Lexical Summary tsayad: Hunter Original Word: צַיָּד Strong's Exhaustive Concordance hunter From the same as tsayid; a huntsman -- hunter. see HEBREW tsayid Brown-Driver-Briggs [צַיָּד] noun masculine hunter; — plural צַיָּדִים Jeremiah 16:16. Topical Lexicon Canonical OccurrenceJeremiah 16:16 sets the only textual instance. Speaking through Jeremiah, the Lord announces, “I will send for many fishermen…and after that I will send for many hunters, and they will hunt them down on every mountain and hill and from the clefts of the rocks”. The second group, “hunters,” renders צַיָּד, portraying agents who relentlessly track, corner, and seize. Historical Setting • Date: Early‐to‐mid seventh century B.C., during the reign of Jehoiakim. Literary and Theological Function 1. Relentless Pursuit – Hunting vocabulary intensifies the certainty of exile. There will be no hiding place (cf. Amos 9:2-4). – The image echoes Israel’s own failure to uphold Torah compassion. As Judah once preyed upon the vulnerable, so the Lord now allows imperial hunters to prey upon Judah (Jeremiah 5:26-29). – By directing both “fishermen” and “hunters,” God demonstrates command over land and sea, peoples and powers, leaving no corner outside His reach. Broader Biblical Motif of the Hunter The Scriptures frequently use hunting language to depict moral and spiritual capture: • Psalm 91:3 – God rescues from “the snare of the fowler,” highlighting His protective grace. Together, these texts display two poles: divine judgment that hunts the unrepentant, and divine mercy that liberates those trapped. Christological and Missional Connections Jeremiah’s dual imagery of fishers and hunters casts a long shadow into the New Testament. Jesus appropriates the first half—“I will make you fishers of men” (Matthew 4:19; Luke 5:10)—turning a picture of judgment into one of salvation. The second half, hunters, anticipates final accountability (Revelation 6:15-17) when no mountain or cave can hide the unrepentant. Both metaphors affirm that God actively gathers humanity, whether for redemption or for righteous reckoning. Practical Ministry Implications 1. Holiness and Accountability – Pastors remind congregations that secret sins cannot escape the divine eye; repentance is urgent. – The church, commissioned as “fishers,” must labor before the “hunters” of final judgment arrive. – Believers threatened by persecution find assurance in the Lord who rescues from snares (Psalm 124:7). Key Cross-References • Psalm 10:9; Psalm 140:5 – The wicked set traps. Summary צַיָּד concentrates the imagery of the relentless hunter. In Jeremiah it declares the inevitability of Judah’s exile, while across Scripture the motif warns of inescapable judgment and simultaneously magnifies God’s power to deliver from every snare. Forms and Transliterations צַיָּדִ֔ים צידים ṣay·yā·ḏîm ṣayyāḏîm tzaiyaDimLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Jeremiah 16:16 HEB: אֶשְׁלַח֙ לְרַבִּ֣ים צַיָּדִ֔ים וְצָד֞וּם מֵעַ֤ל NAS: for many hunters, and they will hunt KJV: for many hunters, and they shall hunt INT: will send many hunters will hunt from 1 Occurrence |
    |