### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew word **tsâphôwn**, represented by `{{H6828}}`, is the primary term for **north**. It appears 153 times across 141 unique verses in the Bible. Based on a root meaning "hidden," the word's definition suggests a quarter that is dark, gloomy, and unknown, but it is broadly used to signify the north as a direction, side, or wind.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
In biblical narratives, `{{H6828}}` is used in multiple significant contexts. It defines geographical orientation, as when God commanded Abram to look "northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward" [[Genesis 13:14]]. It is frequently identified as the direction from which invasion and judgment originate, as prophesied by Jeremiah: "Out of the north an evil shall break forth upon all the inhabitants of the land" [[Jeremiah 1:14]]. This is specified with the arrival of Nebuchadrezzar from the north [[Ezekiel 26:7]]. Conversely, the north is also the direction from which God promises to gather and restore His people [[Jeremiah 31:8]]. The term is also used in precise architectural descriptions of the tabernacle and temple, such as killing a sacrifice "on the side of the altar northward" [[Leviticus 1:11]].
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related words for the other cardinal directions provide geographic and theological context:
* `{{H1864}}` **dârôwm** (south): This term is often used in direct opposition to `{{H6828}}`, establishing clear directional orientation for temple chambers [[Ezekiel 42:13]] and in general observations [[Ecclesiastes 11:3]].
* `{{H5045}}` **negeb** (south): Also meaning south, this word is used to define the borders of tribal lands and in prophetic descriptions of future geographical changes, often in parallel with `{{H6828}}` [[Zechariah 14:4]].
* `{{H4217}}` **mizrâch** (sunrise, i.e. the east): This word for east is frequently paired with `{{H6828}}` and other directions to signify the full extent of God's redemptive gathering of His people from all lands [[Psalms 107:3]].
* `{{H3220}}` **yâm** (sea; locally, the west): Literally meaning "sea," this word is commonly used to denote the west. It appears alongside `{{H6828}}` in the patriarchal blessing to Jacob, promising his descendants would spread out in all four directions [[Genesis 28:14]].
### Theological Significance
The theological weight of `{{H6828}}` is complex and profound, often carrying a dual meaning of judgment and hope.
* **Direction of Divine Judgment:** The north is consistently portrayed as the source of affliction and military invasion sent by God. Jeremiah repeatedly warns that evil, destruction, and enemy nations will come from the north ([[Jeremiah 4:6]], [[Jeremiah 6:1]], [[Jeremiah 50:3]]).
* **Place of Divine Presence:** The north is connected with the location of God's throne and power. Mount Zion is described as being "on the sides of the north, the city of the great King" [[Psalms 48:2]]. In a display of creative power, God "stretcheth out the north over the empty place" [[Job 26:7]]. The desire to sit "in the sides of the north" is a mark of supreme arrogance, attempting to usurp God's authority [[Isaiah 14:13]].
* **Source of Final Restoration:** In a powerful reversal, the direction of judgment becomes the direction of salvation. God promises to bring His people back "from the land of the north" [[Jeremiah 3:18]] and will command the north to "Give up" His children in the final gathering [[Isaiah 43:6]].
### Summary
In summary, `{{H6828}}` is far more than a simple directional marker. It serves as a cornerstone biblical symbol, representing at once the "hidden" and gloomy place from which divine judgment proceeds and the very direction from which God's presence is known and His people are ultimately restored. The word illustrates how a geographical direction can carry immense theological significance, embodying both the terror of God's wrath against sin and the hope of His redemptive power.
TRV