Word Study for H3330 (יַצִּיב)

yatstsîyb /yats-tseeb'/ Ask about this word

Root(Aramaic) from יְצַבlemma יְצב missing vowel, corrected to class="strongs-hebrew-text">יְצַבxlit yᵉtsêb corrected to yᵉtsab

Meaningfixed, sure; concretely, certainty

KJV usagecertain(-ty), true, truth.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of yatstsîyb — the range of meaning it carries, how Scripture actually uses it, and where it points. Written for readers who don’t know the original language.

Core Meaning & Semantic Range

The Aramaic word yatstsîyb, represented by H3330, denotes that which is fixed, sure, or true. It appears 5 times across 5 unique verses in the Bible. Its base definition encompasses concepts of certainty and truth, primarily used to affirm the reliability of a statement, a dream, or a law.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

All occurrences of H3330 are found in the book of Daniel, often in conversations involving a king. It is used to establish the reliability of divine revelation, as when Daniel confirms to the king that "the dream is certain" Daniel 2:45. The word also functions as a simple affirmation of fact, such as when Nebuchadnezzar's counselors answer, "True, O king," confirming they had cast three men into the fire Daniel 3:24. It can describe a king's personal conviction, as when Nebuchadnezzar states, "I know of certainty" Daniel 2:8, or establish the binding nature of a law, which is described as "true" and unalterable Daniel 6:12. Finally, it is used when Daniel seeks the "truth" concerning a vision Daniel 7:16.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related Aramaic words provide additional context for the concept of truth and certainty:

H540 ʼăman: Defined as to be firm, faithful, or sure, this word often appears alongside H3330. A dream's interpretation is described as sure Daniel 2:45, and Daniel himself is found to be faithful Daniel 6:4. The word also describes trust, as Daniel was unharmed "because he believed in his God" Daniel 6:23.
H6591 pᵉshar: This word means an interpretation. It is frequently the subject which H3330 and H540 describe. Daniel seeks the truth H3330 and is given the interpretation H6591 of a matter Daniel 7:16, and a dream is declared certain while its interpretation is sure Daniel 2:45.

Theological Significance

The significance of H3330 is tied to its use within the context of divine and royal authority in the book of Daniel.

Certainty of Divine Revelation: The word underscores the reliability of God's messages. By describing a prophetic dream from God as certain Daniel 2:45, the text establishes that God's disclosures about the future are fixed and true.
Affirmation of Truth: H3330 is used to affirm facts in high-stakes situations. This is seen when Daniel asks for the truth of a vision Daniel 7:16 and when counselors confirm a fact is true before the king Daniel 3:24.
Immutability of Law: The word is used to describe a royal decree as true and unchangeable, linking the concept of truth to the power and permanence of established law Daniel 6:12.

Summary

In summary, H3330 is a focused Aramaic term that signifies what is certain, fixed, and true. Exclusively found in the book of Daniel, it plays a key role in affirming the reliability of divine messages, royal decrees, and factual statements. It highlights the importance of truth and certainty in matters of both heavenly revelation and earthly authority, often working in tandem with words like ʼăman H540 for "sure" and pᵉshar H6591 for "interpretation."

How the KJV Renders It

Translation

Strong’s lists the renderings but not their weight. These are counted from the King James text of the tagged verses — the bar under each is how often the translators actually reached for it. Select one to filter the occurrences below.

Grammatical Forms

Morphology

In the Hebrew Old Testament, this word appears as an adjective across 5 occurrences, inflected in 3 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form. Select any form to read what each part of its name means, and to filter the occurrence list to it.

יַצִּיב
יַצִּיבָא
יַצִּיבָ

Theographic Context

Context

The people, places, and span of history the verses containing this word touch on — drawn from the theographic tagging of Scripture. Select any name to isolate its verses in the occurrence list.

Biblical Distribution

Distribution

5 verses, all in Daniel — and none of the other 38 Old Testament books.

Every Occurrence

Concordance

Every verse where the word is tagged in the King James text. Filter by book, by the English word the translators chose, by grammatical form, or search within the verses.

Sources. Definition and numbering: James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890). Morphology: STEPBible / Tyndale House (CC BY). Verse tagging: the King James text keyed to Strong’s numbers. Every count on this page is computed from the tagged corpus, not estimated.