6648. tseba
Lexical Summary
tseba: Splendor, beauty, glory

Original Word: צֶבַע
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: tseba`
Pronunciation: tseh-BAH
Phonetic Spelling: (tseh'-bah)
KJV: divers, colours
NASB: dyed work
Word Origin: [from an unused root meaning to dip (into coloring fluid)]

1. a dye

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
divers, colors

From an unused root meaning to dip (into coloring fluid); a dye -- divers, colours.

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
from an unused word
Definition
dye, dyed stuff
NASB Translation
dyed work (3).

Brown-Driver-Briggs
צֶ֫בַע noun [masculine] dye, dyed stuff; — construct ׳רִקְמָתַיִם צ Judges 5:30 (perhaps strike out ׳צ, compare GFM); plural שְׁלַל צְבָעִים booty of dyed stuffs Judges 5:30; Judges 5:30.

Topical Lexicon
Meaning and Scope

צֶבַע (tsévaʿ) denotes richly dyed or embroidered cloth—garments prized for their vivid colors and intricate needlework. In the ancient Near East, the ability to fix vibrant dyes to fabric required costly materials (such as murex‐derived purple or madder red) and skilled artisans, so such clothing became a symbol of status, military plunder, and feminine craftsmanship.

Biblical Occurrence

The term appears three times, all within Judges 5:30, where Sisera’s mother and her ladies‐in‐waiting imagine the Canaanite commander returning from battle laden with “a girl or two for each man” and “colorful garments as plunder”. Their repeated mention of צֶבַע underscores the anticipated abundance:

“Colorful garments as plunder for Sisera, colorful garments embroidered—two embroidered garments for the necks of the spoil” (Judges 5:30).

The repetition heightens the irony of the Song of Deborah and Barak. While the women picture Sisera adorning himself and them with splendid textiles, the reader knows he has fallen beneath Jael’s tent peg (Judges 4:17–22). The vivid fabrics thus become a literary device exposing the emptiness of human pride opposed to the purposes of God.

Historical Background

1. Dye Technology: Extracting durable pigments demanded specialized knowledge. Purple dyes obtained from Mediterranean mollusks and reds from plant sources rendered colored cloth a luxury commodity.
2. Trade and Spoil: Caravans along Via Maris and the King’s Highway trafficked in textiles; armies customarily seized such goods (compare 2 Kings 3:23–24).
3. Women’s Work: Needlework (“embroidered,” רקמה) was commonly performed by women (Proverbs 31:22). The scene in Judges thus reflects domestic perspectives on warfare: the spoils will enhance their wardrobes and social standing.

Theological Themes

• Divine Reversal: The glittering prize anticipated by Sisera’s household never arrives, reinforcing the motif that “the LORD brings low and He exalts” (1 Samuel 2:7).
• Vanity of Earthly Treasure: Like the fading glory of the wicked in Psalm 73:18–20, the coveted garments illustrate the transience of material wealth apart from covenant faithfulness.
• Covenant Victory: The Lord’s triumph through Deborah, Barak, and Jael demonstrates that Israel’s security rests not in martial splendor but in obedience to divine command (Judges 4:6–7; 5:3–5).

Connections with Wider Biblical Imagery

• Tabernacle Fabrics: Exodus repeatedly notes blue, purple, and scarlet yarns (Exodus 26:1), linking color with sacred beauty dedicated to God, in contrast to Canaanite spoils sought for self‐indulgence.
• Joseph’s “coat of many colors” (Genesis 37:3) and David’s royal daughters’ “decorated robes” (2 Samuel 13:18) mirror the association of colored garments with favor and rank.
• Revelation envisions Babylon arrayed “in purple and scarlet” (Revelation 17:4), typifying worldly pomp destined for judgment—an eschatological echo of Sisera’s thwarted boasts.

Ministry and Practical Implications

1. Contentment: Believers are exhorted to value godliness over material display (1 Timothy 6:6–8).
2. Modesty and True Adornment: Peter’s call to cultivate “the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit” (1 Peter 3:4) contrasts with Sisera’s imagined embroidery.
3. Worship Priority: Just as Israel dedicated its finest textiles to the Lord’s sanctuary, modern disciples are encouraged to employ their resources for kingdom purposes rather than personal aggrandizement.

Summary

צֶבַע serves as more than a technical term for dyed fabric; it functions as a narrative symbol. In Judges 5 it exposes misplaced trust in plunder, magnifies the Lord’s decisive intervention, and invites readers to weigh temporal allure against eternal allegiance. Thus even this single‐verse word enriches our understanding of Scripture’s consistent testimony to God’s sovereignty over history and human aspiration.

Forms and Transliterations
צְבָעִ֖ים צְבָעִים֙ צֶ֥בַע צבע צבעים ṣe·ḇa‘ ṣə·ḇā·‘îm ṣeḇa‘ ṣəḇā‘îm Tzeva tzevaIm
Links
Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman's Concordance
Judges 5:30
HEB: גֶּ֔בֶר שְׁלַ֤ל צְבָעִים֙ לְסִ֣יסְרָ֔א שְׁלַ֥ל
NAS: a spoil of dyed work,
KJV: a prey of divers colours, a prey
INT: warrior A spoil of dyed to Sisera A spoil

Judges 5:30
HEB: לְסִ֣יסְרָ֔א שְׁלַ֥ל צְבָעִ֖ים רִקְמָ֑ה צֶ֥בַע
NAS: of dyed work, A spoil
KJV: a prey of divers colours of needlework,
INT: to Sisera A spoil work embroidered of dyed

Judges 5:30
HEB: צְבָעִ֖ים רִקְמָ֑ה צֶ֥בַע רִקְמָתַ֖יִם לְצַוְּארֵ֥י
NAS: A spoil of dyed work embroidered,
KJV: of needlework, of divers colours of needlework on both sides,
INT: work embroidered of dyed embroidery the neck

3 Occurrences

Strong's Hebrew 6648
3 Occurrences


ṣe·ḇa‘ — 1 Occ.
ṣə·ḇā·‘îm — 2 Occ.

6647
Top of Page
Top of Page