### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew word **tsâbûwaʻ**, represented by `{{H6641}}`, is defined as **speckled** or dyed, and is also used to refer to the hyena. This term is exceptionally rare, appearing only **1 time** in **1 unique verse** in the entire Bible, making its single usage highly significant for understanding its meaning.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
The sole appearance of `{{H6641}}` is in [[Jeremiah 12:9]], where God uses it to create a powerful and distressing image of His people. The verse reads, "Mine heritage is unto me as a **speckled** bird, the birds round about are against her." In this context, the quality of being "speckled" marks God's heritage as distinct and different from those around it. This uniqueness, however, does not lead to admiration but rather to hostility, as the surrounding birds gather against it, and the beasts of the field are summoned to devour it.
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related words in the surrounding text illuminate the context of this metaphor:
* `{{H5159}}` **nachălâh** (heritage): This word refers to an inheritance, estate, or portion. In [[Jeremiah 12:9]], it is God's **heritage** that is likened to the speckled bird. The term is often used to describe God's special possession, His people [[Joel 2:17]] or the blessings He gives, such as children [[Psalms 127:3]].
* `{{H5861}}` **ʻayiṭ** (bird): This term describes a **bird** of prey, such as a hawk. In the passage, it is used for both the "speckled **bird**" and the other ravenous **birds** that are against it [[Jeremiah 12:9]]. This word can also refer to a divine instrument of judgment, as in [[Isaiah 46:11]], which speaks of calling a "ravenous **bird** from the east."
* `{{H2416}}` **chay** (beast): Meaning a living thing or, more specifically, a wild **beast**. In [[Jeremiah 12:9]], the **beasts** of the field are called to join the attack. This word is also used to describe predators that prey on a scattered and leaderless flock [[Ezekiel 34:5]].
* `{{H402}}` **ʼoklâh** (devour): Defined as food or the act of consuming. The ultimate fate of the speckled bird is to be **devoured** [[Jeremiah 12:9]]. This word carries a sense of destructive consumption, as when God's scattered people became "meat" for beasts [[Ezekiel 34:5]].
### Theological Significance
The theological weight of `{{H6641}}` is concentrated in its single, potent image of judgment.
* **Conspicuous Isolation:** To be "speckled" makes God's heritage stand out. This distinctiveness, which should be a mark of honor as His chosen people, becomes the very thing that attracts opposition and makes them a target [[Jeremiah 12:9]].
* **Heritage Under Judgment:** The passage illustrates a painful reality where God's own `nachălâh` `{{H5159}}`, His inheritance, becomes the subject of His judgment. He is the one who describes His people as the isolated bird and calls for the beasts (`chay`, `{{H2416}}`) to come and devour (`ʼoklâh`, `{{H402}}`) her.
* **Vulnerability to Attack:** The metaphor powerfully conveys a state of total vulnerability. The "speckled bird" is alone and beset on all sides by other birds of prey (`ʻayiṭ`, `{{H5861}}`), signifying a people abandoned to their enemies as a direct consequence of their standing with God.
### Summary
In summary, `{{H6641}}` **tsâbûwaʻ** provides a singular, vivid metaphor within scripture. Its lone appearance in [[Jeremiah 12:9]] paints a stark picture of God's heritage as a "speckled bird"—unique and set apart, yet precisely for that reason, isolated and targeted for destruction. The word encapsulates a moment of divine judgment where the very distinctiveness of God's people becomes the cause of their vulnerability to a hostile world.
TRV