English · KJV
H6633

צָבָא

tsâbâʼ /tsaw-baw'/ Ask about this word
Roota primitive root
Meaningto mass (an army or servants)
KJV usageassemble, fight, perform, muster, wait upon, war.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of tsâbâʼ — 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 tsâbâʼ, represented by H6633, is a primitive root word that means to mass (an army or servants); assemble, fight, perform, muster, wait upon, war. It appears 13 times across 12 unique verses in the Bible. This term conveys actions of organized gathering, whether for military conflict, religious service, or general assembly.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In scripture, H6633 is used to describe both military engagement and dedicated service. In a military sense, it is used when the Israelites warred against the Midianites as commanded by the LORD Numbers 31:7, and it is used to describe a scribe who mustered the people of the land for war Jeremiah 52:25. The word also carries a prophetic weight, as in Isaiah's vision of the LORD coming down to fight for Mount Zion Isaiah 31:4. Beyond warfare, H6633 signifies organized religious service. It describes the Levites who were to perform their duties in the tabernacle Numbers 4:23 and the women who assembled at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation Exodus 38:8.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words clarify the scope of action implied by H6633:

  • H6635 tsâbâʼ (a mass of persons (or figuratively, things), especially reg. organized forwar (an army); by implication, a campaign, literally or figuratively (specifically, hardship, worship); appointed time, ([phrase]) army, ([phrase]) battle, company, host, service, soldiers, waiting upon, war(-fare)): This noun form often appears alongside the verb. For instance, Levites were to perform the service Numbers 4:23, directly connecting the act of serving with the organized body or service itself.
  • H4421 milchâmâh (from לָחַם (in the sense of fighting); a battle (i.e. the engagement); generally, war (i.e. warfare); battle, fight(-ing), war(-rior)): This term for "battle" or "war" is the context in which the action of H6633 often occurs. An officer was set over the men of war, who were mustered for battle 2 Kings 25:19.
  • H6680 tsâvâh (a primitive root; (intensively) to constitute, enjoin; appoint, (for-) bid, (give a) charge, (give a, give in, send with) command(-er, -ment), send a messenger, put, (set) in order): This root for "command" provides the authority for the action of mustering or warring. This connection is explicit when the Israelites warred against the Midianites, just as the Lord commanded Moses Numbers 31:7.
  • H2026 hârag (a primitive root; to smite with deadly intent; destroy, out of hand, kill, murder(-er), put to (death), make (slaughter), slay(-er), [idiom] surely): This word for "slay" can be the direct consequence of the warring described by H6633. After they warred against the Midianites, the text states they slew all the males Numbers 31:7.

Theological Significance

The use of H6633 carries significant thematic weight, bridging the concepts of holy war and holy worship.

  • Divine Military Action: The term is not limited to human armies. The LORD himself is depicted as one who will fight on behalf of His people and His holy city, Zion Isaiah 31:4. This establishes that the ultimate power in battle belongs to God, who engages in warfare to fulfill His purposes.
  • Sanctified Service: The application of H6633 to the duties of the Levites frames their work as a form of appointed service or spiritual campaign. They were numbered to perform the service and wait upon the service of the tabernacle (Numbers 4:23, Numbers 8:24), using the same vocabulary as mustering for war. This elevates their tasks to a disciplined, sacred duty.
  • Authorized Assembly: Whether mustering an army or gathering for worship, H6633 implies an authorized and organized assembly. This is seen in the scribe who mustered the people for battle Jeremiah 52:25 and in the women who assembled at the door of the tabernacle Exodus 38:8, indicating that these gatherings were officially recognized and purposeful.

Summary

In summary, H6633 tsâbâʼ is a versatile verb that encompasses far more than just "to war." It signifies the deliberate act of massing or assembling for a specific, often demanding, purpose. Its usage illustrates a profound biblical concept where the discipline and organization required for military campaigns are mirrored in the structured service required for worship at the tabernacle. From mustering troops for battle to performing sacred duties, tsâbâʼ defines an action of organized, purposeful, and authoritative gathering.

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 verb across 14 occurrences, inflected in 7 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.

  • צְבֹא
  • צֹּבְאִים
  • מַּצְבִּא
  • צֹּבְאֹת
  • צָבְאוּ
  • יִּצְבְּאוּ
  • צֹבֶי

Related Words

Related

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.

H6635 צָבָא or (feminine) צְבָאָה; from צָבָא; a mass of persons (or figuratively, things), especially reg. organized forwar (an arm H4421 מִלְחָמָה from לָחַם (in the sense of fighting); a battle (i.e. the engagement); generally, war (i.e. warfare); battle, fight(-ing H6680 צָוָה a primitive root; (intensively) to constitute, enjoin; appoint, (for-) bid, (give a) charge, (give a, give in, send with H2026 הָרַג a primitive root; to smite with deadly intent; destroy, out of hand, kill, murder(-er), put to (death), make (slaughter)

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 12 verses across 7 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Numbers (4 verses); never once in the other 32.

1
Exodus
4
Numbers
1
1 Samuel
1
2 Kings
3
Isaiah
1
Jeremiah
1
Zechariah

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.