### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew word **tsᵉphîyâh**, represented by `{{H6836}}`, means **watchfulness** or **watching**. It appears only **1 time** in **1 unique verse** in the Bible. This term is derived from its root, `{{H6822}}` `tsâphâh`, which means to observe or await.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
The single occurrence of `{{H6836}}` is found in [[Lamentations 4:17]]. In this verse, the word describes a futile **watching** for help from a nation that could not save them. It is paired directly with its root verb, `{{H6822}}` `tsâphâh`, in the phrase "in our **watching** we have watched," emphasizing the intensity and duration of their vigil. This act of **watching** is set in a context of failure and disappointment, as their "eyes as yet failed" while looking for aid [[Lamentations 4:17]].
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related words provide a broader context for the act of watching and its outcomes:
* `{{H6822}}` **tsâphâh** (to observe, await): As the root verb, this word describes the action of being a **watchman** or looking out intently. It is used for prophets who **watch** to see what God will say [[Habakkuk 2:1]] and for God himself, whose eyes are "beholding the evil and the good" [[Proverbs 15:3]].
* `{{H5869}}` **ʻayin** (an eye): This word is directly linked to the act of **watching**. In the verse where `{{H6836}}` appears, it is the **eyes** that fail from watching [[Lamentations 4:17]]. The Bible uses this term for both physical sight and spiritual perception, such as when the Lord looks on the heart, not the "outward appearance" [[1 Samuel 16:7]].
* `{{H3615}}` **kâlâh** (to end, fail, faint): This term describes the result of the fruitless **watching** in [[Lamentations 4:17]], where the eyes "failed." It signifies completion, cessation, or exhaustion, as when the soul "fainteth" for the courts of the LORD [[Psalms 84:2]] or when the heavens and earth were "finished" [[Genesis 2:1]].
### Theological Significance
The theological weight of `{{H6836}}` is derived from its unique and powerful context:
* **Misplaced Vigilance:** The sole use of `{{H6836}}` in scripture highlights the theme of misplaced hope. It describes **watching** for human aid that ultimately fails, contrasting with the biblical call to look to and wait for God, who is the true source of salvation [[Micah 7:7]].
* **Prophetic Responsibility:** The root word `{{H6822}}` establishes the important role of the **watchman**, who is appointed to observe and give warning from God [[Ezekiel 3:17]]. The desperate **watching** in [[Lamentations 4:17]] stands as a tragic outcome when such warnings are ignored or when hope is placed in sources other than God.
* **God as the Ultimate Watcher:** While humans may watch in vain, the related terms emphasize that God is always watching. His **eyes** `{{H5869}}` are everywhere, "beholding the evil and the good" [[Proverbs 15:3]]. This divine observation is purposeful and just, unlike the powerless human gaze depicted by `{{H6836}}`.
### Summary
In summary, `{{H6836}}` **tsᵉphîyâh** is a highly specific term for **watching** or **watchfulness**. Its singular appearance in scripture makes its context in [[Lamentations 4:17]] particularly poignant, where it captures a moment of intense, yet failed, national hope. Through its relationship with its root `{{H6822}}` and associated words, it connects to the broader biblical themes of the prophetic watchman, divine observation, and the critical distinction between placing trust in human power versus waiting upon the Lord.
TRV