Lexical Summary tsinnuwr: Pipe, conduit, channel Original Word: צִנּוּר Strong's Exhaustive Concordance gutter, water-spout From an unused root perhaps meaning to be hollow; a culvert -- gutter, water-spout. Brown-Driver-Briggs צִנּוֺר noun masculine pipe, spout, conduit (so Late Hebrew); — absolute וְיִגַּע בַּצִּנּוֺר 2 Samuel 5:8 (i.e., si vera lectio, of Jerusalem, but very dubious, compare Dr HPS); plural suffix קוֺל צִנּוֺרֶיךָ Psalm 42:8 the sound of thy (water-) spouts figurative, of sluices of heaven opened, compare אֲרֻבֶּה, מֶּלֶג. Topical Lexicon Overview The term describes a narrow conduit through which water is either gathered or cascades. Scripture employs it literally for a hidden access point to Jerusalem’s ancient stronghold and figuratively for the overwhelming rush of God-sent waters in poetic lament. Narrative Context: 2 Samuel 5:8 “Whoever would conquer the Jebusites must go through the water shaft…” (Berean Standard Bible). David’s charge linked the conquest of Zion to an obscure subterranean passage that carried spring-water into the citadel. By means of that shaft his men penetrated defenses that seemed impregnable, securing the very hill on which the Temple and later the Messiah’s redemptive work would unfold (Luke 19:45–48). David’s strategy models Spirit-led ingenuity: victory comes not by human strength alone but by discovering and exploiting God-provided openings. Poetic Imagery: Psalm 42:7 “Deep calls to deep in the roar of Your waterfalls; all Your breakers and waves have rolled over me.” The psalmist transforms the conduit’s roar into an emblem of life’s cascading trials and of the soul’s longing for God. As unseen torrents surge within a shaft, so unfathomed spiritual realities move beneath visible circumstances. Suffering therefore becomes a channel driving the believer deeper into communion with the living God. Historical and Archaeological Insights Nineteenth-century explorations uncovered a vertical shaft (popularly called Warren’s Shaft) connecting the Gihon Spring with the heart of ancient Jerusalem. Though debate continues over its precise identity, the discovery corroborates the biblical claim that a concealed water system existed before David’s capture of the city. Later Judean kings—most notably Hezekiah (2 Chronicles 32:30)—enhanced these works, testifying to an ongoing reliance on subterranean engineering for the city’s safety and survival. Theological Themes 1. Provision. Both occurrences remind God’s people that He supplies hidden resources at critical moments—whether literal water in arid terrain or sustaining grace in spiritual drought (Isaiah 41:17-18). Ministry Implications • Strategic prayer seeks the “shaft” God may open in otherwise closed situations—doors of conversation, policy shifts, or unexpected partnerships (Colossians 4:3). Christ-Centered Outlook David’s triumph through the water shaft foreshadows the greater Son of David, who entered fallen humanity through humble means and by apparent weakness secured the city of God for all who believe (Philippians 2:6-11). Psalm 42’s roaring waters anticipate the cry from the cross and the outpouring of living water at Pentecost (John 7:37-39; Acts 2:17). Related Scripture Genesis 7:11; John 4:14; 1 Peter 3:18-22—passages that link water, judgment, and salvation, underscoring the consistent biblical motif that what overwhelms can also deliver when ordered by the Lord. Forms and Transliterations בַּצִּנּ֔וֹר בצנור צִנּוֹרֶ֑יךָ צנוריך baṣ·ṣin·nō·wr baṣṣinnōwr batztzinNor ṣin·nō·w·re·ḵā ṣinnōwreḵā tzinnoReichaLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance 2 Samuel 5:8 HEB: יְבֻסִי֙ וְיִגַּ֣ע בַּצִּנּ֔וֹר וְאֶת־ הַפִּסְחִים֙ NAS: soul, through the water tunnel. Therefore KJV: Whosoever getteth up to the gutter, and smiteth INT: the Jebusites reach the water the lame and the blind Psalm 42:7 2 Occurrences |
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