the>/ thirst4×
- with <the>/ thirst2×
- for/ thirst/ their2×
- thirst/ their1×
- thirst1×
- in <the>/ thirst1×
- and/ in/ thirst1×
- and/ by/ thirst1×
- a thirst1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- בַּ/צָּמָֽא\׃3×
- צָמָֽא\׃1×
- צָמָ֣א1×
- צְמָאָֽ/ם\׃1×
- לִ/צְמָאָֽ/ם\׃1×
- לִ/צְמָאָ֑/ם1×
- וּ/בְ/צָמָ֛א1×
- וּ/בְ/צָמָ֖א1×
- בַּ/צָּמָ֣א1×
- בַּ/צָּמָ֔א1×
- בַּ/צָּמָ֑א1×
- בַ/צָּמָ֔א1×
Key Verses
-
Amos 8:11
Behold, the days come,” says the Lord Yahweh, “that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing Yahweh’s words.
This verse redefines thirst as a spiritual hunger for God’s words rather than just physical water.
-
Isaiah 41:17
The poor and needy seek water, and there is none. Their tongue fails for thirst. I, Yahweh, will answer them. I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them.
Here the word highlights how God responds to the desperate needs of the poor and needy with His presence.
-
Exodus 17:3
The people were thirsty for water there; so the people murmured against Moses, and said, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us, our children, and our livestock with thirst?”
This occurrence shows the raw desperation of the Israelites when they felt abandoned in the wilderness.