Bible Word Study
צׇרְעָה
Tsorʻâh · Tsorah, a place in Palestine
צׇרְעָה
Tsorah, a place in Palestine
Definition
Tsorah (צׇרְעָה) is a proper noun referring to a town in ancient Israel, located in the tribal territory of Judah (Joshua 15:33) and also assigned to the tribe of Dan (Joshua 19:41). It is most famously known as the hometown of the judge Samson, where his parents lived (Judges 13:2), where he was buried (Judges 16:31), and from which Danite spies were sent to explore the land (Judges 18:2, 11). The name appears in two slightly different forms in the Hebrew Bible, but both refer to the same geographical location.
Biblical Usage
The word is used exclusively as a place name in the Old Testament, appearing ten times. It is found in the historical books of Joshua and Judges. In Joshua, it is listed among the cities of Judah and Dan. In Judges, its usage is almost entirely connected to the life and legacy of Samson (Judges 13:2, 25; 16:31) and the subsequent migration of the Danites (Judges 18:2, 8, 11). This pattern establishes Tsorah as a significant location in the narratives of the judges period.
Etymology
The name Tsorah (צׇרְעָה, H6881) is apparently a variant spelling or another form of the word Tsir'ah (צִרְעָה, H6880), which means 'hornet.' The root is likely related to the insect, possibly indicating a place known for hornets or symbolizing a stinging, persistent quality. This connection to 'hornet' may carry symbolic weight, as hornets are elsewhere in Scripture associated with God driving out Israel's enemies (Exodus 23:28; Deuteronomy 7:20).
Semantic Range
Tsorah is theologically significant as the setting for the beginning of the Samson narrative, a story of Nazirite consecration, divine calling, human weakness, and God's sovereign use of flawed individuals. Understanding its location in the contested border region between Judah and Dan enriches the reading of Samson's life as one lived on the frontier, battling Philistine oppression. The town's association with the Danite migration (Judges 18) also places it within the larger narrative of tribal failure and idolatry. As a town in the Shephelah (lowland hills), Tsorah was in a border region between Israelite and Philistine territory. This frontier context is crucial for understanding the constant tension in Samson's story. Culturally, it was a Judahite town later claimed by Dan, reflecting the fluid and often contested tribal boundaries during the settlement period. Its possible name meaning ('hornet') might have been a descriptive local nickname or a symbolic label for a troublesome place. Tsir'ah (צִרְעָה, H6880) — The alternate spelling/variant form of the same place name, meaning 'hornet.'
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]