◄ 6844. tsaphith ►
Lexical Summary
tsaphith: Watchtower, lookout

Original Word: צָפִית
Part of Speech: Noun Feminine
Transliteration: tsaphiyth
Pronunciation: tsaw-FEETH
Phonetic Spelling: (tsaw-feeth')
KJV: watchtower
NASB: cloth
Word Origin: [from H6822 (צָּפָה - watchman)]

1. a sentry

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
watchtower

From tsaphah; a sentry -- watchtower.

see HEBREW tsaphah

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
from tsaphah
Definition
a rug, carpet
NASB Translation
cloth (1).

Brown-Driver-Briggs
צָפִית noun feminine rug, carpet (laid out); — צָפֹה Isaiah 21:5, so now most, see especially CheIntr. Is. 126; > watch, outlook (I. צפה), Ges De and others

Topical Lexicon
Etymology and Semantic Range

The feminine noun צָפִית (tsāphît) belongs to the root group צפה (ṣ-p-h), which carries the ideas of covering, overlaying, or laying a surface upon something. In later Hebrew the term came to describe a plate or thin sheet of metal applied to another material—especially gold plating. Though the specific form does not appear in any preserved Old Testament verse, cognate forms (such as the verb צִפָּה, “to overlay,” and the noun צִפּוּי, “overlay, plating”) occur often, and together they demonstrate the semantic field to which צָפִית would have belonged.

Canonical Absence and Lexical Footprint

No Masoretic text cites צָפִית explicitly, yet the idea behind the word permeates Scripture. We learn its meaning from comparative linguistics, cognate nouns, and the conceptual framework of divine commands concerning gilded worship furniture. Its absence in direct quotation therefore highlights rather than diminishes the Old Testament’s pervasive theology of sacred overlay.

Conceptual Parallels in Scripture

Exodus repeatedly stresses gold plating for holy objects. “Overlay it with pure gold, both inside and out” (Exodus 25:11). The table of the Bread of the Presence (25:24), the altar of incense (30:3), and the Ark’s carrying poles (25:13) all follow the same pattern. Solomon later extended the principle: “He overlaid the altar of cedar” (1 Kings 6:20) and “overlaid the house... with gold” (2 Chronicles 3:7). In every case common material (acacia or cedar) was hidden beneath a radiant surface, dramatizing the holiness of the God who dwelt among His people.

Historical and Cultural Insights

Gilding was common throughout the Ancient Near East, conserving precious metal while displaying maximum brilliance. Egyptian, Phoenician, and Mesopotamian shrines used the technique, yet only Israel’s tabernacle tied the craft to covenant revelation. Exodus specifies dimensions, materials, and even the artisans empowered by the Spirit (Exodus 31:3-5), rooting aesthetic beauty in obedience rather than ostentation.

Theological Significance

1. Holiness—A precious overlay separated sacred objects from defiling touch (Numbers 4:15).
2. Incorruptibility—Gold’s resistance to corrosion symbolizes the enduring purity of God and His promises (Psalm 18:30).
3. Mediation—The high priest’s golden forehead plate (another noun, צִּיץ) declared “Holy to the LORD” (Exodus 28:36), reminding Israel that approach to God requires an appointed, sanctified representative.
4. Transformation—Base wood covered with gold foreshadows sinners clothed with Christ’s righteousness (Isaiah 61:10; Romans 13:14).

Practical Ministry Applications

• Worship and Stewardship: Excellence in art, architecture, and music rightly reflects God’s worth (Malachi 1:8-11).
• Discipleship: As acacia was first shaped and then plated, so character formation precedes visible ministry (1 Timothy 3:2-7).
• Sanctification: Genuine holiness is more than an exterior veneer; it springs from an inward work of grace (Matthew 23:27; Hebrews 12:14).

Related Hebrew Roots and Cognates

• צִפָּה (tsippâ) “to overlay, plate” (Exodus 25:11; 1 Kings 6:21).
• צִפּוּי (tsippuy) “overlay” (Exodus 38:24).
• Post-biblical usage preserves צָפִית for a metal sheet or facing, confirming its place within this lexical family.

New Testament Echoes

Peter compares faith to gold refined by fire (1 Peter 1:7), while Revelation pictures the New Jerusalem as a city where “the street was pure gold” (Revelation 21:21). These images pick up the Old Testament motif of resplendent holiness, now fulfilled in the redeemed people of God and the eschatological dwelling place of the Lamb (Revelation 21:22-23).

Devotional Reflection

Although hidden in our English Bibles, צָפִית silently witnesses to God’s concern for every detail of worship and life. Just as He ordered common wood to be covered with incorruptible gold, so He purposes to present His church “in splendor, without spot or wrinkle” (Ephesians 5:27). The unseen noun thus invites believers to pursue inward purity and outward excellence, confident that the God who designed every overlay in the sanctuary is shaping them for eternal glory.

Links
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