intensive from בֹץ; a swamp; fen, mire(-ry place).
Transliteration:bitstsâh
Pronunciation:bits-tsaw'
Detailed Word Study
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### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew word בִּצָּה (bitstsâh), Strong's H1207, denotes a "swamp," "fen," or "mire(-ry place)." It is an intensive form derived from the root בֹץ (bōts) `{{H1206}}`, which signifies "mud" or "mire." The intensive nature of בִּצָּה suggests a more pronounced, extensive, or deeply entrenched state of muddiness and waterlogging. Semantically, it evokes imagery of soft, yielding, unstable ground, often difficult to traverse or inhabit. It inherently carries connotations of stagnation, uncleanness, and potential entrapment, contrasting sharply with firm, dry land or flowing, clean waters.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
The term בִּצָּה (bitstsâh) appears rarely in the Hebrew Bible, but its few occurrences are contextually significant:
* **[[Job 8:11]]**: "Can the rush grow up without mire (בִּצָּה)? Can the flag grow without water?" Here, the word is used in a rhetorical question by Bildad the Shuhite, emphasizing the natural necessity of a miry, waterlogged environment for the growth of certain aquatic plants like the rush and flag. In this context, *bitstsâh* is presented as an essential, albeit potentially undesirable, condition for specific forms of life, highlighting the intricate dependencies within creation. It underscores the idea that even seemingly difficult or unpleasant environments serve a purpose in the natural order.
* **[[Ezekiel 47:11]]**: "But the miry places (בִּצָּה) thereof and the marishes thereof shall not be healed; they shall be given to salt." This is arguably the most theologically potent use of *bitstsâh*. In the vision of the life-giving river flowing from the Temple, which brings healing and abundance wherever it goes, certain "miry places" are explicitly excluded from this divine transformation. These areas are designated to remain barren and "given to salt," a symbol of permanent desolation and judgment (cf. [[Deuteronomy 29:23]], [[Judges 9:45]]). The *bitstsâh* here represents areas that resist or are immune to the life-giving power of God's presence, serving as a stark contrast to the flourishing life elsewhere.
### Related Words & Concepts
The primary related word is the root from which בִּצָּה (bitstsâh) is derived: בֹץ (bōts) `{{H1206}}`, meaning "mud" or "mire." The intensive form suggests a more extreme or extensive condition of *bōts*. Other related concepts and terms include:
* **טִיט (ṭīṭ) `{{H2916}}`**: "clay," "mire," "mud," often used for building materials or symbolically for human frailty or the depths of distress (e.g., [[Psalm 40:2]]).
* **רֶפֶשׁ (rephesh) `{{H7516}}`**: "mire," "mud," often associated with defilement or the chaotic nature of the wicked (e.g., [[Isaiah 57:20]]).
* **מַיִם (mayim) `{{H4325}}`**: "water," particularly in its uncontrolled or stagnant forms, which can lead to miry conditions.
* **יָם (yam) `{{H3220}}`**: "sea," which in biblical thought can represent chaos, danger, or the unknown, and whose edges can be marshy.
Conceptually, *bitstsâh* relates to ideas of barrenness, stagnation, difficulty, unproductiveness, and in the Ezekiel context, a place reserved for divine judgment or permanent separation from blessing.
### Theological Significance
The theological significance of בִּצָּה (bitstsâh) is most profoundly revealed in [[Ezekiel 47:11]]. Here, the "miry places" stand as a powerful symbol of areas impervious to divine healing and transformation. In contrast to the river of life, which brings vitality to all it touches, these swamps remain untouched, cursed to perpetual barrenness and salinization. This can be interpreted in several ways:
1. **Resistance to Grace**: The *bitstsâh* may represent human hearts or societal structures that stubbornly resist God's life-giving Spirit and truth, remaining in a state of spiritual barrenness despite the outpouring of divine grace.
2. **Divine Judgment**: The designation "given to salt" signifies a place of permanent judgment and desolation. It speaks to the reality that while God's grace is vast, there are ultimate boundaries to transformation, and some conditions or entities are appointed for judgment.
3. **The Nature of Unholiness**: The mire, being inherently unclean and stagnant, serves as a natural symbol for unholiness or that which is fundamentally opposed to the purity and life of God.
4. **Sovereignty of God**: Even in the context of abundant blessing, God's sovereign plan includes areas that remain distinct, serving as a stark reminder of the consequences of separation from His life-giving presence.
While [[Job 8:11]] presents *bitstsâh* as a natural, necessary environment for certain life forms, it still carries the connotation of a less than ideal or difficult terrain. Theologically, it reminds us that God's creation encompasses diverse environments, some of which are challenging, yet serve specific purposes within His design.
### Summary
The Hebrew word בִּצָּה (bitstsâh) `{{H1207}}` denotes a "swamp," "fen," or "mire," an intensive form of the root for "mud" `{{H1206}}`. Its rare biblical occurrences highlight its dual nature. In [[Job 8:11]], it signifies a necessary, albeit challenging, environment for specific forms of natural life. However, its most profound theological resonance comes from [[Ezekiel 47:11]], where the "miry places" stand as a poignant symbol of areas that remain unhealed and barren despite the life-giving flow of God's presence. Theologically, *bitstsâh* represents stagnation, resistance to divine transformation, and ultimately, a place designated for judgment and perpetual separation from the abundant life offered by God, serving as a stark contrast to His redemptive power.
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