Bible Word Study
צָעִיר
Tsâʻîyr · Tsair, a place in Idumaea
צָעִיר
Tsair, a place in Idumaea
Definition
The proper noun צָעִיר (Tsair) refers to a specific location in Idumaea (Edom), mentioned only once in the Old Testament. In 2 Kings 8:21, it is recorded as the place where King Joram of Judah fought against the Edomites, who had rebelled against Judah's rule. The name itself is identical to the Hebrew adjective meaning 'small' or 'younger' (H6810), which may describe the settlement's size or its status relative to a larger city. As a place name, its significance is primarily geographical, identifying the site of a military confrontation during the divided monarchy period.
Biblical Usage
This word is used exclusively as a proper noun for a place name. Its single occurrence is in the historical narrative of 2 Kings 8:21, within the context of a military campaign. The usage is straightforward, serving to locate a specific event in the conflict between Judah and Edom.
Etymology
The word is derived directly from the Hebrew root צָעִיר (H6810), meaning 'small,' 'insignificant,' or 'younger.' As a place name, it likely functioned as a descriptive toponym, possibly indicating a smaller settlement or an outpost. It shares this root with the name of Esau's grandson, Tzair (Genesis 36:4), though that is a different individual.
Semantic Range
As a place name in Edom, it reflects the ongoing territorial and political conflicts between the Israelites/Judahites and the Edomites, their kin and frequent adversaries. Naming a location 'Small' or 'Younger' was a common ancient practice for distinguishing settlements. Its mention anchors the biblical narrative in a specific, known geographical reality of the time. שֵׂעִיר (Seir, H8165) — The mountainous region of Edom, a broader geographical area compared to the specific town of Tsair.
Word Details
How this works
Definitions are from the Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (BDB, 1906, public domain). Concordance and morphology data are from the OSHB (Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible).
Full methodology & sources →References
- Abbott-Smith, G. (1921) A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament. Edinburgh: T&T Clark. [Public Domain]
- Brown, F., Driver, S.R. and Briggs, C.A. (1906) A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament. Oxford: Clarendon Press. [Public Domain]
- Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Tyndale Brief lexicon of Extended Strongs for Greek (TBESG). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
- Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Translators Formatted full LSJ (TFLSJ). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
- Thayer, J.H. (1889) A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament. [Public Domain]
- Gesenius, W. (1846) Gesenius' Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon to the Old Testament. [Public Domain]
- Dodson, J. (2010) Greek Lexicon. Biblical Humanities. [CC0]