Lexical Summary bitstsah: Gain, profit, plunder, unjust gain Original Word: בִּצָּה Strong's Exhaustive Concordance swamp, mireIntensive from bots; a swamp -- fen, mire(-ry place). see HEBREW bots NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom the same as bots Definition a swamp NASB Translation marsh (2), swamps and marshes (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs בִּצָּה noun feminine swamp, Job 8:11 as place where rushes grow, compare Job 40:21; בִּצּאֹתָ֯ו (Co ובצותיו) plural suffix Ezekiel 47:11 ("" וּגְבָאָיו). Topical Lexicon Scriptural Occurrences Job 8:11, Job 40:21, and Ezekiel 47:11 employ בִּצָּה to describe a swampy, reedy wetland. Each passage links the marsh to a wider theological point: the futility of life apart from the sustaining presence of God (Job 8), the untamable majesty of the Creator’s handiwork (Job 40), and the final restoration of the land with sovereign distinctions between what is healed and what remains set apart (Ezekiel 47). Physical Setting in the Ancient Near East Marshes dotted the riverine landscapes of Egypt, Canaan, and Mesopotamia. They provided papyrus, reeds for thatching, refuge for wildlife, and natural defensive barriers for cities. To an agrarian audience, a marsh was both a sign of water abundance and, when stagnant, a reminder of unproductive ground. The biblical writers used this familiar terrain to communicate spiritual truths with immediate resonance for their hearers. Images of Fertility, Dependence, and Futility Job 8:11 asks, “Can papyrus grow tall where there is no marsh? Can reeds flourish without water?” By invoking the marsh, Bildad illustrates the impossibility of growth without the proper environment. Applied spiritually, human prosperity depends entirely on the gracious provision of God’s “living water” (compare Jeremiah 17:7–8; John 7:37–38). Without it, even the most promising beginnings wither. Divine Sovereignty over Creation In Job 40:21 the behemoth “lies under the lotus plants, hidden among the reeds of the marsh.” The habitat underscores the creature’s security and strength—yet that very environment is under God’s command. The marsh thus serves as a stage on which divine power and creative variety are displayed. What seems impregnable to humanity is effortlessly governed by the Lord (Psalm 104:24–26). Judgment and Preservation in Prophetic Vision Ezekiel’s temple-river (Ezekiel 47) turns everything fresh except “the swamps and marshes,” which “will be left for salt” (verse 11). The split outcome teaches that end-time restoration will be both comprehensive and discriminating. Some areas remain saline, ensuring a supply of medicinal and culinary salt, while also symbolizing that pockets of judgment remain amid blessing (compare Isaiah 66:24; Revelation 22:11). The marsh, then, becomes a picture of divine order—life-giving renewal alongside purposeful restraint. Pastoral and Devotional Implications 1. Dependence: As the papyrus is bound to the marsh, believers are bound to the Spirit. Ministry that neglects constant communion with the Lord will wither like reeds without water (Zechariah 4:6; John 15:5). Practical Ministry Uses • Teaching Series on Spiritual Growth: Contrast the flourishing reed with the withered reed to illustrate abiding in Christ. Summary בִּצָּה threads through Scripture as more than a geographic feature. It pictures dependence on divine sustenance, underscores God’s creative rule, and reveals the nuanced pattern of judgment and renewal in His redemptive plan. Forms and Transliterations בִצָּ֑ה בִּצֹּאתָ֧יו בצאתיו בצה וּבִצָּֽה׃ ובצה׃ ḇiṣ·ṣāh biṣ·ṣō·ṯāw ḇiṣṣāh biṣṣōṯāw bitztzoTav ū·ḇiṣ·ṣāh ūḇiṣṣāh uvitzTzah vitzTzahLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Job 8:11 HEB: גֹּ֭מֶא בְּלֹ֣א בִצָּ֑ה יִשְׂגֶּה־ אָ֥חוּ NAS: up without a marsh? Can the rushes KJV: grow up without mire? can INT: the papyrus without swamp grow the flag Job 40:21 Ezekiel 47:11 3 Occurrences |
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