צָוָה

צָוָה (tsavah) means to command, charge, order, direct, or appoint. God commands the human in Genesis 2:16, directs Noah in Genesis 6:22, speaks through Moses, and charges Joshua. Yet human beings also command: Pharaoh orders violence in Exodus 1:22, Joseph directs household and medical work, rulers issue decrees, and Rechabite ancestors give family instructions. The verb reports an act of direction; it does not by itself prove that the speaker is righteous or that the order should be obeyed.

Torah repeatedly uses H6680 for specific covenant instructions. Deuteronomy forbids adding to or subtracting from what God commands, places the words on the heart, and joins obedience with covenant life. Leviticus 10:1 provides an essential boundary by describing worship the Lord had not commanded. The authority, recipient, content, covenant setting, and canonical context must all be identified before applying a command beyond its passage.

Poetry and prophecy widen the settings without erasing those distinctions. Psalm 33:9 describes creation responding to God's command, Psalm 91:11 speaks of angels charged concerning the protected person, and Jeremiah 7:23 recalls the covenant summons to hear God's voice. Jeremiah 14:14 says false prophets spoke what God had not commanded, while Amos 2:12 indicts people who commanded prophets not to prophesy. Command language can therefore expose both faithful authority and coercive suppression.

Tsavah is used for divine commands, covenant mediation, administrative orders, appointments, family directions, royal decrees, creative speech, and abusive commands. Speaker and setting determine authority and moral force.