### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew word **tsippôwr**, represented by `{{H6833}}`, is a term for a **little bird, fowl, or sparrow**. It appears 40 times across 36 unique verses in the Bible. This word is often used to describe small, common birds, and it carries significant metaphorical weight, representing themes of vulnerability, escape, and ritual purity.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
In biblical narratives, `{{H6833}}` is used in diverse contexts. It frequently appears in imagery of being trapped or hunted, where the helpless bird symbolizes the plight of humans caught by sudden disaster or enemies ([[Ecclesiastes 9:12]], [[Lamentations 3:52]]). Conversely, it represents freedom and deliverance, as in the soul that "is escaped as a bird out of the snare of the fowlers" [[Psalms 124:7]]. The term is also central to the purification rite for leprosy, where two birds are used in a ceremony symbolizing cleansing and release [[Leviticus 14:4-7]]. In other instances, it simply refers to birds as part of the natural world, whether nesting [[Psalms 104:17]], wandering [[Proverbs 27:8]], or as a provision of food [[Nehemiah 5:18]].
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related words help to contextualize the meaning of `{{H6833}}`:
* `{{H5775}}` **ʻôwph** (a bird): This is a more general term for a bird or flying creature. [[Genesis 7:14]] uses both terms together to signify all types of birds, suggesting that `{{H6833}}` may refer to a more specific class of smaller birds under the broader category of `{{H5775}}`.
* `{{H1866}}` **dᵉrôwr** (swallow): This word for a specific type of bird is often paired with `{{H6833}}`, highlighting different aspects of avian life. For example, [[Proverbs 26:2]] contrasts the wandering of the `{{H6833}}` with the flying of the `{{H1866}}`.
* `{{H6341}}` **pach** (snare): This word for a spring net is frequently associated with `{{H6833}}`, emphasizing the bird's vulnerability. A bird can fall into a `{{H6341}}` on the earth [[Amos 3:5]], and a person can haste to it like a bird, not knowing it is for his life [[Proverbs 7:23]].
* `{{H3369}}` **yâqôsh** (to ensnare; fowler): This root word describes the action of trapping a bird. It is used to describe the "fowlers" from whose snare the soul escapes like a bird [[Psalms 124:7]] and the way men are "snared" just as birds are caught [[Ecclesiastes 9:12]].
### Theological Significance
The theological weight of `{{H6833}}` is evident in its symbolic applications.
* **Vulnerability and Entrapment:** The image of a bird caught in a snare serves as a potent metaphor for human weakness and the suddenness of judgment or misfortune. Men are "snared in an evil time" just as birds are caught in a snare [[Ecclesiastes 9:12]].
* **Divine Deliverance:** The escape of a bird from a trap is a powerful symbol of God's salvation. The breaking of the snare and the bird's subsequent freedom illustrates how God delivers His people from their enemies [[Psalms 124:7]].
* **Ritual Atonement:** In the cleansing ceremony for leprosy, one bird is killed over running water, while the living bird is dipped in its blood and set free. This ritual powerfully illustrates concepts of substitution and purification, where one's release is secured through the death of another ([[Leviticus 14:5-7]], [[Leviticus 14:53]]).
* **God's Protection:** The LORD's defense of Jerusalem is likened to that of "birds flying" [[Isaiah 31:5]], and the sparrow finding a home near God's altars suggests a place of ultimate safety and refuge [[Psalms 84:3]].
### Summary
In summary, `{{H6833}}` is a multifaceted word that moves beyond its simple definition of "a little bird." It serves as a rich biblical symbol for the fragility of life, the danger of temptation, and the profound hope of divine deliverance. From its literal place in creation to its metaphorical role in illustrating salvation and atonement, **tsippôwr** captures the delicate relationship between humanity's vulnerability and God's protective power.
TRV