### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew word **tsammîym**, represented by `{{H6782}}`, translates as **robber**. Derived from a root meaning a noose or fastening, it figuratively signifies destruction. It appears **2 times** across **2 unique verses** in the Bible, exclusively in the book of Job.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
In its biblical occurrences, `{{H6782}}` is used to describe an agent of plunder and ruin. In Job, the **robber** is depicted as one who "swalloweth up" the substance of the wicked, taking a harvest that the hungry have already eaten [[Job 5:5]]. The term also appears in the context of a trap, where the **robber** "shall prevail" against a person who is already caught by the heel in a gin [[Job 18:9]].
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related words in the surrounding text clarify the actions associated with the **robber**:
* `{{H2388}}` **châzaq** (to seize, be strong, conquer): This word describes how the **robber** will **prevail** against someone, signifying an act of overpowering force [[Job 18:9]]. In other contexts, it is used positively, as when David **encouraged** himself in the LORD [[1 Samuel 30:6]].
* `{{H270}}` **ʼâchaz** (to seize): This root conveys the idea of capture and possession. It is used in the passage where a gin is said to **take** a person by the heel, setting the stage for the robber's attack [[Job 18:9]]. It can also describe God's protective grip, as in the Psalm that says "thou hast **holden** me by my right hand" [[Psalms 73:23]].
* `{{H7602}}` **shâʼaph** (to swallow up, devour): This verb vividly illustrates the complete and eager consumption of another's substance by the **robber** [[Job 5:5]]. The same word is used by the psalmist to describe enemies who would daily **swallow** him up [[Psalms 56:2]].
### Theological Significance
The theological weight of `{{H6782}}` is found in its role within the biblical discussion of justice and calamity.
* **Agent of Ruin:** The **robber** functions as a personification of the destructive consequences that befall the wicked in Job's discourses. It represents a force that brings about sudden and inescapable ruin [[Job 18:9]].
* **Precariousness of Gain:** The term highlights the vulnerability of ill-gotten or worldly substance. The **robber** swallowing a harvest shows that material wealth can be swiftly and completely lost [[Job 5:5]].
* **Predatory Destruction:** The actions associated with the **robber**—prevailing `{{H2388}}` and swallowing up `{{H7602}}`—paint a picture of a predatory power that seeks the downfall of others.
### Summary
In summary, **tsammîym** `{{H6782}}` is a focused and powerful term for a **robber**. Although it is used only twice, its context within the book of Job provides a stark image of violent plunder and the destructive forces that act as agents of calamity. It serves as a potent symbol of sudden loss and the peril faced by those caught in a web of suffering and consequence.
TRV