What does צַו (ṣaw) mean in the Bible?
צַו (ṣaw): Direct divine or authoritative mandate; often refers to God's binding commands in covenantal contexts
Hebrew · H6673
צַו
An injunction
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צַוH6673
Pronunciationṣaw
What does צַו (ṣaw) mean in the Bible?
צַו (ṣaw): Direct divine or authoritative mandate; often refers to God's binding commands in covenantal contexts
Full entry for צַו (H6673) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H6673?
The BSB source-word alignment has 9 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include on order (4), Order (4), worthless idols (1).
Where does צַו (ṣaw) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Isaiah 28:10. Its strongest book concentrations include Isaiah (8), Hosea (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 Iton order4×Isaiah 28:10, Isaiah 28:13
Order4×Isaiah 28:10, Isaiah 28:13
worthless idols1×Hosea 5:11
Show sample aligned rows
Isaiah 28:10צַ֤וtoOrderNoun - masculine singularIsaiah 28:10לָצָו֙toon orderPreposition-l | Noun - masculine singularIsaiah 28:10צַ֣וtoorderNoun - masculine singularIsaiah 28:10לָצָ֔וtoon orderPreposition-l | Noun - masculine singularIsaiah 28:13צַ֣וtoOrderNoun - masculine singularIsaiah 28:13לָצָ֞וtoon orderPreposition-l | Noun - masculine singularIsaiah 28:13צַ֤וtoorderNoun - masculine singularIsaiah 28:13לָצָו֙toon orderPreposition-l | Noun - masculine singularHosea 5:11צָֽו׃toworthless idolsNoun - masculine singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned rowIsaiah 28:10
Aligned rows9
Books represented2
Isaiah8Hosea1
Source forms
לָצָו֙2xlā·ṣāwIsaiah 28:10, Isaiah 28:13
צַ֤ו2xṣawIsaiah 28:10, Isaiah 28:13
צַ֣ו2xṣawIsaiah 28:10, Isaiah 28:13
לָצָ֔ו1xlā·ṣāwIsaiah 28:10
לָצָ֞ו1xlā·ṣāwIsaiah 28:13
צָֽו׃1xṣāwHosea 5:11
Parsing patterns
Noun - masculine singular5xIsaiah 28:10, Isaiah 28:13, Hosea 5:11
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular4xIsaiah 28:10, Isaiah 28:13
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Direct divine or authoritative mandate; often refers to God's binding commands in covenantal contexts
Source Gloss
an injunction
Extended definitionSource: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Direct divine or authoritative mandate; often refers to God's binding commands in covenantal contexts
an injunction BDB: command Usage: commandment, precept.
Grammatical Forms
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
Selected Scripture Witness
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Old Testament Witnesses
Command or directive.
Showing 1 selected witness from 9 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
צַו is built from this root:
Why This Word Matters
Mocked instruction becomes an instrument of judgment.Isaiah 28:7-13