Lexical Summary tsud: To hunt, to catch, to lay snares Original Word: צוּד Strong's Exhaustive Concordance chase, hunt, sore, take provision A primitive root; to lie alongside (i.e. In wait); by implication, to catch an animal (figuratively, men); (denominative from tsayid) to victual (for a journey) -- chase, hunt, sore, take (provision). see HEBREW tsayid NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origina prim. root Definition to hunt NASB Translation catches (1), hunt (8), hunt down (2), hunted (2), hunted me down (1), hunts (2). Brown-Driver-Briggs I. צוּד verb hunt (Late Hebrew id. (rare), מְצוּדָה = Biblical Hebrew; Assyrian ƒâdu, hunt, so Arabic  ,  , Aramaic צוּד, צִיד, ( )  ; Old Aramaic צידא hunting); — Qal Perfect3plural צָד֣וּ Lamentations 4:18; suffix צָדוּנִי Lamentations 3:52, וְצָדוּם consecutive Jeremiah 16:16; Imperfect3masculine singular יָצוּד Leviticus 17:13, etc.; Imperative masculine singular צוּ֫דָה Genesis 27:3; Infinitive absolute צוֺד Lamentations 3:52; construct לָצוּד Genesis 27:5; Participle הַצָּד Genesis 27:33; — hunt, with accusative 1. צַיִד Genesis 27:3 Qr (> Kt צידה), Genesis 27:5; Genesis 27:33 (all J), צֵיד חַיָּה Leviticus 17:13 (H); טֶרֶף Job 38:39; with accusative of person Micah 7:2 (+חֵרֶם, instrumental), Jeremiah 16:16 (+מֵעַל), Job 10:16, צוֺד צָדוּנִי כַצִּמּוֺד Lamentations 3:52, subject evil Psalm 140:12; with accusative צְעָדֵינוּ Lamentations 4:18, נֶפֶשׁ יְקָרָה Proverbs 6:26. — Hosea 9:13 read probably לָצוּד (or לָצַיִד), for ᵑ0 לְצוֺר, see צֹר. Po'l. hunt (keenly, eagerly?), Imperfect2feminine plural תְּצוֺדֵדְנָה Ezekiel 13:18; Infinitive construct לְצוֺדֵד Ezekiel 13:18; Participle feminine plural מְצֹדְדוֺת Ezekiel 13:20; Ezekiel 13:20, all with accusative נְפָשׁוֺת (of magic arts, necromancy, etc.). [צִיד] verb denominative Hithpa`el supply oneself with provisions, take as one's provision — perfect 1 plural הִצְטַיַּדְנוּ Joshua 9:12 this bread we took as our provision; Imperfect3masculine plural וֵיִּצְטַיָָּֽדוּ Joshua 9:4 (so read for ᵑ0 וַיִּצְטַיָָּֽרוּ, Manuscripts Vrss Thes and others), absolute Topical Lexicon Semantic Range and Core Imagery The verb צוּד (tsud, Strong’s 6679) conveys the pursuit, capture, or provision of prey, whether for food, profit, or harm. Its imagery moves easily from literal fieldcraft to figurative descriptions of spiritual entrapment and persecution. Occurrences Overview Eighteen attestations span Torah, History, Wisdom, Lament, Prophecy, and apocalyptic vision: Genesis 27:3, 5, 33; Leviticus 17:13; Joshua 9:12; Job 10:16; Job 38:39; Psalm 140:11; Proverbs 6:26; Jeremiah 16:16; Lamentations 3:52 (twice); Lamentations 4:18; Ezekiel 13:18 (twice); Ezekiel 13:20 (twice); Micah 7:2. Together they trace a theological arc from legitimate provision to predatory wickedness, culminating in divine judgment upon those who “hunt” souls. Patriarchal Provision and Family Dynamics In Genesis 27, hunting characterizes Esau’s life and supplies the meal Isaac desires: “Now take your weapons—your quiver and bow—and go out into the field to hunt some game for me” (Genesis 27:3). The episode underscores how ordinary vocation can be twisted by deceit when Jacob usurps the blessing. Such narratives remind believers that vocational skills serve covenant purposes only when aligned with righteousness. Blood, Life, and Sacrifice Leviticus 17:13 extends hunting into Israel’s holiness code: “Any Israelite or foreigner among them who hunts down any animal or bird that may be eaten must drain its blood and cover it with dirt.” The command safeguards reverence for blood as the life-principle God reserves for atonement. Even when an animal is secured through human effort, its life is ultimately God’s, pointing forward to the once-for-all sacrifice of Christ whose blood secures eternal redemption. The Divine Hunter Jeremiah employs hunting as a metaphor of unavoidable judgment: “I will send for many hunters, and they will hunt them down” (Jeremiah 16:16). The same verb that depicts human pursuit of game is now wielded by God against hardened sinners. Job 38:39 likewise reveals the LORD’s sovereign provision: “Can you hunt prey for a lioness…?” The Creator is the ultimate provider who equips all creatures, highlighting human dependence and stewardship. False Prophets and Snares Ezekiel 13 portrays apostate prophetesses who “hunt down the souls of My people” (Ezekiel 13:18). Their occult practices and seductive promises are likened to bird-snaring. God’s verdict is decisive: “I am against your magic charms with which you ensnare souls like birds” (Ezekiel 13:20). The passage admonishes the church to expose any ministry that manipulates rather than ministers, substituting charisma for truth. Persecution Motifs Exilic laments personalize the verb: “Without cause my enemies hunted me like a bird” (Lamentations 3:52). The hunted becomes the righteous sufferer, prefiguring the Man of Sorrows. Psalm 140:11 adds that violent men “hunt down the afflicted,” reinforcing God’s pledge to vindicate those who trust Him amid oppression. Wisdom on Seduction Proverbs warns that sexual immorality is predatory: “the wife of another man preys upon a precious life” (Proverbs 6:26). Here tsud exposes lust’s lie—what promises fulfillment actually consumes. The hunter-prey image urges self-control and marital fidelity as safeguards for life and ministry. Social Collapse in Micah Micah laments a culture where everyone lies in wait: “each hunts his own brother with a net” (Micah 7:2). Society unravels when covenant love is abandoned, a sober reminder that communal health requires truth and mercy. Pastoral and Christological Insights 1. Legitimate hunting acknowledges God as giver of life and requires reverence for His ownership. Application for Contemporary Ministry • Promote vocational integrity—skills used for provision must remain submitted to God’s will. Forms and Transliterations הֲתָצ֣וּד הִצְטַיַּ֤דְנוּ הַצָּֽד־ הצד־ הצטידנו התצוד וְצ֥וּדָה וְצָד֞וּם וצדום וצודה יְ֝צוּדֶ֗נּוּ יָצ֜וּד יָצ֥וּדוּ יצוד יצודו יצודנו לְצוֹדֵ֣ד לָצ֥וּד לצוד לצודד מְצֹדְד֥וֹת מְצֹדְד֨וֹת מצדדות צ֥וֹד צָד֛וּנִי צָד֣וּ צדו צדוני צוד תְּצוֹדֵ֣דְנָה תְּצוּדֵ֑נִי תָצֽוּד׃ תצוד׃ תצודדנה תצודני hă·ṯā·ṣūḏ haṣ·ṣāḏ- haṣṣāḏ- hăṯāṣūḏ hataTzud hatztzad hiṣ·ṭay·yaḏ·nū hiṣṭayyaḏnū hitztaiYadnu lā·ṣūḏ lāṣūḏ laTzud lə·ṣō·w·ḏêḏ ləṣōwḏêḏ letzoDed mə·ṣō·ḏə·ḏō·wṯ məṣōḏəḏōwṯ metzodeDot ṣā·ḏū ṣā·ḏū·nî ṣāḏū ṣāḏūnî ṣō·wḏ ṣōwḏ ṯā·ṣūḏ ṯāṣūḏ taTzud tə·ṣō·w·ḏê·ḏə·nāh tə·ṣū·ḏê·nî təṣōwḏêḏənāh təṣūḏênî tetzoDedenah tetzuDeni tzaDu tzaDuni Tzod vetzaDum veTzudah wə·ṣā·ḏūm wə·ṣū·ḏāh wəṣāḏūm wəṣūḏāh yā·ṣū·ḏū yā·ṣūḏ yāṣūḏ yāṣūḏū yaTzud yaTzudu yə·ṣū·ḏen·nū yəṣūḏennū yetzuDennuLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Genesis 27:3 HEB: וְצֵא֙ הַשָּׂדֶ֔ה וְצ֥וּדָה לִּ֖י [צֵידָה NAS: out to the field and hunt game KJV: to the field, and take me [some] venison; INT: and go to the field and hunt meat Genesis 27:5 Genesis 27:33 Leviticus 17:13 Joshua 9:12 Job 10:16 Job 38:39 Psalm 140:11 Proverbs 6:26 Jeremiah 16:16 Lamentations 3:52 Lamentations 3:52 Lamentations 4:18 Ezekiel 13:18 Ezekiel 13:18 Ezekiel 13:20 Ezekiel 13:20 Micah 7:2 18 Occurrences |
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