6727. Tsicha
Lexical Summary
Tsicha: Drought, Dryness

Original Word: צִיחָא
Part of Speech: Proper Name Masculine
Transliteration: Tsiycha'
Pronunciation: tsee-khah'
Phonetic Spelling: (tsee-khaw')
KJV: Ziha
NASB: Ziha
Word Origin: [as if feminine of H6704 (צִּחֶה - parched)]

1. drought
2. Tsicha, the name of two Nethinim

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
Ziha

Or Tsicha({tsee-khaw'}; as if feminine of tsicheh; drought; Tsicha, the name of two Nethinim -- Ziha.

see HEBREW tsicheh

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
of uncertain derivation
Definition
an overseer of Nethinim, also an Isr. family
NASB Translation
Ziha (3).

Brown-Driver-Briggs
צִיחָא proper name, masculine an overseer of Nethinim Nehemiah 11:21, who are called בְּנֵי צִיחָא Ezra 2:43 = צִחָא בְּנֵי Nehemiah 7:46; Σηα, Σιααυ, Σιαλ, Σουλαι, etc.

Topical Lexicon
Entry: Tsicha (Ziha) – Strong’s Hebrew 6727

Scriptural Occurrences

Ezra 2:43 – “The temple servants: the descendants of Ziha, the descendants of Hasupha, the descendants of Tabbaoth.”

Nehemiah 7:46 – “The temple servants: the descendants of Ziha, the descendants of Hasupha, the descendants of Tabbaoth.”

Nehemiah 11:21 – “Now the temple servants lived on Ophel, with Ziha and Gishpa over them.”

Historical Context

The name appears exclusively in the post-exilic records that catalogue families returning from Babylon under Zerubbabel and later resettling under Nehemiah. Tsicha represents a family line within the Nethinim, a class of hereditary temple servants originally established to assist the Levites (compare Joshua 9 and 1 Chronicles 9:2). Their inclusion in the censuses underscores the thoroughness with which the remnant sought to restore proper worship in Jerusalem.

Role among the Temple Servants (Nethinim)

1. Support Ministry: Nethinim performed essential but humble duties—drawing water, preparing wood, and maintaining temple premises—freeing Levites for priestly functions (Ezra 8:20).
2. Covenant Inclusion: Though of non-Israelite origin, they were counted among the “congregation” (Ezra 2:64) and bound by the same covenant obligations (Nehemiah 10:28). Ziha’s descendants therefore illustrate the wideness of God’s provision, welcoming servants from every background into His house.
3. Administrative Trust: By Nehemiah’s day, “Ziha and Gishpa” were placed “over” the temple servants (Nehemiah 11:21). The elevation of Ziha’s line from general service to supervisory responsibility shows that faithfulness in lesser tasks qualifies believers for greater stewardship (Luke 16:10).

Geographical Note

Nethinim quarters were on the Ophel, the southeastern ridge of Mount Zion. Living adjacent to the Temple fortified their identity and availability for continuous service.

Spiritual Themes

• Restoration: The presence of Ziha’s descendants in both census lists confirms God’s preservation of even the least-noted families through exile (Jeremiah 29:11).
• Servanthood: Their unnoticed labor epitomizes the Messiah’s ethic—“whoever wants to be first must be slave of all” (Mark 10:44).
• Holiness: Assigned to sacred space, they model the call to “serve the living and true God” (1 Thessalonians 1:9) regardless of pedigree or prominence.

Ministry Implications

1. Every vocation in the body of Christ, visible or hidden, advances corporate worship (1 Corinthians 12:22).
2. Leaders should recognize and develop reliable workers, just as Nehemiah entrusted oversight to Ziha.
3. Churches benefit from recording and remembering those who labor behind the scenes, following the biblical pattern of listing even obscure servants for posterity.

Intertextual Connections

The mention of Ziha sits within broader Old Testament testimony that God honors covenant faithfulness rather than bloodline alone (Ruth 1–4; Isaiah 56:6–7). The Nethinim foreshadow the New Covenant reality in which Gentiles are “fellow citizens with the saints and members of God’s household” (Ephesians 2:19).

Key Takeaway

Tsicha’s family, though minor in number and function, stands as a perpetual witness that the Lord remembers, records, and rewards every act of willing service offered for His glory.

Forms and Transliterations
וְצִיחָ֥א וציחא צִחָ֥א צִיחָ֥א צחא ציחא ṣi·ḥā ṣî·ḥā ṣiḥā ṣîḥā tziCha vetziCha wə·ṣî·ḥā wəṣîḥā
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Englishman's Concordance
Ezra 2:43
HEB: הַנְּתִינִ֑ים בְּנֵי־ צִיחָ֥א בְנֵי־ חֲשׂוּפָ֖א
NAS: the sons of Ziha, the sons
KJV: the children of Ziha, the children
INT: the temple the sons of Ziha the sons of Hasupha

Nehemiah 7:46
HEB: הַנְּתִינִ֑ים בְּנֵי־ צִחָ֥א בְנֵי־ חֲשֻׂפָ֖א
NAS: the sons of Ziha, the sons
KJV: the children of Ziha, the children
INT: the temple the sons of Ziha the sons of Hasupha

Nehemiah 11:21
HEB: יֹשְׁבִ֣ים בָּעֹ֑פֶל וְצִיחָ֥א וְגִשְׁפָּ֖א עַל־
NAS: in Ophel, and Ziha and Gishpa
KJV: in Ophel: and Ziha and Gispa
INT: were living Ophel and Ziha and Gishpa charge

3 Occurrences

Strong's Hebrew 6727
3 Occurrences


ṣî·ḥā — 2 Occ.
wə·ṣî·ḥā — 1 Occ.

6726
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