### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew word **tsâmâʼ**, represented by `{{H6772}}`, is a term for **thirst**. It appears **17 times** in **17 unique verses** and is used to describe both a literal, physical lack of water and a powerful, figurative longing. This term often highlights a state of extreme need, desperation, or divine judgment.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
In biblical narratives, `{{H6772}}` is used to illustrate states of severe hardship. It describes the physical suffering of the Israelites in the wilderness, who "thirsted there for water" and feared they would be killed with **thirst** [[Exodus 17:3]]. It also depicts the consequences of divine judgment, where a multitude is "dried up with **thirst**" [[Isaiah 5:13]] or when God threatens to "slay her with **thirst**" [[Hosea 2:3]]. In a profoundly figurative sense, the word is used to describe a spiritual famine, "not a famine of bread, nor a **thirst** for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD" [[Amos 8:11]].
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related words provide a fuller context for the concept of thirst and deprivation:
* `{{H6770}}` **tsâmêʼ** (to thirst): This primitive root is the verb form from which `{{H6772}}` is derived. It signifies the act of being thirsty, as when Samson was "sore athirst" [[Judges 15:18]] or when the soul "thirsteth for God" [[Psalms 42:2]].
* `{{H7458}}` **râʻâb** (hunger): This term is frequently paired with `{{H6772}}` to describe a state of utter destitution as a consequence of judgment. This pairing appears in curses for disobedience [[Deuteronomy 28:48]] and warnings of death by "famine and by **thirst**" [[2 Chronicles 32:11]].
* `{{H4325}}` **mayim** (water): As the direct remedy for thirst, this word is its natural counterpart. The lack of **water** causes fish to die from **thirst** [[Isaiah 50:2]], and its provision is an act of God's mercy, who gives **water** for their **thirst** [[Nehemiah 9:15]].
* `{{H6723}}` **tsîyâh** (aridity, a desert): This word describes the type of environment where thirst is a constant threat. A land can be described as "a dry (**tsîyâh**) and thirsty (**tsâmâʼ**) ground" [[Ezekiel 19:13]], connecting the condition of thirst directly to a barren landscape.
### Theological Significance
The theological weight of `{{H6772}}` is significant, often symbolizing a condition that requires divine response.
* **A Condition of Judgment:** Thirst is repeatedly presented as a tool of divine punishment for disobedience. God sends curses that include hunger and **thirst** [[Deuteronomy 28:48]], and a disobedient nation is set like a dry land and slain with **thirst** [[Hosea 2:3]]. The daughter of Dibon must "sit in **thirst**" as a result of destruction [[Jeremiah 48:18]].
* **A Precursor to Provision:** A state of intense **thirst** often precedes a demonstration of God's power and mercy. God provides water from a rock to quench the Israelites' **thirst** [[Nehemiah 9:15]]. When the poor and needy fail for **thirst**, the Lord promises to hear them [[Isaiah 41:17]].
* **A Metaphor for Spiritual Emptiness:** The most profound use of the term shifts its meaning from a physical need to a spiritual crisis. The declaration of a future **thirst** "of hearing the words of the LORD" [[Amos 8:11]] establishes that the ultimate human need is for a relationship with and guidance from God.
### Summary
In summary, `{{H6772}}` is more than a term for a physical sensation. It is a powerful biblical symbol that illustrates states of human desperation, divine judgment, and the profound spiritual longing for God. From the literal suffering of a people in the wilderness to the figurative yearning for God's word, **tsâmâʼ** captures a fundamental aspect of the human condition in relation to its creator.
TRV