### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew word **tsôwʼâh**, represented by `{{H6675}}`, denotes **excrement** or **dung**. Appearing **5 times** in **5 unique verses**, it is used both literally for physical waste and figuratively for moral and spiritual pollution, often translated as **filth** or **filthiness**.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
In biblical usage, `{{H6675}}` carries a strong sense of defilement. Literally, it describes the grim conditions of a siege, where the men on the wall are reduced to eating their own **dung** ([[2 Kings 18:27]], [[Isaiah 36:12]]). Figuratively, it represents profound spiritual impurity. Isaiah speaks of a future time when the Lord will have washed away the **filth** of the daughters of Zion [[Isaiah 4:4]]. Proverbs describes a generation that considers itself pure but has not been washed from its **filthiness** [[Proverbs 30:12]]. It is also used to depict a scene of utter corruption, where tables are covered in vomit and **filthiness** with no clean place to be found [[Isaiah 28:8]].
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related words help clarify the context and meaning of `{{H6675}}`:
* `{{H7364}}` **râchats** (wash): This word, meaning to lave or wash, is often used in direct contrast to `{{H6675}}`, highlighting the need for cleansing from defilement ([[Isaiah 4:4]], [[Proverbs 30:12]]).
* `{{H1740}}` **dûwach** (purge): Meaning to thrust away or cleanse, this term appears alongside `{{H6675}}` to emphasize the active removal of impurity, as when the Lord will have purged the blood of Jerusalem [[Isaiah 4:4]].
* `{{H2716}}` **chereʼ** (dung): This word for excrement is used in conjunction with `{{H6675}}` in the account of Rabshakeh's threat, reinforcing its most literal and base meaning [[Isaiah 36:12]].
* `{{H6892}}` **qêʼ** (vomit): Paired with `{{H6675}}` in Isaiah, this term illustrates a state of complete and disgusting defilement [[Isaiah 28:8]].
### Theological Significance
The theological weight of `{{H6675}}` is significant, symbolizing the depth of human corruption and the need for divine intervention.
* **Moral Pollution:** The term serves as a powerful metaphor for sin. The **filth** of Zion represents its moral failings, which require cleansing [[Isaiah 4:4]]. Similarly, the **filthiness** of the self-righteous generation in Proverbs points to a hidden spiritual impurity [[Proverbs 30:12]].
* **Divine Cleansing:** The pairing of `{{H6675}}` with words like "wash" and "purge" establishes a clear theological concept: the pollution of sin is so profound that only a divine act of cleansing can remove it [[Isaiah 4:4]].
* **Judgment and Decay:** The use of `{{H6675}}` illustrates the ultimate end of rebellion and corruption. It depicts a state of judgment, whether through the horrors of a siege [[2 Kings 18:27]] or the complete moral decay of a society's leadership [[Isaiah 28:8]].
### Summary
In summary, `{{H6675}}` is a vivid term that moves beyond its literal meaning of **dung** to become a potent symbol in scripture. It graphically portrays physical degradation as well as spiritual and moral **filthiness**. Its usage underscores the biblical themes of human sinfulness, the consequences of corruption, and the absolute necessity of divine cleansing for restoration.
TRV