Lexical Summary tsaphan: To hide, to treasure, to store up Original Word: צָפַן Strong's Exhaustive Concordance hoard, reserve, denyA primitive root; to hide (by covering over); by implication, to hoard or reserve; figuratively to deny; specifically (favorably) to protect, (unfavorably) to lurk -- esteem, hide(-den one, self), lay up, lurk (be set) privily, (keep) secret(-ly, place). NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origina prim. root Definition to hide, treasure up NASB Translation ambush (2), authority (1), conceal (1), concealed (2), hid (1), hidden (1), hide (2), keep them secretly (1), kept (1), lurk (1), restrain her restrains (1), saved (1), secret place (1), stealthily watch (1), store (1), stored (5), stores (1), stores away (1), treasure (2), treasured (3), treasures (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs צָפַן verb hide, treasure up (Late Hebrew id.; Tel Amarna ƒapânu; set, of sun); — Qal Perfect3masculine singular ׳צ Proverbs 27:16: 2masculine singular צָפַנְתָּ Job 10:13 +, etc.; Imperfect יִצְמֹּן Job 21:19 + Proverbs 2:7 Qr (Kt רצפן), suffix יִצְמְּנֵנִי Psalm 27:5, etc.; Participle active plural suffix צֹפְנֶיהָ Proverbs 27:16; passive צָפוֺן Proverbs 13:22 +, Psalm 17:14 Kt; feminine צְפוּנָךְ Hosea 13:12, etc.; — 1 transitive hide, with accusative of person Exodus 2:2 (E), Joshua 2:4 (JE), of hiding a quarrelsome woman, like hiding wind Proverbs 27:16 (twice in verse) (si vera 1.; compare Toy); of ׳י's hiding his servants (from evil) Psalm 27:5; Psalm 31:21: = treasure up a thing, Proverbs 10:14, + אִתְּךָ with thyself, in thine own keeping Proverbs 2:1 = Proverbs 7:1, in (ב) the heart Job 10:13 (subject ׳י; of secret purposes), Psalm 119:11, compare Job 23:12; + ל person Proverbs 13:22; Cant 7:14, subject ׳י 21:19 reserve penalty; blessings Psalm 31:20; Proverbs 2:7 + מִן Job 17:4 thou [God] hast treasured up their heart away from understanding, kept it therefrom; passive, of sin Hosea 13:12 (absolute; "" צָרוּר); read possibly צָפוּן for צָפוּ Job 15:22 treasured up for (אֱלֵי) the sword (see I. צפה); צָפוּן = treasured, cherished place (i.e.Jerusalem) Ezekiel 7:22; = treasure Psalm 17:14 Qr (Kt צפינך, see צפין), Job 20:26 (on dubious text see Bu); plural of ׳י's treasured ones, his saints Psalm 83:4. 2 intransitive lie hid, lurk, absolute Psalm 56:7, with ל person Proverbs 1:11,18 and (of eyes of wicked) Psalm 10:8. Niph`al Perfect3masculine singular נִצְמֵּן Jeremiah 16:17 be hidden from before (מִנֶּנֶד) ׳יs eyes ("" נִסְתְּרוּ); 3 plural נִצְמְּנוּ Job 24:1 + מִשַׁדַּי stored up on the part of shadday; stored up for (ל) one Job 15:20. Hiph`il hide, = Qal: Imperfect2masculine singular suffix תַּצְמִּנֵנִי Job 14:18, with ב location; 3 masculine plural יצפינו Psalm 56:7 Kt (but < Qr see Qal); Infinitive construct suffix הַצְּפִינוֺ (Ges§ 20h) Exodus 2:3 to hide him. Topical Lexicon Overview צָפַן portrays purposeful concealment. In Scripture that concealment may protect, preserve, treasure, reserve, lurk, or lie in wait. What is concealed can be either precious (divine goodness, wisdom, a newborn child) or perilous (violence, iniquity, coming wrath). The verb therefore becomes a window into the moral polarity of hidden things and the God who sees and governs them all. Biblical Distribution and Scope About thirty-one occurrences span every major corpus: This breadth allows the term to speak to family life, warfare, worship, ethics, prophecy, and personal devotion. Hiddenness as Divine Protection The first biblical use sets the tone: “When she saw that he was a beautiful child, she hid him for three months” (Exodus 2:2). Tsaphan shelters the covenant deliverer from Pharaoh’s genocide. The same protective nuance resurfaces in the Psalms: The Lord does not merely react; He proactively stores up mercy and refuge for His people long before the crisis arrives. Treasuring the Word and Wisdom Within Wisdom literature the verb frequently commends internalizing revelation: Here tsaphan feeds spiritual formation. The hidden word strengthens conscience, shapes affections, and equips obedience. It also underscores the sufficiency of Scripture; no supplemental secret knowledge is needed beyond what God has already provided and urged us to treasure. Concealing Sin and Violence The same verb is used for sinister ambush: Hidden love may seem benign, yet Scripture considers undisclosed covenantal loyalty a deficit when testimony or action is required. The moral lesson is clear: what is concealed can rot if not brought into the light of truth and accountability. Storing Up Blessing and Judgment Tsaphan stresses that future outcomes are already being stocked: Hiddenness therefore describes both hope and warning. Nothing truly evaporates from God’s economy; all deeds, words, and motives are preserved for a day of recompense. Prophetic Use: Hidden Things Revealed Prophets leverage the verb to contrast mystery and disclosure. Isaiah announces, “From now on I will announce to you new things, hidden things unknown to you” (Isaiah 48:6). Ezekiel laments the desecration of the temple, “They will desecrate My treasured place” (Ezekiel 7:22), forecasting that what Israel presumed secure would be exposed to judgment. In Amos 3:10 the people “do not know how to do right,” having “hoarded up violence.” The prophetic angle heightens moral urgency: what seems securely buried will surface under divine scrutiny. Christological and Eschatological Resonance Colossians 2:3 teaches that in Christ “are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge,” an idea rooted in the tsaphan motif of stored-up riches. The incarnate Son is God’s final storehouse, now revealed yet still requiring Spirit-given insight. Eschatologically, believers’ lives are “hidden with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:3), echoing Psalm 27:5. Final glory involves public unveiling; what is now safeguarded will then be manifested (Romans 8:18-19). Historical and Cultural Background Near-Eastern peoples commonly buried valuables or grain to protect them from theft and war. The Hebrew text employs tsaphan for such practices (Joshua 7:21 uses a cognate noun for Achan’s buried spoils). The verb thus carried practical connotations familiar to agrarian and military life, enriching its theological usage: God is the ultimate Keeper of wealth and destiny. Pastoral and Devotional Implications 1. Scripture Memory – Tsaphan urges believers to internalize the word, creating a spiritual treasury that cannot be confiscated. Representative References Exodus 2:2, 3; Joshua 2:4, 6; Job 10:13; Job 14:13; Job 21:19; Job 23:12; Psalm 10:8; Psalm 17:14; Psalm 27:5; Psalm 31:19; Psalm 119:11; Proverbs 1:11, 18; Proverbs 2:1, 7; Proverbs 7:1; Proverbs 10:14; Proverbs 13:22; Proverbs 27:5; Isaiah 48:6; Ezekiel 7:22; Hosea 13:12; Amos 3:10. Forms and Transliterations הַצְּפִינוֹ֒ הצפינו וְצָפ֥וּן וַֽתִּצְפְּנ֑וֹ וַֽתִּצְפְּנֵ֖הוּ וצפון ותצפנהו ותצפנו יִ֝צְפְּנ֗וּ יִצְפְּנֵ֨נִי ׀ יִצְפְּנוּ־ יִצְפֹּֽנוּ׃ יִצְפֹּן־ יִצְפֹּ֗ונוּ יִצְפֹּ֣ן יצפונו יצפן יצפן־ יצפנו יצפנו־ יצפנו׃ יצפנני לִצְפּ֫וּנָ֥יו לצפוניו נִצְפְּנ֣וּ נִצְפְּנ֥וּ נִצְפְּנָ֖ה נִצְפַּ֥ן נצפן נצפנה נצפנו צְפוּנִ֑י צְפוּנֶֽיךָ׃ צְפוּנָ֖ה צָֽפַן־ צָפַ֣נְתִּי צָפַ֣נְתָּ צָפַ֥נְתִּי צָפַ֪נְתָּ צֹפְנֶ֥יהָ צפונה צפוני צפוניך׃ צפן־ צפניה צפנת צפנתי תִּצְפְּנֵ֥ם תִּצְפֹּ֥ן תַּצְפִּנֵ֗נִי תצפן תצפנם תצפנני haṣ·ṣə·p̄î·nōw haṣṣəp̄înōw hatztzefiNo liṣ·pū·nāw liṣpūnāw litzPuNav niṣ·pan niṣ·pə·nāh niṣ·pə·nū niṣpan niṣpənāh niṣpənū nitzPan nitzpeNah nitzpeNu ṣā·p̄an- ṣā·p̄an·tā ṣā·p̄an·tî ṣāp̄an- ṣāp̄antā ṣāp̄antî ṣə·p̄ū·nāh ṣə·p̄ū·ne·ḵā ṣə·p̄ū·nî ṣəp̄ūnāh ṣəp̄ūneḵā ṣəp̄ūnî ṣō·p̄ə·ne·hā ṣōp̄ənehā taṣ·pi·nê·nî taṣpinênî tatzpiNeni tiṣ·pə·nêm tiṣ·pōn tiṣpənêm tiṣpōn titzpeNem titzPon tzafan tzaFanta tzaFanti tzefuNah tzefuNeicha tzefuNi tzofeNeiha vattitzpeNehu vattitzpeNo vetzaFun wat·tiṣ·pə·nê·hū wat·tiṣ·pə·nōw wattiṣpənêhū wattiṣpənōw wə·ṣā·p̄ūn wəṣāp̄ūn yiṣ·pə·nê·nî yiṣ·pə·nū yiṣ·pə·nū- yiṣ·pō·nū yiṣ·pō·w·nū yiṣ·pōn yiṣ·pōn- yiṣpənênî yiṣpənū yiṣpənū- yiṣpōn yiṣpōn- yiṣpōnū yiṣpōwnū yitzpeNeni yitzpeNu yitzpon yitzPonuLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Exodus 2:2 HEB: ט֣וֹב ה֔וּא וַֽתִּצְפְּנֵ֖הוּ שְׁלֹשָׁ֥ה יְרָחִֽים׃ NAS: that he was beautiful, she hid him for three KJV: him that he [was a] goodly [child], she hid him three INT: was beautiful she hid three months Exodus 2:3 Joshua 2:4 Job 10:13 Job 14:13 Job 15:20 Job 17:4 Job 20:26 Job 21:19 Job 23:12 Job 24:1 Psalm 10:8 Psalm 27:5 Psalm 31:19 Psalm 31:20 Psalm 56:6 Psalm 83:3 Psalm 119:11 Proverbs 1:11 Proverbs 1:18 Proverbs 2:1 Proverbs 2:7 Proverbs 7:1 Proverbs 10:14 Proverbs 13:22 31 Occurrences |
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