Lexical Summary tsen: Thorn Original Word: צֵן Strong's Exhaustive Concordance thorn From an unused root meaning to be prickly; a thorn; hence, a cactus-hedge -- thorn. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originof uncertain derivation Definition perhaps a thorn, barb NASB Translation thorns (2). Brown-Driver-Briggs [צֵן] noun [masculine] thorn? barb?; — pluralצִנִּים Proverbs 22:5 (+ מַּחִים); וְאֶלמִֿצִּנִּים Job 5:5 from (behind) thorns (a protecting thorn hedge, so Di), but very dubious; CheJQ July, 1897, 576 strike out as doublet of צַמִּים; BevJPhil. xxvi. 305 proposes וְאִנָם צִנִּים [and as to their wealth, barbs (? barbed spears) takeit]. Topical Lexicon Definition and Imagery צֵן denotes the common wilderness thorn or bramble. In the Ancient Near Eastern landscape it evokes ideas of dryness, barrenness, defensive entanglement, and painful obstruction. Unlike cultivated plants, the thorn is uncared for and often signals land left untended—an apt picture for spiritual negligence or divine judgment. Canonical Usage • Job 5:5: “The hungry consume his harvest, carrying it off even to the thorns, and the thirsty pant after his wealth.” Though occurring only twice, each usage is strategic. Job employs צֵן to underline how completely the wicked man’s prosperity is stripped away; nothing remains but what is fit only for thorns. Proverbs uses the word as a moral warning, portraying the life-path of the crooked as littered with harmful obstacles. Agricultural and Environmental Context Israelite farmers routinely battled thorns when reclaiming fallow ground (Isaiah 5:6). A harvested field left unattended quickly reverted to thorn-covered wasteland, illustrating decay that follows neglect. Shepherds, likewise, had to steer flocks clear of bramble patches lest wool be torn and movement impeded. Such everyday experience made the thorn an ideal metaphor for ruin and danger. Theological Themes 1. Judgment and Curse Genesis 3:18 links thorns with the ground’s curse after the Fall. Both Job 5:5 and Proverbs 22:5 echo that motif: divine judgment permits thorns to overrun what was meant for fruitfulness. 2. Moral Consequence In Proverbs, צֵן highlights the cause-and-effect principle. Moral perversity summons thorny repercussions, whereas the guarded soul avoids them. The term thus reinforces the wisdom literature’s call to prudent righteousness. 3. Reversal of Security Job 5:5 depicts hungry raiders harvesting right up to the thorns—no boundary stops them. The protection the wicked assumed is exposed as illusory, affirming the sovereign governance of God over human fortunes. Intercanonical Echoes New Testament writers continue the symbolism. Jesus’ Parable of the Sower warns that “the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth” choke the word “like thorns” (Matthew 13:22). The crown of thorns placed on Christ (Matthew 27:29) embodies the curse He bears and overcomes. These connections deepen the significance of צֵן as a token of sin’s penalty and the Redeemer’s triumph. Pastoral and Devotional Insights • Spiritual maintenance matters. Just as fields require vigilant weeding, hearts demand ongoing repentance and obedience lest thorny desires take root (Hebrews 12:15). Practical Application for the Church 1. Discipleship: Equip believers to recognize early “sprouts” of envy, lust, or pride before they harden into thorny strongholds. Summary צֵן serves as a concise yet potent biblical image of curse, danger, and moral consequence, urging God’s people to diligent faithfulness while pointing ultimately to the Messiah who absorbs and removes sin’s thorns. Forms and Transliterations מִצִּנִּ֥ים מצנים צִנִּ֣ים צנים miṣ·ṣin·nîm miṣṣinnîm mitztzinNim ṣin·nîm ṣinnîm tzinNimLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Job 5:5 HEB: יֹאכֵ֗ל וְאֶֽל־ מִצִּנִּ֥ים יִקָּחֵ֑הוּ וְשָׁאַ֖ף NAS: And take it to a [place of] thorns, And the schemer KJV: it even out of the thorns, and the robber INT: devour out thorns and take is eager Proverbs 22:5 2 Occurrences |
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