Lexical Summary tsaphah: discharge Original Word: צָפָה Strong's Exhaustive Concordance swim From tsaphah; an inundation (as covering) -- X swimmest. see HEBREW tsaphah NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom tsuph Definition an outflow NASB Translation discharge (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs [צָפָה] noun feminine out-flow; — suffix צָפָֽתְךָ Ezekiel 32:6 thine outflow (flowing blood), Co Bthl Toy Krae. צוֺפַי = II. צוּף. צוֺפִים see צוּפִי. above Topical Lexicon Semantic Range and Imageryצָפָה (Strong 6824) conveys the picture of liquid that suddenly spurts, gushes, or overflows its banks. The lone biblical occurrence—Ezekiel 32:6—applies the verb to blood, intensifying the oracle’s violence. Rather than a mere trickle, Pharaoh’s blood is depicted as an uncontrolled torrent rising to the very mountains. The image recalls flash-flood conditions common in the wadis of the Near East, where a dry channel can be engulfed within moments. The term therefore supplies a vivid, almost cinematic, moment in which judgment is not incremental but overwhelming. Context in Ezekiel 32 Ezekiel’s lament over Pharaoh (verses 2–16) follows a series of prophecies against foreign nations (chapters 25–32). Egypt, the last and proudest of these powers, is addressed with maritime imagery (“monster among the seas,” 32:2) and then agricultural-flood language. In Ezekiel 32:6: “I will drench the land with the flow of your blood, even to the mountains; and the ravines will be filled with your flesh.” צָפָה anchors the verse, marking the point at which the blood becomes a flood, engulfing every topographical extremity from valley floor to mountain height. Divine Judgment and Covenant Faithfulness By choosing צָפָה, the Spirit highlights that Yahweh’s judgment is never partial or uncertain. Pharaoh typifies defiance against the LORD’s redemptive plan (compare Exodus 1–14). Nations that resist God and oppress His people eventually meet a judgment proportionate to their arrogance; the overflowing blood in Ezekiel signifies complete recompense (Romans 12:19). For the exiles hearing Ezekiel, Pharaoh’s downfall validated God’s covenant loyalty: if He can inundate Egypt with one word, He can surely restore Israel as promised (Ezekiel 36:24–28). Intertextual Echoes Although צָפָה itself appears only here, the motif of overflowing judgment threads through Scripture: • Genesis 6:17 – the waters “destroy all life under the heavens.” • Psalm 69:2 – “I have sunk into the miry depths, where there is no foothold; I have come into deep waters.” Ezekiel 32:6 stands in continuity with these texts, portraying divine wrath as a flood that sweeps away human pride. Pastoral and Homiletical Reflections 1. The severity of judgment underscores the holiness of God. No rebellion, whether national or personal, can escape His notice. Eschatological Significance Later biblical visions of final judgment echo Ezekiel’s flood-of-blood imagery (Revelation 14:20). The decisive language anticipates a day when all earthly powers opposed to Christ will be inundated under His righteous rule (2 Thessalonians 1:7–10). צָפָה therefore serves as an Old Testament harbinger of ultimate cosmic reckoning. Summary צָפָה paints the lone but memorable portrait of blood surging like an overflowing flash flood across Egypt’s landscape. Through that potent verb, Ezekiel communicates a judgment that is swift, total, and inescapable—reinforcing the unwavering holiness of God, the certainty of His promises, and the eventual vindication of His people. Forms and Transliterations צָפָתְךָ֛ צפתך ṣā·p̄ā·ṯə·ḵā ṣāp̄āṯəḵā tzafateChaLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Ezekiel 32:6 HEB: וְהִשְׁקֵיתִ֨י אֶ֧רֶץ צָפָתְךָ֛ מִדָּמְךָ֖ אֶל־ NAS: drink the discharge of your blood KJV: the land wherein thou swimmest, [even] to the mountains; INT: drink the land the discharge of your blood far 1 Occurrence |
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