Lexical Summary tsame: thirst, thirsty, thirsts Original Word: צָמֵא Strong's Exhaustive Concordance be suffer thirsty A primitive root; to thirst (literally or figuratively) -- (be a-, suffer) thirst(-y). NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origina prim. root Definition to be thirsty NASB Translation became...thirsty (1), thirst (3), thirsted (1), thirsts (2), thirsty (3). Brown-Driver-Briggs [צָמֵא] verb be thirsty (Late Hebrew = Biblical Hebrew (rare); so Arabic  Ethiopic  : Assyrian ƒûmu, thirst, etc.); — Qal Perfect3feminine singular צָֽמְאָה Psalm 42:3; Psalm 63:2; 2feminine singular וְצָמִת consecutive Ruth 2:9 (Ges§ 75qq); 1 singular צָמֵתִי Judges 4:19 (Ges§ 74k); 3 plural צָֽמְאוּ Isaiah 28:21; Imperfect3masculine singular וַיִּצְמָא Exodus 17:3; Judges 15:18; 3masculine plural יִצְמָ֑אוּ Isaiah 49:10, ׳וַיִּצ Job 24:11; 2masculine plural תִּצְמָ֑אוּ Isaiah 65:13; — be thirsty Judges 4:19; Judges 15:18; Ruth 2:9; Isaiah 48:21; Isaiah 49:10 ("" יִרְעָ֑בוּ), Isaiah 65:13 ("" תִּרְעָ֑בוּ) Job 24:11; with ל of thing, Exodus 17:3 (E); figurative צָֽמְאָה נַפְשִׁי לֵאלֹהִים. Psalm 42:3 my soul thirsteth for God, compare Psalm 63:2. Topical Lexicon Physical Thirst in Wilderness Narratives Exodus 17:3 records Israel’s complaint, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt—to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?” The word highlights a stark survival crisis in the arid Sinai. Divine response—water from the struck rock—reinforces Yahweh’s covenant faithfulness. Similarly, Isaiah 48:21 looks back on the same journey: “They did not thirst when He led them through the deserts; He made water flow from the rock for them.” The prophetic remembrance turns history into theology: God’s past provision guarantees future trust. Thirst in Battles and Deliverance Judges 4:19 shows enemy commander Sisera begging Jael, “Give me a little water to drink, for I am thirsty.” His vulnerability contrasts with Jael’s decisive act, illustrating how God overturns military power. Judges 15:18 portrays Samson, exhausted after victory, crying, “You have granted this great deliverance… yet now shall I die of thirst?” God again answers with water from Lehi. Both accounts pair miraculous rescue with immediate bodily need, underscoring that deliverance is incomplete without the Sustainer. Agrarian Hardship and Social Justice Job 24:11 laments oppressed laborers who “tread the winepresses, yet suffer thirst.” Thirst here unmasks exploitation: the powerful enjoy produce while laborers lack basic refreshment. The verse invites ethical reflection on economic structures that ignore human need, warning that God sees every parched tongue. Covenant Hospitality In Ruth 2:9 Boaz tells the Moabite gleaner, “When you are thirsty, go and drink from the jars the young men have filled.” Boaz models covenant hospitality, extending Israel’s merciful God to a foreigner. The instruction anticipates Gospel inclusivity: those once far off are welcomed to drink. Poetic Longing for God Psalm 42:2: “My soul thirsts for God, the living God.” Psalm 63:1 echoes, “My soul thirsts for You; my flesh yearns for You in a dry and weary land without water.” Physical thirst becomes metaphor for deepest spiritual desire. The psalmists teach that true satisfaction transcends material provision; only communion with the living God quenches the soul. Prophetic Promises of Abundant Refreshment Isaiah 49:10 proclaims eschatological reversal: “They will neither hunger nor thirst, nor will scorching heat or sun beat down on them.” Future Zion envisions total relief from deprivation. Isaiah 65:13 contrasts destinies: “My servants will drink, but you will go thirsty.” Thirst thus becomes covenant litmus: obedience yields refreshment; rebellion, dryness. Theological Trajectory toward Living Water Old Testament treatment of thirst sets the stage for the Messiah who cries, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink” (John 7:37). The same God who split rocks now offers living water in His Son. Every earlier instance—Israel, Samson, the psalmists—points to a greater provision that satisfies forever (John 4:14). Historical Background Ancient Israel lived in a land dependent on seasonal rains and scarce wells. Thirst was a constant peril shaping social customs (sharing water), military strategy (controlling springs), and religious festivals (prayers for rain). Understanding this context magnifies the Scriptures’ frequent water imagery and God’s self-revelation as Fountain of Life. Ministry and Discipleship Applications 1. Preaching: Use narratives of Exodus 17 or Judges 15 to assure congregations that God meets both physical and spiritual needs. Summary Across Law, History, Poetry, and Prophets, the word portrays literal desperation, metaphorical longing, just hospitality, and ultimate promise. Earthly thirst exposes human frailty; divine provision reveals steadfast love. The theme culminates in the Gospel, where the once-parched may drink freely from the spring of the water of life. Forms and Transliterations וְצָמִ֗ת וַיִּצְמָ֨א וַיִּצְמָֽאוּ׃ וַיִּצְמָא֮ ויצמא ויצמאו׃ וצמת יִצְמָ֔אוּ יצמאו צָמְא֗וּ צָמְאָ֬ה צָמֵ֑אתִי צמאה צמאו צמאתי תִּצְמָ֑אוּ תצמאו ṣā·mə·’āh ṣā·mə·’ū ṣā·mê·ṯî ṣāmə’āh ṣāmə’ū ṣāmêṯî tiṣ·mā·’ū tiṣmā’ū titzMau tzameAh tzaMeti tzameU vaiyitzMa vaiyitzMau vetzaMit way·yiṣ·mā way·yiṣ·mā·’ū wayyiṣmā wayyiṣmā’ū wə·ṣā·miṯ wəṣāmiṯ yiṣ·mā·’ū yiṣmā’ū yitzMauLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Exodus 17:3 HEB: וַיִּצְמָ֨א שָׁ֤ם הָעָם֙ NAS: But the people thirsted there KJV: And the people thirsted there for water; INT: thirsted there the people Judges 4:19 Judges 15:18 Ruth 2:9 Job 24:11 Psalm 42:2 Psalm 63:1 Isaiah 48:21 Isaiah 49:10 Isaiah 65:13 10 Occurrences |
    |