What does צָפוֹן (ṣāpwōn) mean in the Bible?
צָפוֹן (ṣāpwōn): North denotes the hidden, dark, unknown quarter—associated with mystery and threat in biblical geography and theology.
Hebrew · H6828
צָפוֹן
Properly, hidden , i.e. dark ; used only of the north as a quarter (gloomy and unknown)
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צָפוֹן H6828
Pronunciation ṣāpwōn
What does צָפוֹן (ṣāpwōn) mean in the Bible?
צָפוֹן (ṣāpwōn): North denotes the hidden, dark, unknown quarter—associated with mystery and threat in biblical geography and theology.
Full entry for צָפוֹן (H6828) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H6828?
The BSB source-word alignment has 153 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include of the north (29), the north (24), north (19), from the north (13), to the north (13).
Where does צָפוֹן (ṣāpwōn) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Genesis 13:14. Its strongest book concentrations include Ezekiel (46), Jeremiah (25), Joshua (25), Daniel (9).
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders It of the north 29× Joshua 11:2, Isaiah 14:13, Jeremiah 1:15, Jeremiah 3:18
the north 24× Exodus 26:20, Exodus 26:35, Exodus 36:25, Exodus 38:11
north 19× Joshua 15:6, Joshua 15:7, Joshua 24:30, Judges 2:9
from the north 13× Isaiah 14:31, Isaiah 49:12, Jeremiah 1:14, Jeremiah 4:6
to the north 13× Genesis 13:14, Deuteronomy 2:3, Joshua 8:11, Joshua 8:13
on the north 10× Exodus 27:11, Numbers 34:9, Numbers 35:5, Joshua 13:3
The northern 7× Joshua 15:5, Joshua 15:10, Joshua 15:11, Joshua 18:12
at the northern 3× Joshua 15:8, Joshua 18:16, Ezekiel 48:1
northward 3× Joshua 18:17, Ecclesiastes 1:6, Ezekiel 42:1
On the north side 3× Numbers 2:25, Ezekiel 48:10, Ezekiel 48:31
and north 2× Genesis 28:14, Deuteronomy 3:27
and the north 2× Daniel 8:4, Daniel 11:44
from north 2× Psalms 107:3, Amos 8:12
in the north 2× Joshua 18:5, Jeremiah 46:6
the north side 2× Joshua 19:14, Ezekiel 42:1
to north 2× Ezekiel 20:47, Ezekiel 21:4
[one] from the north 1× Isaiah 41:25
[This] [will be] the northern 1× Ezekiel 47:17
[was] on the north side 1× Joshua 17:9
along the northern 1× Ezekiel 47:17
and went north 1× Joshua 19:27
As the north 1× Proverbs 25:23
as well as on the north 1× Ezekiel 40:19
Beginning on the north 1× Ezekiel 48:30
facing north 1× Ezekiel 42:2
for the North Gate 1× 1 Chronicles 26:14
northern 1× Numbers 34:7
O north wind 1× Song Of Solomon 4:16
of Zaphon 1× Psalms 48:2
Out of the north 1× Job 37:22
to Zaphon 1× Judges 12:1
toward the north 1× Jeremiah 3:12
were on the north 1× Ezekiel 42:4
Show sample aligned rows
Genesis 13:14 צָפֹ֥נָה to to the north Noun - feminine singular | third person feminine singular Genesis 28:14 וְצָפֹ֣נָה to and north Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular | third person feminine singular Exodus 26:20 צָפ֑וֹן to the north Noun - feminine singular Exodus 26:35 צָפֽוֹן׃ to the north Noun - feminine singular Exodus 27:11 צָפוֹן֙ to on the north Noun - feminine singular Exodus 36:25 צָפ֑וֹן to the north Noun - feminine singular Exodus 38:11 צָפוֹן֙ to The north Noun - feminine singular Exodus 40:22 צָפֹ֑נָה to the north Noun - feminine singular | third person feminine singular Leviticus 1:11 צָפֹ֖נָה to the north Noun - feminine singular | third person feminine singular Numbers 2:25 צָפֹ֖נָה to On the north side Noun - feminine singular | third person feminine singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Genesis 13:14
Aligned rows 153
Books represented 24
Genesis 2 Exodus 6 Leviticus 1 Numbers 5 Deuteronomy 2 Joshua 25 Judges 4 1 Samuel 1 1 Kings 1 2 Kings 1 1 Chronicles 3 2 Chronicles 1 Job 2 Psalms 3 Proverbs 1 Ecclesiastes 2 Song Of Solomon 1 Isaiah 5 Jeremiah 25 Ezekiel 46 Daniel 9 Amos 1 Zephaniah 1 Zechariah 5
Source forms
הַצָּפ֔וֹן 9x haṣ·ṣā·p̄ō·wn Ezekiel 40:20, Ezekiel 40:44, Ezekiel 40:46, Ezekiel 41:11
צָפ֑וֹן 8x ṣā·p̄ō·wn Exodus 26:20, Exodus 36:25, Numbers 34:7, Psalms 48:2
צָפ֔וֹן 8x ṣā·p̄ō·wn Jeremiah 3:18, Jeremiah 16:15, Jeremiah 50:9, Ezekiel 38:15
צָפ֑וֹנָה 7x ṣā·p̄ō·w·nāh Joshua 18:16, Joshua 18:18, Judges 12:1, Ezekiel 8:5
מִצָּפ֖וֹן 6x miṣ·ṣā·p̄ō·wn 1 Samuel 14:5, Jeremiah 4:6, Jeremiah 6:1, Jeremiah 15:12
צָפֽוֹן׃ 6x ṣā·p̄ō·wn Exodus 26:35, Numbers 34:9, Isaiah 14:13, Jeremiah 46:24
הַצָּפ֑וֹן 5x haṣ·ṣā·p̄ō·wn Ezekiel 40:35, Ezekiel 42:1, Ezekiel 42:2, Ezekiel 42:17
מִצָּפוֹן֙ 5x miṣ·ṣā·p̄ō·wn Isaiah 14:31, Isaiah 41:25, Jeremiah 1:14, Jeremiah 47:2
Parsing patterns
Noun - feminine singular | third person feminine singular 42x Genesis 13:14, Exodus 40:22, Leviticus 1:11, Numbers 2:25
Noun - feminine singular 38x Exodus 26:20, Exodus 26:35, Exodus 27:11, Exodus 36:25
Preposition-m | Noun - feminine singular 24x Joshua 16:6, Joshua 17:10, Joshua 18:5, Joshua 18:12
Article | Noun - feminine singular 22x Jeremiah 25:26, Ezekiel 1:4, Ezekiel 40:20, Ezekiel 40:35
Preposition-m | Noun - feminine singular construct 8x Joshua 8:11, Joshua 8:13, Joshua 11:2, Joshua 15:6
Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular | third person feminine singular 5x Genesis 28:14, Deuteronomy 3:27, Joshua 15:7, Joshua 17:10
Preposition-l, Article | Noun - feminine singular 3x Isaiah 43:6, Ezekiel 40:23, Ezekiel 42:4
Article | Noun - feminine singular | third person feminine singular 2x Ezekiel 8:14, Ezekiel 40:40
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. North denotes the hidden, dark, unknown quarter—associated with mystery and threat in biblical geography and theology.
Source Gloss
properly, hidden , i.e. dark ; used only of the north as a quarter (gloomy and unknown)
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
North denotes the hidden, dark, unknown quarter—associated with mystery and threat in biblical geography and theology.
properly, hidden, i.e. dark; used only of the north as a quarter (gloomy and unknown) BDB: north Usage: north(-ern, side, -ward, wind).
Grammatical Forms
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
Selected Scripture Witnesses
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Biblical Witnesses
Directional reference to threat or enemy invasion from geographical north
Source of approaching military force and destruction from remote northern regions
Origin point of enemy army emerging from distant unknown northern territory
Natural phenomenon, north wind bringing rain and hidden atmospheric conditions
Showing 4 selected witnesses from 153 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
Part of These Phrases
Compound and idiomatic phrases that include this word. Follow a link to study the phrase and how its parts work together.
Sources
MorphGNT Strong's Dictionary XML — CC0 1.0 Public Domain
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (morphhb/OSHB) — CC BY 4.0
Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon — CC BY 4.0
Berean Standard Bible (BSB) source-word alignment - CC0 Public Domain