Word Study for H6810 (צָעִיר)

tsâʻîyr /tsaw-eer'/ Ask about this word

Rootor צָעוֹר · from צָעַר

Meaninglittle; (in number) few; (in age) young, (in value) ignoble

KJV usageleast, little (one), small (one), -est).

Idioms & phrasesphrase young(-er

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of tsâʻîyr — 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 tsâʻîyr, represented by H6810, signifies that which is little, young, ignoble, or few. It appears 22 times across 22 unique verses in the Bible. Its meaning extends across multiple domains, including age, numerical quantity, and social value or rank.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In biblical narratives, H6810 is frequently used to establish a contrast between the younger and the elder, often subverting expectations of birthright and status. This is seen in the prophecy given to Rebekah, where "the elder shall serve the younger" Genesis 25:23. The term also denotes a position of humility or insignificance, as when Gideon refers to himself as "the least in my father's house" Judges 6:15 or when the prophet describes Bethlehem Ephratah as being "little among the thousands of Judah" Micah 5:2. Furthermore, it can describe the youngest child in a family, whose fate is tied to a prophetic curse and its fulfillment (Joshua 6:26, 1 Kings 16:34).

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help clarify the concepts of age, size, and status associated with H6810:

H1060 bᵉkôwr (firstborn; eldest): This term is the direct counterpart to H6810 in contexts of birth order. In a pivotal moment, Jacob intentionally places his right hand on Ephraim, "who was the younger," instead of Manasseh, the firstborn Genesis 48:14.
H1067 bᵉkîyrâh (the eldest daughter): The feminine equivalent of firstborn, this word is used in direct contrast to H6810 when Laban explains that custom forbids giving the younger daughter in marriage before the firstborn Genesis 29:26.
H7227 rab (abundant; elder; great): Often translated as "elder," this word stands in direct opposition to "younger." The divine reversal of natural order is captured in the declaration that the elder (rab) will serve the younger (tsâʻîyr) Genesis 25:23.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of H6810 is significant, highlighting God's tendency to work through the seemingly weak and insignificant.

Divine Election: The word is central to narratives where God chooses the younger sibling over the firstborn, overturning human customs of primogeniture to fulfill His sovereign plan. This pattern is established with Jacob and Esau Genesis 25:23 and continued with Ephraim and Manasseh Genesis 48:14.
Strength from Smallness: God promises to make the small great. The "little" town of Bethlehem is chosen to be the birthplace of Israel's future ruler Micah 5:2, and the Lord declares that "a small one" shall become a strong nation Isaiah 60:22.
Humility Before God: The term is used by individuals to express their lowliness and dependence on God. Gideon, Saul, and the psalmist all identify themselves as the "least" or "small," yet they are chosen or valued by God (Judges 6:15, 1 Samuel 9:21, Psalms 119:141).

Summary

In summary, H6810 is a versatile term that moves beyond a simple definition of youth or smallness. It is a foundational word for understanding a key biblical theme: God's power is made perfect in weakness. From family dynamics where the younger is elevated, to national prophecies where a little town gains prominence, H6810 consistently illustrates a divine principle where the last become first, and the seemingly insignificant are used to achieve God's magnificent purposes.

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 an adjective and a noun across 21 occurrences, inflected in 6 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.

צָעִיר
צְּעִירָה
צְעִירֵי
צְעִיר
צְעִירִים
צְּעִירָה

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 22 verses across 10 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Genesis (8 verses); never once in the other 29.

Genesis

Joshua

Judges

1 Samuel

1 Kings

Job

Psalms

Isaiah

Jeremiah

Micah

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.