What does צָפַן (tsaphan) mean in the Bible?
צָפַן (tsaphan): Concealment with ambiguous moral valence: protective secrecy versus malicious lurking or hoarding.
Hebrew · H6845
צָפַן
To hide (by covering over); by implication, to hoard or reserve ; figuratively to deny ; specifically (favorably) to protect , (unfavorably) to lurk
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צָפַן H6845
Pronunciation tsaphan
What does צָפַן (tsaphan) mean in the Bible?
צָפַן (tsaphan): Concealment with ambiguous moral valence: protective secrecy versus malicious lurking or hoarding.
Full entry for צָפַן (H6845) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H6845?
The BSB source-word alignment has 31 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include [is] passed (1), [is] stored up (1), and hidden them (1), and hide (1), and treasure (1).
Where does צָפַן (tsaphan) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Exodus 2:2. Its strongest book concentrations include Proverbs (9), Job (8), Psalms (7), Exodus (2).
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 [is] passed 1× Proverbs 13:22
[is] stored up 1× Hosea 13:12
and hidden them 1× Joshua 2:4
and hide 1× Proverbs 2:1
and treasure 1× Proverbs 7:1
are reserved 1× Job 15:20
concealed 1× Jeremiah 16:17
for his treasures 1× Job 20:26
He stores up 1× Proverbs 2:7
He will hide me 1× Psalms 27:5
hide him 1× Exodus 2:3
I have hidden 1× Psalms 119:11
I have treasured 1× Job 23:12
is like holding back 1× Proverbs 27:16
lays up 1× Job 21:19
let us ambush 1× Proverbs 1:11
My treasured place 1× Ezekiel 7:22
reserve 1× Job 24:1
restraining her 1× Proverbs 27:16
she hid him 1× Exodus 2:2
store up 1× Proverbs 10:14
that I have treasured up 1× Song Of Solomon 7:13
they ambush 1× Proverbs 1:18
they lurk 1× Psalms 56:6
those You cherish 1× Psalms 83:3
watch in stealth 1× Psalms 10:8
Yet You concealed 1× Job 10:13
You conceal them 1× Psalms 31:20
You have closed 1× Job 17:4
You have laid up 1× Psalms 31:19
You would hide me 1× Job 14:13
Show sample aligned rows
Exodus 2:2 וַֽתִּצְפְּנֵ֖הוּ to she hid him Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular | third person masculine singular Exodus 2:3 הַצְּפִינוֹ֒ to hide him Verb - Hifil - Infinitive construct | third person masculine singular Joshua 2:4 וַֽתִּצְפְּנ֑וֹ to and hidden them Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular | third person masculine singular Job 10:13 צָפַ֣נְתָּ to Yet You concealed Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine singular Job 14:13 תַּצְפִּנֵ֗נִי to You would hide me Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - second person masculine singular | first person common singular Job 15:20 נִצְפְּנ֥וּ to are reserved Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person common plural Job 17:4 צָפַ֣נְתָּ to You have closed Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine singular Job 20:26 לִצְפּ֫וּנָ֥יו to for his treasures Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular Job 21:19 יִצְפֹּן־ to lays up Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular Job 23:12 צָפַ֥נְתִּי to I have treasured Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Exodus 2:2
Aligned rows 31
Books represented 9
Exodus 2 Joshua 1 Job 8 Psalms 7 Proverbs 9 Song Of Solomon 1 Jeremiah 1 Ezekiel 1 Hosea 1
Source forms
צָפַ֣נְתָּ 2x ṣā·p̄an·tā Job 10:13, Job 17:4
צָפַ֥נְתִּי 2x ṣā·p̄an·tî Job 23:12, Song Of Solomon 7:13
תִּצְפֹּ֥ן 2x tiṣ·pōn Proverbs 2:1, Proverbs 7:1
הַצְּפִינוֹ֒ 1x haṣ·ṣə·p̄î·nōw Exodus 2:3
וְצָפ֥וּן 1x wə·ṣā·p̄ūn Proverbs 13:22
וְצָפַן 1x wə·ṣå̄·p̄an Proverbs 2:7
וַֽתִּצְפְּנֵ֖הוּ 1x wat·tiṣ·pə·nê·hū Exodus 2:2
וַֽתִּצְפְּנ֑וֹ 1x wat·tiṣ·pə·nōw Joshua 2:4
Parsing patterns
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural 3x Psalms 10:8, Proverbs 1:18, Proverbs 10:14
Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular 3x Job 23:12, Psalms 119:11, Song Of Solomon 7:13
Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine singular 3x Job 10:13, Job 17:4, Psalms 31:19
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular | third person masculine singular 2x Exodus 2:2, Joshua 2:4
Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person common plural 2x Job 15:20, Job 24:1
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular 2x Proverbs 2:1, Proverbs 7:1
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular 2x Job 21:19, Proverbs 2:7
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - masculine singular 1x Proverbs 13:22
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Concealment with ambiguous moral valence: protective secrecy versus malicious lurking or hoarding.
Strong's H6845
Lexical occurrences 34 verses Word forms 3 forms 21 references Verse guides 0 guides
Study link Proverbs 10:14 Source Gloss
to hide (by covering over); by implication, to hoard or reserve ; figuratively to deny ; specifically (favorably) to protect , (unfavorably) to lurk
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Concealment with ambiguous moral valence: protective secrecy versus malicious lurking or hoarding.
to hide (by covering over); by implication, to hoard or reserve; figuratively to deny; specifically (favorably) to protect, (unfavorably) to lurk BDB: hide Usage: esteem, hide(-den one, self), lay up, lurk (be set) privily, (keep) secret(-ly, place).
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 groups 3 Aligned forms 21
Qal basic active stem — the word in its most common, direct sense 17×
Imperfect Prov 1:18 · Prov 10:14 · Ps 10:8 · Ps 56:7 · Job 21:19 · Prov 2:7 · Prov 2:1 · Prov 7:1 8×
Perfect Job 10:13 · Job 17:4 · Ps 31:20 · Job 23:12 · Ps 119:11 · Song 7:14 · Prov 27:16 7×
Participle passive Hos 13:12 1×
Cohortative Prov 1:11 1×
Niphal passive or reflexive — the subject receives or experiences the action 3×
Perfect Job 15:20 · Job 24:1 · Jer 16:17 3×
Hiphil causative active — the subject causes someone else to perform the action 1×
Imperfect Ps 56:7 1×
Selected Scripture Witnesses
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Old Testament Witnesses
to treasure, store, or preserve carefully
You have stored up; you have hidden; you have treasured; implies a purposeful preparation for future need
Showing 2 selected witnesses from 34 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
צָפַן is a primitive root - no further derivation.
Why This Word Matters
The term highlights wisdom's practice of preserving knowledge thoughtfully for proper use. Proverbs 10:14
Canonical Themes
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