פֹּכֶרֶת צְבָיִים
Pokereth-Tsebajim, one of the 'servants of Solomon'
Definition
Pokereth-Tsebajim is a proper name, specifically the name of an individual listed among the 'servants of Solomon' whose descendants returned from the Babylonian exile. The name is a compound, likely meaning 'trap of gazelles' or 'entrapper of gazelles,' though it functions solely as a personal identifier in the biblical text. It appears only in the post-exilic census lists, where it designates a family head or clan associated with the temple servants (Nethinim). There are no differing senses or meanings across its two occurrences; it consistently refers to this specific ancestral line.
Biblical Usage
This name is used exclusively in the Old Testament within the context of post-exilic registration lists. It appears twice, in identical lists documenting the families of the 'servants of Solomon' who returned from Babylon to Judah. The two occurrences are in Ezra 2:57 and Nehemiah 7:59. The usage pattern is purely administrative, serving to record the continuity and identity of a family group within the restored community, with no narrative or descriptive context provided.
Etymology
The name is a compound of two Hebrew elements. The first part, 'Pokereth,' appears to be the feminine active participle of an unused root (p-k-r) meaning 'to entrap.' The second part, 'Tsebajim,' is the plural form of 'tsᵉbî' (H6643), meaning 'gazelle' or 'beauty.' Thus, the name's literal construction is 'entrapper (or trap) of gazelles.' As a proper name, this likely functioned as a symbolic or descriptive personal identifier, though its exact significance for the bearer is unknown.
Semantic Range
As a name meaning 'trap of gazelles,' it reflects a common ancient Near Eastern practice of using animal imagery or occupational metaphors in personal names (e.g., hunter, shepherd). Gazelles were symbols of speed, grace, and beauty. Being listed among the 'servants of Solomon' (Nethinim) placed this individual's descendants in a specific social and religious class dedicated to temple service, a role that persisted from Solomon's era through the exile and into the restoration community.
Nethinim (Nᵉthînîm, H5411) — A class of temple servants to which Pokereth-Tsebajim's family belonged.
Word Details
How this works
Hebrew definitions are from Brown-Driver-Briggs (1906) and Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (1890), both public domain. BDB was groundbreaking for its era but reflects 19th-century assumptions about Semitic etymology. Modern scholarship (HALOT, DCH) has revised many entries. Use these definitions as a starting point for exploration, not as the final word on a term's meaning in context.
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