Word Study for H6807 (צְעָדָה)

tsᵉʻâdâh /tseh-aw-daw'/ Ask about this word

Rootfeminine of צַעַד

Meaninga march; (concretely) an (ornamental) ankle-chain

KJV usagegoing, ornament of the legs.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of tsᵉʻâdâh — the range of meaning it carries, how Scripture actually uses it, and where it points. Written for readers who don’t know the original language.

Core Meaning & Semantic Range

The Hebrew word tsᵉʻâdâh, represented by H6807, holds a dual meaning centered on movement. It is defined as "a march; (concretely) an (ornamental) ankle-chain; going, ornament of the legs." Appearing just 3 times in 3 unique verses, its usage is split between describing a military advance and a piece of jewelry.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In a military context, H6807 is used to signify a divine signal for battle. David is told to wait until he hears "the sound of a going" in the treetops before attacking the Philistines, as this indicates the LORD has gone out before him (2 Samuel 5:24; 1 Chronicles 14:15). In a completely different context, Isaiah lists the "ornaments of the legs" among various fineries that will be taken away in judgment, where it refers to a physical ankle-chain Isaiah 3:20.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words clarify the contexts in which tsᵉʻâdâh appears:

H6963 qôwl (a voice or sound): This word is used directly with tsᵉʻâdâh to describe the "sound of a going," emphasizing the audible nature of the divine signal David was to listen for (2 Samuel 5:24; 1 Chronicles 14:15).
H2782 chârats (to be alert, to decide): Upon hearing the sound of the march, David is commanded to "bestir" himself. This word highlights the call to immediate and decisive action in response to God's signal 2 Samuel 5:24.
H3318 yâtsâʼ (to go out): This word describes the resulting action. The sound of the march H6807 is the sign that God has "gone out" H3318 and that David must then "go out" H3318 to battle 1 Chronicles 14:15.

Theological Significance

The theological significance of H6807 lies in its contrasting applications, representing both divine purpose and human vanity.

A Divine Signal for War: In the books of Samuel and Chronicles, the sound of a "going" is not a human march but a supernatural sign. It confirms God's presence and initiative in battle, instructing His chosen leader on the precise moment to act for a guaranteed victory 2 Samuel 5:24.
An Object of Judgment: In Isaiah, the "ornaments of the legs" are listed among items of worldly pride. In this context, the object is associated with a state of vanity that invites divine judgment, standing in stark contrast to the holy purpose of the divine march Isaiah 3:20.

Summary

In summary, H6807 presents a fascinating duality. It can refer to the intangible sound of a divine march, a holy signal that prompts decisive, God-ordained action. Conversely, it can denote a tangible, worldly ornament associated with human pride and impending judgment. The word illustrates how the concept of movement or "going" can be framed as either a response to divine will or an expression of earthly vanity.

How the KJV Renders It

Translation

Strong’s lists the renderings but not their weight. These are counted from the King James text of the tagged verses — the bar under each is how often the translators actually reached for it. Select one to filter the occurrences below.

Grammatical Forms

Morphology

In the Hebrew Old Testament, this word appears as a noun across 3 occurrences, inflected in 2 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form. Select any form to read what each part of its name means, and to filter the occurrence list to it.

צְעָדָה
צְּעָדוֹת

Theographic Context

Context

The people, places, and span of history the verses containing this word touch on — drawn from the theographic tagging of Scripture. Select any name to isolate its verses in the occurrence list.

Biblical Distribution

Distribution

Appears in 3 verses across 3 of the 39 books. Most frequent in 2 Samuel, 1 Chronicles, and Isaiah (1 verse each); never once in the other 36.

2 Samuel

1 Chronicles

Isaiah

Every Occurrence

Concordance

Every verse where the word is tagged in the King James text. Filter by book, by the English word the translators chose, by grammatical form, or search within the verses.

Sources. Definition and numbering: James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890). Morphology: STEPBible / Tyndale House (CC BY). Verse tagging: the King James text keyed to Strong’s numbers. Every count on this page is computed from the tagged corpus, not estimated.