English · KJV
H6679

צוּד

tsûwd /tsood/ Ask about this word
Roota primitive root · also denominative from צַיִד
Meaningto lie alongside (i.e. in wait); by implication, to catch an animal (figuratively, men); to victual (for a journey)
KJV usagechase, hunt, sore, take (provision).

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of tsûwd — 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 tsûwd, represented by H6679, is a primitive root that means to hunt, chase, or take provision. It appears 18 times in 15 unique verses. The word's meaning extends from the literal act of catching an animal for food to the figurative, and often violent, pursuit of human beings. It can also refer to the act of gathering victuals for a journey.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In the Bible, H6679 is used in several distinct contexts. It appears literally in the narrative of Isaac and his sons, where Isaac commands Esau to go to the field and take H6679 him some venison (Genesis 27:3, Genesis 27:5). The law in Leviticus also uses the term when giving instructions for a man who hunteth H6679 and catches a beast or fowl that may be eaten Leviticus 17:13. Figuratively, the word takes on a darker tone, describing the persecution of people. The prophet Micah laments that wicked men hunt H6679 their brothers with a net Micah 7:2, and the psalmist warns that evil will hunt H6679 the violent man Psalms 140:11. A unique usage appears in Joshua, where the Gibeonites refer to bread they took for their provision H6679 for their journey Joshua 9:12.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help to clarify the meaning of H6679:

  • H6718 tsayid (venison, hunting, victuals): This word, from which H6679 is sometimes derived, refers to the game being hunted or the provisions obtained. It is often used in close connection, as when Esau is sent to hunt for venison H6718 Genesis 27:5.
  • H6719 tsayâd (hunter): This noun specifically identifies the one who hunts. In Jeremiah 16:16, God declares He will send for many hunters H6719 who will hunt H6679 the people of Israel as an act of judgment.
  • H5315 nephesh (soul, life, person): This word often identifies the quarry in figurative hunts. Ezekiel warns against false prophetesses who hunt the souls H5315 of God's people (Ezekiel 13:18, Ezekiel 13:20).

Theological Significance

The theological themes associated with H6679 are multifaceted, encompassing both divine provision and judgment.

  • Persecution of the Righteous: The word is frequently used to depict the unjust and relentless pursuit of individuals. The enemies of the writer of Lamentations chased H6679 him sore, like a bird, without cause Lamentations 3:52. Job, in his suffering, feels that God himself huntest H6679 him like a fierce lion Job 10:16.
  • Human Depravity: In a state of sinfulness, humanity turns on itself. Micah uses the word to describe a society where men hunt H6679 their own brothers Micah 7:2, and Proverbs warns that the adulteress will hunt H6679 for the precious life Proverbs 6:26.
  • Divine Judgment: God can employ "hunters" as instruments of His judgment. He promises to send hunters to hunt H6679 a disobedient Israel from every mountain and hill Jeremiah 16:16, signifying a comprehensive and inescapable judgment.

Summary

In summary, H6679 conveys a powerful concept of pursuit that ranges from the literal to the metaphorical. While it can describe the simple act of hunting for food or taking provisions, its most significant use in Scripture is as a metaphor for the aggressive and often malicious pursuit of human beings. It illustrates themes of persecution, the consequences of sin, and the inescapable nature of divine judgment.

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 verb across 18 occurrences, inflected in 14 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.

  • מְצֹדְדוֹת
  • תְּצוּדֵ
  • יָצוּד
  • צָדוּ
  • הִצְטַיַּדְנוּ
  • תְּצוֹדֵדְנָה
  • צוֹדֵד
  • צָדוּ
  • צוּדָ
  • יָצוּדוּ
  • תָצוּד
  • צוֹד
  • צוּד
  • צָּד

Related Words

Related

Other entries the study above points to — each one is drawn from a reference it makes. Follow the trail to see how the words connect.

H6718 צַיִד from a form of צוּד and meaning the same; the chase; also game (thus taken); (generally) lunch (especially for a journey H6719 צַיָּד from the same as צַיִד; a huntsman; hunter. H5315 נֶפֶשׁ from נָפַשׁ; properly, a breathing creature, i.e. animal of (abstractly) vitality; used very widely in a literal, accomm

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 15 verses across 10 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Genesis (3 verses); never once in the other 29.

3
Genesis
1
Leviticus
1
Joshua
2
Job
1
Psalms
1
Proverbs
1
Jeremiah
2
Lamentations
2
Ezekiel
1
Micah

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.