צֶ֫מֶד (tse.med)
tse.med
pair
H:N-MQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 15 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-M
Word Overview
The noun tsemed literally means a pair or couple, but in Scripture it almost always refers to a team of animals yoked together for work. It appears fifteen times, with significant usage in Judges, Job, and Isaiah. The word captures the image of two creatures bound together to share a load, emphasizing cooperation and shared labor rather than individual effort.
A fascinating nuance arises from its practical application: tsemed also came to denote an "acre" or field. This measurement was not based on fixed boundaries but on the amount of land a single pair of oxen could plow in one day. As seen in Ruth 2:7, where Ruth asks for permission to glean behind the reapers, this unit of measure reflects an agrarian society organized around the rhythm of animal labor.
The theological weight of tsemed lies in its imagery of unity. When Isaiah uses it to describe a wolf lying with a lamb (Isaiah 11:7), he is not just listing animals but invoking the idea of unnatural peace within a working team. The word reminds readers that God’s restored creation involves harmony among creatures that were once bound by tension or labor, turning a tool of work into a symbol of shalom.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The Hebrew word tsemed describes a pair of animals yoked together, emphasizing shared labor and cooperation. In ancient agrarian society, this image was so central that it even defined a unit of land measurement: the amount of ground one pair could plow in a day. This connection between physical work and spatial boundaries reminds us that our daily efforts shape the world around us.
For your faith life, this word invites reflection on partnership. Just as oxen must move in sync to pull a heavy load, we are called to walk alongside others with patience and unity. The prophet Isaiah uses this imagery to paint a picture of peace, where even natural tensions are resolved in God’s restored creation. It is a reminder that harmony is possible when we align ourselves with God’s design for community.
Whether you are working hard toward a goal or seeking rest in God’s provision, tsemed points to the value of shared burdens. You do not have to carry every load alone. In the rhythms of work and rest, there is an invitation to trust that God provides both the strength for labor and the peace that follows.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 15 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- a pair of5×
- pairs2×
- pair[s] of2×
- and/ a pair of2×
- and/ team/ his1×
- an acre of1×
- acres of1×
- [the] pair of1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- צֶֽמֶד\־2×
- צֶ֥מֶד2×
- צְמָדִים֙2×
- צֶ֨מֶד1×
- צֶ֧מֶד1×
- צֶ֤מֶד1×
- צֶ֚מֶד1×
- צֶ֖מֶד1×
- צִמְדֵּי\־1×
- וְ/צֶ֨מֶד1×
- וְ/צֶ֣מֶד1×
- וְ/צִמְדּ֑/וֹ1×
Key Verses
-
I Kings 19:21
He returned from following him, and took the yoke of oxen, killed them, and boiled their meat with the oxen’s equipment, and gave to the people; and they ate. Then he arose, and went after Elijah, and served him.
Elisha destroys his yoke of oxen to signal a decisive break from his former life, showing how this word marks the transition from old obligations to new calling.
-
Isaiah 5:10
For ten acres of vineyard shall yield one bath, and a homer of seed shall yield an ephah.”
The term defines a specific measure of land, illustrating how deeply animal labor structured the economic and social reality of ancient Israel.
-
I Samuel 11:7
He took a yoke of oxen and cut them in pieces, then sent them throughout all the borders of Israel by the hand of messengers, saying, “Whoever doesn’t come out after Saul and after Samuel, so shall it be done to his oxen.” The dread of Yahweh fell on the people, and they came out as one man.
Saul uses the yoke of oxen as a symbol of unity and warning, demonstrating how the image carried significant political weight in rallying the tribes.