### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew word **tsûwth**, represented by `{{H6702}}`, is a primitive root used to mean **blaze** or **burn**. It appears only **1 time** in **1 unique verse** in the Bible, making its specific context highly significant.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
The sole appearance of `{{H6702}}` is in [[Isaiah 27:4]], where God describes a hypothetical response to opposition. After stating, "Fury is not in me," He asks who would dare to set briers and thorns against Him in battle. God declares, "I would go through them, I would **burn** them together" [[Isaiah 27:4]]. This usage connects the act of burning directly to a swift, decisive, and complete destruction of adversaries in a context of battle `{{H4421}}`.
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related words from its only context in [[Isaiah 27:4]] illuminate its meaning:
* `{{H2534}}` **chêmâh** (heat; figuratively, anger, poison): This word for fury or wrath is used in contrast to the action of `{{H6702}}`. In [[Isaiah 27:4]], God states, "**Fury** is not in me," which sets the stage for the potential to burn His opposition. God's fury is elsewhere described as coming forth like fire [[Jeremiah 4:4]].
* `{{H4421}}` **milchâmâh** (a battle; generally, war): The context for the burning is explicitly a **battle**. The Lord declares what He would do if briers and thorns were set against him "in **battle**" [[Isaiah 27:4]]. Scripture often affirms that the battle is the Lord's [[2 Chronicles 20:15]].
* `{{H8068}}` **shâmîyr** (a thorn; also a gem, probably the diamond): This word represents the opposition to be burned. In [[Isaiah 27:4]], God speaks of destroying **briers** and thorns. Other passages use this word to describe things that are hard, like an adamant stone [[Ezekiel 3:9]], highlighting the immense power required to consume them.
* `{{H3162}}` **yachad** (properly, a unit, i.e. (adverb) unitedly): This term emphasizes the totality of the destruction. God does not just burn the briers and thorns, but He burns them **together**, leaving nothing behind [[Isaiah 27:4]].
### Theological Significance
The theological weight of `{{H6702}}` is concentrated in its single, powerful image.
* **The Power of Divine Judgment:** The use of `{{H6702}}` illustrates God's capacity to utterly consume His opposition. The imagery of burning briers `{{H8068}}` and thorns `{{H7898}}` demonstrates a swift and total judgment against anything set against Him in battle [[Isaiah 27:4]].
* **A Conditional Action:** The action of burning is presented as a hypothetical response. It is framed by the declaration, "Fury `{{H2534}}` is not in me" [[Isaiah 27:4]], suggesting that this overwhelming destruction is not God's default state but a reaction provoked by hostile forces.
* **Purging Worthless Opposition:** In Isaiah, briers and thorns often symbolize the results of wickedness or desolation ([[Isaiah 5:6]], [[Isaiah 9:18]]). Therefore, the act to **burn** them signifies a divine purging of that which is unproductive and antagonistic to God's purpose.
### Summary
In summary, while **tsûwth** `{{H6702}}` is an extremely rare term, its single instance provides a potent theological image. It functions as a powerful descriptor of God's capacity for judgment—a fire that can consume even the most defiant opposition, represented as briers and thorns. Found in [[Isaiah 27:4]], its meaning is amplified by the surrounding context of battle and fury, illustrating that while God's nature is not one of anger, His power to cleanse and destroy what stands against Him is absolute.
TRV