צִבְעוֹן
Tsibon, an Idumaean
Definition
Tsibon (or Zibeon) is a proper name referring to two distinct individuals in the Old Testament, both associated with the Edomites (Idumaeans). The primary figure is Tsibon the Hivite, the grandfather of Esau's wife Oholibamah (Genesis 36:2). The other is Tsibon the Horite, a son of Seir and a chief in the land of Edom (Genesis 36:20, 29). The genealogical lists in Genesis 36 and 1 Chronicles 1 present these figures as part of the pre-Israelite inhabitants of the Seir region, which later became Edom. The name appears in contexts detailing the ancestry of Esau and the lineages of the Edomite tribes.
Biblical Usage
The name Tsibon is used exclusively in genealogical contexts within the books of Genesis and 1 Chronicles. It appears seven times, always listing ancestors or chiefs of the Edomites. In Genesis 36, it is used to trace the lineage of Esau's wives (verses 2, 14, 24) and to list the Horite chiefs of Seir (verses 20, 29). The Chronicler replicates these lists in 1 Chronicles 1:38, 40. The usage consistently serves to document the complex, pre-Israelite ethnic composition of the region of Edom.
Etymology
The name Tsibon (צִבְעוֹן) derives from the root צבע (tsaba), meaning 'to dip' or 'to dye,' and by extension, 'color' or 'variegated.' It is related to the noun צֶבַע (tseva', H6648), meaning 'dyed material' or 'color.' As a personal name, it likely carried a sense of 'colored' or 'variegated,' possibly describing appearance or character, a common practice in Semitic name-giving.
Semantic Range
While the name Tsibon itself is not theologically loaded, its presence in the biblical record is significant. It underscores the Bible's historical realism and its attention to the nations surrounding Israel. The detailed Edomite genealogies, which include figures like Tsibon, demonstrate God's sovereign oversight of all peoples and fulfill the promise to Abraham that nations would come from him (Genesis 17:4-6). They also establish the historical connection and tension between Israel (descended from Jacob) and Edom (descended from Esau).
In the ancient Near East, personal names often described a physical characteristic, hoped-for trait, or circumstance of birth. A name meaning 'colored' or 'variegated' like Tsibon may have referred to multi-colored garments (a sign of status or trade) or perhaps to distinctive hair or complexion. As a Horite and Hivite name, it reflects the diverse ethnic tapestry of Canaan and Transjordan before the rise of the Israelite and Edomite kingdoms.
None directly applicable for a proper name. Related are other Edomite/Horite names in the same genealogies: Seir (H8165) — the region and its eponymous ancestor; Anah (H6034) — a son of Tsibon the Horite.
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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