Word Study for H6689 (צוּף) | Strong's Concordance

Tsûwph /tsoof/ Ask about this word

Rootor צוֹפַי · or צִיף · from צוּף

Meaninghoney-comb; Tsuph or Tsophai or Tsiph, the name of an Israelite and of a place in Palestine

KJV usageZophai, Zuph.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of Tsûwph — 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 Tsûwph, represented by H6689, is defined as "honey-comb" but is used in Scripture as a proper name for an Israelite and a place in Palestine. It appears as Tsûwph (Zuph) or Tsôwphay (Zophai). This term appears 4 times across 4 unique verses, where it plays a key role in establishing both lineage and location.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In biblical usage, H6689 functions in two distinct contexts. First, it serves as a personal name identifying an ancestor of Elkanah, the father of Samuel. The genealogy in 1 Samuel lists Elkanah as "the son of Zuph" 1 Samuel 1:1. This lineage is confirmed in 1 Chronicles, where the name appears as both Zuph 1 Chronicles 6:35 and Zophai 1 Chronicles 6:26. Second, it designates a geographical area, "the land of Zuph," which Saul entered while searching for his father's lost asses 1 Samuel 9:5.

Related Words & Concepts

One key related term helps to contextualize the significance of H6689:

H7436 Râmâthayim Tsôwphîym (Ramathaimzophim): This place name, meaning "double height of watchers," is the hometown of Elkanah. Its appearance in the same verse that names Zuph as an ancestor suggests a strong connection between the land and the patriarch of the clan who settled it 1 Samuel 1:1.

Theological Significance

The significance of H6689 lies not in a theological concept, but in its function as a narrative anchor for genealogy and geography.

Genealogical Anchor: By identifying Zuph as an ancestor of Samuel's father, the term establishes the heritage of a pivotal figure in Israel's history. It grounds Samuel's family within the tribe of Ephraim 1 Samuel 1:1 and the Levitical line 1 Chronicles 6:35.
Geographical Landmark: As "the land of Zuph," the name provides a specific setting for a key moment in Saul's journey toward kingship 1 Samuel 9:5, rooting the narrative in a tangible location within Palestine.

Summary

In summary, H6689 is a specific identifier that functions as both a personal and geographical name. As Zuph or Zophai, it marks an important ancestor in the Levitical lineage. As the "land of Zuph," it marks a location in Saul's early travels. The term is crucial for providing the biblical narrative with a clear sense of lineage and place, demonstrating how identity was often tied to both ancestry and territory.

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.

צוּף
צוּף

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 4 verses across 2 of the 39 books. Most frequent in 1 Samuel and 1 Chronicles (2 verses each); never once in the other 37.

1 Samuel

1 Chronicles

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.