### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew word **tsimmâʼôwn**, represented by `{{H6774}}`, refers to a **thirsty place, i.e. desert; drought, dry ground, thirsty land**. It appears **3 times** across **3 unique verses** in the Bible. This term specifically captures the essence of a land devoid of water, highlighting conditions of extreme aridity and barrenness.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
In its biblical usage, `{{H6774}}` consistently appears in contexts that contrast desolation with divine intervention. It describes a key feature of the "great and terrible wilderness" the Israelites journeyed through, a place of **drought** where there was "no water" until God provided it from a rock [[Deuteronomy 8:15]]. As an expression of God's power, He can turn rivers and watersprings into **dry ground** [[Psalms 107:33]]. Conversely, in prophecies of restoration, the **thirsty land** is promised to become "springs of water," signifying a complete and miraculous renewal [[Isaiah 35:7]].
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related words help define the environment of `{{H6774}}`:
* `{{H4057}}` **midbâr** (a pasture... a desert; also speech; wilderness): This word often describes the physical location where **tsimmâʼôwn** is found. The **drought** of [[Deuteronomy 8:15]] is a characteristic of the `wilderness{H4057}`.
* `{{H4325}}` **mayim** (water): This is the direct antithesis of **tsimmâʼôwn**. The state of drought is defined by the absence of `water{H4325}` [[Deuteronomy 8:15]], and the reversal of this state is marked by its miraculous appearance [[Isaiah 35:7]].
* `{{H8273}}` **shârâb** (quivering glow (of the air)... the mirage; heat, parched ground): This term is used in parallel with **tsimmâʼôwn** to emphasize the intense heat and aridity of a barren land that God will transform [[Isaiah 35:7]].
### Theological Significance
The theological significance of `{{H6774}}` is tied to its depiction of extreme states that require God's power to overcome or create.
* **Condition of Testing and Judgment:** The **drought** in the wilderness was part of Israel's trial, a dangerous environment from which God delivered them [[Deuteronomy 8:15]]. God also uses this condition as an act of judgment, turning fertile places into **dry ground** [[Psalms 107:33]].
* **Setting for Miraculous Provision:** A place of **drought** becomes the stage for God's miraculous provision. The absence of water makes God's act of bringing it forth from a rock a powerful demonstration of His care and sovereignty [[Deuteronomy 8:15]].
* **Metaphor for Spiritual Restoration:** The promise that the **thirsty land** will become springs of water serves as a potent image of God's redemptive power to bring life, abundance, and renewal where there was only barrenness and desolation [[Isaiah 35:7]].
### Summary
In summary, `{{H6774}}` is a specific and powerful term for a waterless, arid place. It functions literally to describe the harshness of the desert and figuratively to represent conditions of divine judgment. Most importantly, it serves as the desolate backdrop against which God's power is revealed through miraculous provision and the promise of ultimate restoration.
TRV