Lexical Summary tsinoq: Lattice, window Original Word: צִינֹק Strong's Exhaustive Concordance stocks From an unused root meaning to confine; the pillory -- stocks. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom an unused word Definition pillory NASB Translation iron collar (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs צִינֹק noun [masculine] pillory; — Jeremiah 29:26 ("" מַהְמֶּכֶת). צנר (√ of following; Late Hebrew צִנּוֺר = Biblical Hebrew (also hinge-socket), and so ᵑ7 צִינּוֺרָא (rare)). Topical Lexicon צִינֹק (Tsinoq)Physical Nature and Function Tsinoq designates a wooden restraint that immobilized the neck and sometimes the hands or feet of a prisoner. The device forced the body into an uncomfortable posture, intensifying the punitive and humiliating character of the confinement. While similar in purpose to other Hebrew restraints—such as the mahpeket (Jeremiah 20:2) or the “fetters” that bound Joseph (Psalm 105:18)—tsinoq is distinct in that it centers on the neck, symbolizing a total curbing of the individual’s freedom, speech, and dignity. Canonical Occurrence The term appears only once, in Jeremiah 29:26. Shemaiah the Nehelamite writes from Babylon to Zephaniah the priest in Jerusalem, urging him to discipline the prophet Jeremiah: “‘The LORD has appointed you priest in place of Jehoiada to be the chief officer in the house of the LORD, responsible for every madman who acts like a prophet. You must put any such man in the stocks and neck irons.’” (Jeremiah 29:26) Here “stocks and neck irons” translate tsinoq, illustrating an attempted suppression of prophetic witness within the Temple precincts. Historical Setting Jeremiah 29 records correspondence between exiles in Babylon and those remaining in Judah during the reign of King Zedekiah (circa 597-586 B.C.). The regime viewed Jeremiah’s prophecies of a seventy-year exile (Jeremiah 29:10) as destabilizing. Shemaiah’s letter reflects the religious establishment’s anxiety: if the exiles accepted Jeremiah’s word, resistance to Babylonian overlordship would ebb and with it the authority of court prophets who promised a speedy return. The tsinoq embodies that impulse to silence dissenting voices by physical coercion. Relationship to Other Biblical Restraints 1. Jeremiah 20:2: Pashhur the priest places Jeremiah “in the stocks” (mahpeket), confining his body at the Benjamin Gate. Though different words are used, each scenario reveals that physical restraints frequently target those who proclaim uncomfortable truth. Tsinoq, focused on the neck, intensifies this symbolism: the instrument intended to quiet the voice ultimately magnifies it through the scriptural record. Theological and Ministry Insights Persecution of Prophetic Testimony Tsinoq illustrates human opposition to divine revelation. Religious officials, entrusted with God’s house, sought to gag a true prophet under the guise of protecting orthodoxy. Yet the same chapter records God’s judgment upon Shemaiah (Jeremiah 29:31-32), demonstrating that suppressing God’s word invites divine reproof. Suffering and Vindication The lonely plight of Jeremiah foreshadows the sufferings of Christ, who was “led like a lamb to the slaughter” (Isaiah 53:7) and later of the apostles, who rejoiced when they were “counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the Name” (Acts 5:41). The tsinoq thus becomes a type of the cross-bearing that faithful servants may endure (Matthew 16:24). The Word Cannot Be Chained Paul declares, “the word of God is not bound” (2 Timothy 2:9). Even as leaders planned to immobilize Jeremiah’s neck, his letters reached Babylon, shaping the faith of future generations. Physical restraint cannot nullify divine purpose; indeed, tsinoq serves as a narrative device to highlight the unstoppable advance of revelation. Pastoral Application 1. Expect Opposition: Faithful proclamation may invite attempts—literal or figurative—to “put the neck in the stocks.” Conclusion Tsinoq, though mentioned only once, encapsulates a recurring biblical theme: the clash between temporal authority and prophetic truth. It is a silent yet potent witness to the cost of discipleship and to the certainty that God’s word, though momentarily shackled, ultimately “accomplishes what He pleases” (Isaiah 55:11). Forms and Transliterations הַצִּינֹֽק׃ הצינק׃ haṣ·ṣî·nōq haṣṣînōq hatztziNokLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Jeremiah 29:26 HEB: הַמַּהְפֶּ֖כֶת וְאֶל־ הַצִּינֹֽק׃ NAS: him in the stocks and in the iron collar, KJV: him in prison, and in the stocks. INT: the stocks and the iron 1 Occurrence |
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