Word Study for H6853 (צְפַר) | Strong's Concordance

tsᵉphar /tsef-ar'/ Ask about this word

Root(Aramaic) corresponding to צִפּוֹר

Meaninga bird.

KJV usagebird.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of tsᵉphar — 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 Aramaic word tsᵉphar, represented by H6853, is the term for a bird. It appears 4 times across 4 unique verses in the Bible. This word is used to refer to birds both as a symbol of life within a great kingdom and as a descriptive element in a depiction of divine judgment.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

All occurrences of H6853 are found in the book of Daniel, within the narrative of Nebuchadnezzar's dream and subsequent humbling. In the dream of the great tree, the fowls of the heaven dwelt in its boughs, symbolizing the scope of the king's dominion and the shelter his kingdom provided to others (Daniel 4:12, Daniel 4:21). Consequently, the judgment on the tree includes the command to let the fowls flee from its branches Daniel 4:14. The word is used differently to describe the fulfillment of the prophecy, where Nebuchadnezzar's nails grew "like birds' claws" during his period of madness Daniel 4:33.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related Aramaic words provide context to the meaning of tsᵉphar:

H6056 ʻănaph (a twig (as covering the limbs); bough, branch): These are the branches of the great tree where the fowls had their habitation, establishing the setting for the symbolic imagery Daniel 4:21.
H2423 chêyvâʼ (an animal; beast): This term appears in parallel with tsᵉphar, describing the creatures that found shelter under the tree and were driven away upon its felling Daniel 4:14.
H5403 nᵉshar (an eagle; eagle): This word is used in conjunction with tsᵉphar to describe Nebuchadnezzar's animalistic state, as his hairs grew like eagles' feathers and his nails like birds' claws Daniel 4:33.

Theological Significance

The symbolic weight of H6853 in Daniel is significant. It is used to illustrate two key themes of the chapter.

A Kingdom's dependents: The fowls nesting in the tree's boughs represent the nations and peoples who were sustained by and lived under the protection of Nebuchadnezzar's empire Daniel 4:12.
The Nature of Divine Judgment: The scattering of the fowls signifies the collapse of the king's power and the dispersal of those who relied on him Daniel 4:14.
A Marker of Humiliation: Describing the king's nails as being like birds' claws serves as a vivid image of his debasement, showing how he was reduced from a mighty ruler to a creature living in a wild state Daniel 4:33.

Summary

In summary, H6853 is more than just the Aramaic word for bird. Within its limited biblical usage, it functions powerfully as a symbol. It represents both the dependents of a mighty kingdom and, in a contrasting image, a feature of the profound humiliation inflicted by God upon a prideful king. It demonstrates how a simple word for a creature can be used to convey complex prophetic themes of power, shelter, and judgment.

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 4 occurrences, inflected in 3 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.

צִפֲּרֵי
צִפְּרִין
צִפְּרַיָּ

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

4 verses, all in Daniel — and none of the other 38 Old Testament books.

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.