### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew word **tsîytsâh**, represented by `{{H6733}}`, is a term for **flower**. As the feminine form of צִיץ, it appears only once in a single verse of scripture, yet its context provides a potent and vivid image. It is used to symbolize something beautiful but explicitly temporary and destined to fade.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
The sole use of `{{H6733}}` is in [[Isaiah 28:4]], where it illustrates the fleeting nature of glory. The verse describes a "glorious beauty" `{{H8597}}` located on the "head" `{{H7218}}` of a prosperous "fat" `{{H8081}}` "valley" `{{H1516}}`. This beauty is explicitly defined as a "fading **flower**" `{{H6733}}`. The passage further compares this fading flower to "hasty fruit" `{{H1061}}` before the "summer" `{{H7019}}`, which is quickly seen and then "eaten up" `{{H1104}}` as soon as it is in hand `{{H3709}}`. This powerful imagery establishes the word's meaning as a symbol of transient splendor.
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related words from its context in [[Isaiah 28:4]] illuminate the meaning of **tsîytsâh**:
* `{{H5034}}` **nâbêl** (to wilt; generally, to fall away, fail, faint): This word directly describes the flower, emphasizing its inevitable decay. It reinforces that the beauty represented by the **tsîytsâh** is not lasting, but is in a state of fading away [[Isaiah 40:8]].
* `{{H1061}}` **bikkûwr** (the first-fruits of the crop): The fading flower is compared to this "hasty fruit," something that appears early but is also consumed quickly. This highlights the immediacy and short-lived existence of the object, like the "firstripe" `{{H1061}}` grapes of the season [[Numbers 13:20]].
* `{{H1104}}` **bâlaʻ** (to make away with (specifically by swallowing); generally, to destroy): This word describes the ultimate fate of the hasty fruit, which is to be "eaten up" or destroyed. It underscores the complete and swift end of the beauty that the **tsîytsâh** represents [[Isaiah 28:4]].
### Theological Significance
The theological weight of `{{H6733}}` is concentrated in its single appearance, offering a focused metaphor.
* **The Transience of Earthly Glory:** The **tsîytsâh** is part of a "glorious beauty" `{{H8597}}` in a place of abundance—the "fat valley" `{{H8081}}`. However, its defining characteristic is that it is "fading" `{{H5034}}`, serving as a biblical warning that worldly honor and prosperity are perishable [[Isaiah 28:4]].
* **The Swiftness of Divine Judgment:** The comparison to hasty fruit `{{H1061}}` that is immediately "eaten up" `{{H1104}}` suggests a sudden and irreversible conclusion. The beauty does not simply wither over time; it is swiftly consumed once it is seen `{{H7200}}`.
* **A Symbol of Perishable Beauty:** As a "fading flower," `{{H6733}}` represents anything that possesses external beauty but lacks enduring substance. It is an image of loveliness that is destined to be quickly destroyed, highlighting its vulnerability.
### Summary
In summary, while `{{H6733}}` **tsîytsâh** is one of the rarest words in the biblical lexicon, its singular context in [[Isaiah 28:4]] makes it a powerful symbol. It is not merely a "flower," but specifically a "fading flower" used to illustrate the impermanence of earthly glory and the swiftness with which worldly beauty can be consumed and brought to nothing.
TRV