◄ 6836. tsippiyyah ►
Lexical Summary
tsippiyyah: Overlay, covering

Original Word: צְפִיָּה
Part of Speech: Noun Feminine
Transliteration: tsphiyah
Pronunciation: tsip-pee-yah
Phonetic Spelling: (tsef-ee-yaw')
KJV: watching
NASB: watching
Word Origin: [from H6822 (צָּפָה - watchman)]

1. watchfulness

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
watching

From tsaphah; watchfulness -- watching.

see HEBREW tsaphah

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
from tsaphah
Definition
lookout post
NASB Translation
watching (1).

Brown-Driver-Briggs
[צִמִּיָּה] noun feminine outlook-post (?); — suffix בְּצִמִּיָּתֵנוּ צִמִּינוּ Lamentations 4:17 (BaNB130; Bi [for both] בְּצַמּוֺתֵנוּ).

Topical Lexicon
Root and Conceptual Background

צְפִיָּה shares its consonantal skeleton with the well-attested verb צָפָה, which in one strand speaks of vigilant observation (“I will stand at my guard post and station myself on the rampart,” Habakkuk 2:1), and in another of overlaying precious metal upon an object (“Overlay it with pure gold inside and out,” Exodus 25:11). The unattested noun behind Strong’s 6836 therefore carries two intertwined ideas: (1) elevated, alert watchfulness and (2) the radiant covering that beautifies and protects. In Scripture these ideas frequently appear together—what is watched over is also worth adorning, and what is richly plated is guarded with care.

Theological Threads Drawn from Cognate Texts

1. Watchful Protection. The prophetic “watchman” motif (Isaiah 52:8; Ezekiel 33:7) embodies covenant responsibility: to see danger early and to warn. This vigilance mirrors the Lord Himself, who “will neither slumber nor sleep” (Psalms 121:4).
2. Glorious Covering. The tabernacle and its furnishings, overlaid with gold, testify that whatever belongs to Yahweh must be clothed in uncompromised splendor (Exodus 25–30). From Eden’s lost glory to the New Jerusalem’s golden streets (Revelation 21:18), Scripture traces a line of restored radiance.
3. Anticipation of Messiah. Zechariah envisions the Branch who “will bear royal majesty and sit on His throne” (Zechariah 6:13), uniting priestly holiness and royal splendor—the ultimate embodiment of both vigilant oversight and glorious covering.

Historical Insights

Post-exilic Judaism prized the office of the watchman as a metaphor for prophetic ministry, while temple ritual preserved literal gold overlay as a sign of divine presence. Rabbinic literature occasionally used derivatives of צפה for spiritual foresight, implicitly linking the two semantic strands long after the Hebrew Bible closed.

Ministry Applications

• Pastoral Oversight: Elders are charged to be “keeping watch over your souls” (Hebrews 13:17), a New-Covenant continuation of the watchman’s burden.
• Pursuit of Holiness: Just as acacia wood was covered in gold, believers are called to “put on the Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 13:14), overlaying frail humanity with His righteousness.
• Intercessory Prayer: Standing on the walls of Zion in prayer (Isaiah 62:6) blends vigilance and beautification; prayer both guards and adorns the church.

Eschatological Horizon

The heavenly city’s gates never shut (Revelation 21:25) because eternal security is guaranteed by the Lamb’s finished work; yet its very composition—gold transparent as glass—echoes the ancient overlay. Ultimate watchfulness and ultimate glory converge where God dwells among His people.

Summary

Though Strong’s 6836 itself never surfaces in the text, its twin strands—watchful guardianship and radiant covering—run like twin threads through the fabric of redemption, from the Ark of the Covenant to the Shepherd-King who both guards His flock and clothes them in glory.

Links
Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts
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