6725. tsiyyun

Lexical Summary

tsiyyun: Signpost, Monument, Marker

Original Word: צִיוּן
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: tsiyuwn
Pronunciation: tsee-YOON
Phonetic Spelling: (tsee-yoon')
KJV: sign, title, waymark
NASB: marker, monument, roadmarks
Word Origin: [from the same as H6723 (צִּיָה - dry) in the sense of conspicuousness]

1. a monumental or guiding pillar

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

sign, title, waymark

From the same as tsiyah in the sense of conspicuousness (compare natsach); a monumental or guiding pillar -- sign, title, waymark.

see HEBREW tsiyah

see HEBREW natsach

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
from tsavah
Definition
a signpost, monument
NASB Translation
marker (1), monument (1), roadmarks (1).

Brown-Driver-Briggs

צִיּוּן noun masculine sign-post, monument (Late Hebrew id. (צִיֵּין Pi`el denominative); probably from √ in original physical sense, see especially Arabic , Syriac , compare Schulth^{Hom. Wurz. 57} Kö^{ii 1, 154}; > √צין Buhl.); — absolute ׳צ, grave-stone 2 Kings 23:17; sign-post Ezekiel 39:15; guide-posts, plural צִיֻּנִים Jeremiah 31:21 ("" תַּמְרוּרִים).

Topical Lexicon

Definition and Semantic Range

צִיּוּן (tsiyyun) denotes a tangible marker set up to identify, memorialize, or direct. While the lexical root speaks of “marking,” Scripture reveals three nuanced functions: a grave monument, a directional signpost, and a temporary warning stake.

Occurrences in Scripture

1. Grave Monument – 2 Kings 23:17 records King Josiah noticing the “gravestone” of the “man of God who came from Judah,” preserved amid his reform.
2. Directional Signposts – Jeremiah 31:21 summons returning exiles: “Set up road markers for yourself; establish signposts”.
3. Purity Marker – Ezekiel 39:15 foresees men “set up a marker” beside discovered bones until proper burial ensures the land’s cleansing.

Historical Context

• 2 Kings 23 unfolds during Josiah’s sweeping purge of idolatry. A solitary tsiyyun survives—testifying that true prophetic witness endures when false worship is swept away.
• Jeremiah 31 addresses the northern kingdom’s exile. Signposts are not mere geography; they symbolize hope, guiding repentant hearts back to covenant lands.
• Ezekiel 39 looks beyond the eschatological defeat of Gog. Marking bones safeguards ritual purity, illustrating Israel’s future zeal for holiness.

Theological and Symbolic Themes

Memorial: Tsiyyun embodies remembrance. God’s acts and servants are not to be forgotten; their testimony stands as a fixed point in history (Psalm 77:11).

Guidance: Signposts imply a predetermined path. Return to Yahweh is neither aimless nor experimental; divine revelation marks the road (Isaiah 30:21).

Holiness and Cleansing: In Ezekiel, markers prevent defilement, reflecting God’s demand that His land and people remain undefiled (Leviticus 11:44-45).

Eschatological Assurance: The existence of markers after the Gog conflict presupposes survivors engaged in ordered, sanctified labor—anticipating final restoration (Ezekiel 39:21-29).

Practical Ministry Implications

• Spiritual Memorials – Churches and families benefit from intentional recollections of God’s faithfulness. Testimonies, historical journals, and even architectural features can function as modern equivalents of tsiyyun.
• Doctrinal Signposts – Clear biblical teaching serves as directional markers, especially for believers returning from moral or doctrinal exile (2 Timothy 1:13-14).
• Guarding Holiness – Proactive identification of defiling influences—whether moral compromise or doctrinal error—mirrors Ezekiel’s practice of marking bones until cleansing is complete (1 Corinthians 5:6-8).
• Hope for the Wayward – Jeremiah’s imagery assures prodigals that the path home is marked. Pastors and evangelists become living signposts, declaring “This is the way, walk in it” (Isaiah 30:21).

Summary

צִיּוּן, though appearing only thrice, weaves together remembrance, guidance, and holiness. Whether standing over a prophet’s grave, lining the road of return, or protecting the land from defilement, each marker points to the covenant-keeping God who preserves His word, directs His people, and purifies His inheritance.

Forms and Transliterations

הַצִּיּ֣וּן הציון צִיֻּנִ֗ים צִיּ֑וּן ציון צינים haṣ·ṣî·yūn haṣṣîyūn hatztziYun ṣî·yu·nîm ṣî·yūn ṣîyūn ṣîyunîm tziYun tziyuNim

Englishman's Concordance

2 Kings 23:17
HEB: וַיֹּ֕אמֶר מָ֚ה הַצִּיּ֣וּן הַלָּ֔ז אֲשֶׁ֖ר
NAS: is this monument that I see?
KJV: Then he said, What title [is] that
INT: said What monument is this who

Jeremiah 31:21
HEB: הַצִּ֧יבִי לָ֣ךְ צִיֻּנִ֗ים שִׂ֤מִי לָךְ֙
NAS: Set up for yourself roadmarks, Place
KJV: Set thee up waymarks, make
INT: Set roadmarks Place guideposts

Ezekiel 39:15
HEB: וּבָנָ֥ה אֶצְל֖וֹ צִיּ֑וּן עַ֣ד קָבְר֤וּ
NAS: then he will set up a marker by it until
KJV: then shall he set up a sign by
INT: will set by A marker until the buriers

3 Occurrences

Strong's Hebrew 6725
3 Occurrences

haṣ·ṣî·yūn — 1 Occ.
ṣî·yūn — 1 Occ.
ṣî·yu·nîm — 1 Occ.