What does צָבָא (ṣābāʾ) mean in the Bible?
צָבָא (ṣābāʾ): Encompasses organized military force and divine service; fundamentally means to marshal or array for a coordinated purpose
Hebrew · H6633
צָבָא
To mass (an army or servants)
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צָבָאH6633
Pronunciationṣābāʾ
What does צָבָא (ṣābāʾ) mean in the Bible?
צָבָא (ṣābāʾ): Encompasses organized military force and divine service; fundamentally means to marshal or array for a coordinated purpose
Full entry for צָבָא (H6633) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H6633?
The BSB source-word alignment has 14 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include who had enlisted (2), . . . (1), going out to battle (1), have warred (1), served (1).
Where does צָבָא (ṣābāʾ) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Exodus 38:8. Its strongest book concentrations include Isaiah (4), Numbers (4), Exodus (2), 1 Samuel (1).
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders Itwho had enlisted2×2 Kings 25:19, Jeremiah 52:25
. . .1×Exodus 38:8
going out to battle1×Isaiah 29:7
have warred1×Zechariah 14:12
served1×Exodus 38:8
Then they waged war1×Numbers 31:7
to do battle1×Isaiah 31:4
to perform1×Numbers 8:24
to serve1×Numbers 4:23
who go to battle1×Isaiah 29:8
who had gone to war1×Numbers 31:42
who served1×1 Samuel 2:22
who war against her1×Isaiah 29:7
Show sample aligned rows
Exodus 38:8צָֽבְא֔וּto. . .Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common pluralExodus 38:8הַצֹּ֣בְאֹ֔תtoservedArticle | Verb - Qal - Participle - feminine pluralNumbers 4:23לִצְבֹ֣אtoto servePreposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive constructNumbers 8:24לִצְבֹ֣אtoto performPreposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive constructNumbers 31:7וַֽיִּצְבְּאוּ֙toThen they waged warConjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine pluralNumbers 31:42הַצֹּבְאִֽים׃towho had gone to warArticle | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural1 Samuel 2:22הַצֹּ֣בְא֔וֹתtowho servedArticle | Verb - Qal - Participle - feminine plural2 Kings 25:19הַמַּצְבִּ֖אtowho had enlistedArticle | Verb - Hifil - Participle - masculine singularIsaiah 29:7הַצֹּבְאִ֖יםtogoing out to battleArticle | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine pluralIsaiah 29:7צֹבֶ֙יהָ֙towho war against herVerb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural construct | third person feminine singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned rowExodus 38:8
Aligned rows14
Books represented7
Exodus2Numbers41 Samuel12 Kings1Isaiah4Jeremiah1Zechariah1
Source forms
הַמַּצְבִּ֖א2xham·maṣ·bi2 Kings 25:19, Jeremiah 52:25
הַצֹּבְאִ֖ים2xhaṣ·ṣō·ḇə·’îmIsaiah 29:7, Isaiah 29:8
לִצְבֹ֣א2xliṣ·ḇōNumbers 4:23, Numbers 8:24
הַצֹּ֣בְא֔וֹת1xhaṣ·ṣō·ḇə·’ō·wṯ1 Samuel 2:22
הַצֹּבְאִֽים׃1xhaṣ·ṣō·ḇə·’îmNumbers 31:42
הַצֹּ֣בְאֹ֔ת1xhaṣ·ṣō·ḇə·’ōṯExodus 38:8
וַֽיִּצְבְּאוּ֙1xway·yiṣ·bə·’ūNumbers 31:7
לִצְבֹּ֥א1xliṣ·bōIsaiah 31:4
Parsing patterns
Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural3xNumbers 31:42, Isaiah 29:7, Isaiah 29:8
Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct3xNumbers 4:23, Numbers 8:24, Isaiah 31:4
Article | Verb - Hifil - Participle - masculine singular2x2 Kings 25:19, Jeremiah 52:25
Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - feminine plural2xExodus 38:8, 1 Samuel 2:22
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural2xExodus 38:8, Zechariah 14:12
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural1xNumbers 31:7
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural construct | third person feminine singular1xIsaiah 29:7
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Encompasses organized military force and divine service; fundamentally means to marshal or array for a coordinated purpose
Source Gloss
to mass (an army or servants)
Extended definitionSource: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Encompasses organized military force and divine service; fundamentally means to marshal or array for a coordinated purpose
to mass (an army or servants) BDB: wage war Usage: assemble, fight, perform, muster, wait upon, war.
Grammatical Forms
How the stem changes the meaning of this verb across the biblical text.
This verb appears through different tense, voice, mood, or stem patterns. Those forms help readers see how the action is presented in context.
Form groups1Aligned forms2
Qalbasic active stem — the word in its most common, direct sense2×
PerfectExod 38:8 · Zech 14:122×
Word Origins
צָבָא is a primitive root - no further derivation.