Word Study for H6675 (צוֹאָה)

tsôwʼâh /tso-aw'/ Ask about this word

Rootor צֹאָה · feminine of צוֹא

Meaningexcrement; generally, dirt; figuratively, pollution

KJV usagedung, filth(-iness). Marg. for חֶרֶא.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of tsôwʼâh — 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 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.

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 a noun across 3 occurrences, inflected in 2 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.

צֹאַת
צֹאָה

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

Appears in 5 verses across 3 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Isaiah (3 verses); never once in the other 36.

2 Kings

Proverbs

Isaiah

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.