Word Study for H6843 (צְפִירָה)

tsᵉphîyrâh /tsef-ee-raw'/ Ask about this word

Rootfeminine formed like צָפִיר

Meaninga crown (as encircling the head); also a turn of affairs (i.e. mishap)

KJV usagediadem, morning.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of tsᵉphîyrâh — 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 tsᵉphîyrâh, represented by H6843, carries a dual meaning of a diadem or morning. Its definition also includes the concept of "a turn of affairs (i.e. mishap)," highlighting its dynamic use. It appears only 3 times across 3 unique verses, making each occurrence significant in understanding its meaning.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

The word's usage in scripture demonstrates its contrasting applications. In Isaiah, it represents a divine honor, where the LORD H3068 of hosts H6635 will become a diadem of beauty H8597 for the remnant of His people H5971 Isaiah 28:5. Conversely, in Ezekiel, tsᵉphîyrâh is translated as morning, but it signifies the dawning of judgment. It marks a time H6256 of trouble H4103 that has come H935 upon the land H776 Ezekiel 7:7. This theme is reinforced when the morning is described as having gone forth H3318 in conjunction with the blossoming of the rod H4294 and the budding of pride H2087 Ezekiel 7:10.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help clarify the distinct contexts of H6843:

H5850 ʻăṭârâh (crown): Used in parallel with diadem H6843 in Isaiah 28:5, this word reinforces the theme of royal honor and divine reward bestowed by God.
H4103 mᵉhûwmâh (trouble): This word defines the nature of the "morning" in Ezekiel 7:7. It is not a peaceful dawn but a day of "confusion or uproar; destruction, discomfiture, trouble, tumult, vexation, vexed."
H4294 maṭṭeh (rod): In Ezekiel 7:10, the rod blossoming signals that the "morning" of judgment has arrived. A rod can be a symbol of authority or, in this context, of chastisement and correction.
H2087 zâdôwn (pride): This is cited as a cause for the judgment that arrives with the "morning." In Ezekiel 7:10, as the morning goes forth, pride has budded, linking arrogance to the coming turn of events.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of H6843 lies in its ability to represent two opposite outcomes of a divine "turn of affairs."

Promise of Restoration and Glory: For the faithful "residue" H7605 of God's people H5971, the word signifies a future where God Himself becomes their crowning glory and beauty Isaiah 28:5. It is an object of ultimate honor.
Certainty of Judgment: For those who dwell H3427 in the land H776 marked by pride H2087, the word symbolizes the inescapable arrival of a day H3117 of trouble H4103. The "morning" here is a metaphor for the dawning of God's judgment that is near H7138 and has come H935 Ezekiel 7:7.

Summary

In summary, H6843 tsᵉphîyrâh is a potent and concise term that illustrates the two-sided nature of divine intervention. Depending on the context, it can symbolize either the highest honor in the form of a glorious diadem from the LORD, or the unavoidable arrival of judgment, a morning that brings a turn of affairs for the worse. Its rare usage makes each instance a stark depiction of either divine favor or impending doom.

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.

צְּפִירָה
צְפִירַת

Related Words

Other entries the study above points to — each one is drawn from a reference it makes. Follow the trail to see how the words connect.

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 2 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Ezekiel (2 verses); never once in the other 37.

Isaiah

Ezekiel

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.