What does צוּר (ṣûr) mean in the Bible?
צוּר (ṣûr): Confinement through pressure: literal siege/binding or figurative distress; God fashions, enemies besiege.
Hebrew · H6696
צוּר
To cramp , i.e. confine (in many applications, literally and figuratively, formative or hostile)
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צוּרH6696
Pronunciationṣûr
What does צוּר (ṣûr) mean in the Bible?
צוּר (ṣûr): Confinement through pressure: literal siege/binding or figurative distress; God fashions, enemies besiege.
Full entry for צוּר (H6696) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H6696?
The BSB source-word alignment has 38 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include and besieged (6), lay siege (2), they besieged (2), who besiege (2), and (1).
Where does צוּר (ṣûr) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Exodus 23:22. Its strongest book concentrations include 2 Kings (8), Deuteronomy (5), Jeremiah (5), 1 Kings (4).
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders Itand besieged6×2 Samuel 11:1, 2 Samuel 20:15, 1 Kings 16:17, 2 Kings 17:5
lay siege2×Deuteronomy 20:12, Isaiah 21:2
they besieged2×2 Kings 6:25, 2 Kings 16:5
who besiege2×Jeremiah 21:4, Jeremiah 21:9
and1×Exodus 32:4
and a foe1×Exodus 23:22
and are stirring up1×Judges 9:31
and besiege1×1 Samuel 23:8
and besiege it1×Ezekiel 4:3
and besieged it1×1 Chronicles 20:1
and laid siege1×Jeremiah 39:1
and secure1×Ezekiel 5:3
and tie it up in bags1×2 Kings 12:10
besiege1×2 Chronicles 6:28
besieged1×1 Kings 20:1
harass1×Deuteronomy 2:9
harass them1×Deuteronomy 2:19
He cast1×1 Kings 7:15
hostile to them1×Esther 8:11
I will besiege1×Isaiah 29:3
take1×Deuteronomy 14:25
Then he tied up1×2 Kings 5:23
to besiege1×2 Kings 6:24
was besieging1×Jeremiah 32:2
we will enclose1×Song Of Solomon 8:9
were besieging1×1 Kings 15:27
were besieging it1×2 Kings 24:11
who were besieging1×Jeremiah 37:5
You hem me in1×Psalms 139:5
you lay siege1×Deuteronomy 20:19
Show sample aligned rows
Exodus 23:22וְצַרְתִּ֖יtoand a foeConjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singularExodus 32:4וַיָּ֤צַרtoandConjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singularDeuteronomy 2:9תָּ֙צַר֙toharassVerb - Qal - Imperfect Jussive - second person masculine singularDeuteronomy 2:19תְּצֻרֵ֖םtoharass themVerb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular | third person masculine pluralDeuteronomy 14:25וְצַרְתָּ֤totakeConjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singularDeuteronomy 20:12וְצַרְתָּ֖tolay siegeConjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singularDeuteronomy 20:19תָצ֣וּרtoyou lay siegeVerb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singularJudges 9:31צָרִ֥יםtoand are stirring upVerb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural1 Samuel 23:8לָצ֥וּרtoand besiegePreposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct2 Samuel 11:1וַיָּצֻ֖רוּtoand besiegedConjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned rowExodus 23:22
Aligned rows38
Books represented16
Exodus2Deuteronomy5Judges11 Samuel12 Samuel21 Kings42 Kings81 Chronicles12 Chronicles1Esther1Psalms1Song Of Solomon1Isaiah2Jeremiah5Ezekiel2Daniel1
Source forms
וַיָּ֥צַר3xway·yā·ṣar2 Kings 17:5, 2 Kings 18:9, Daniel 1:1
וַיָּצֻ֖רוּ3xway·yā·ṣu·rū2 Samuel 11:1, 1 Kings 16:17, Jeremiah 39:1
הַצָּרִ֤ים2xhaṣ·ṣā·rîmJeremiah 21:9, Jeremiah 37:5
וַיָּצֻ֙רוּ֙2xway·yā·ṣu·rū2 Kings 12:10, 2 Kings 16:5
צָרִ֥ים2xṣā·rîmJudges 9:31, 2 Kings 24:11
צָרִ֖ים2xṣā·rîm1 Kings 15:27, Jeremiah 32:2
הַצָּרִ֥ים1xhaṣ·ṣā·rîmEsther 8:11
הַצָּרִ֣ים1xhaṣ·ṣā·rîmJeremiah 21:4
Parsing patterns
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular9xExodus 32:4, 1 Kings 7:15, 1 Kings 20:1, 2 Kings 5:23
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural6x2 Samuel 11:1, 2 Samuel 20:15, 1 Kings 16:17, 2 Kings 12:10
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural5xJudges 9:31, 1 Kings 15:27, 2 Kings 6:25, 2 Kings 24:11
Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural4xEsther 8:11, Jeremiah 21:4, Jeremiah 21:9, Jeremiah 37:5
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singular4xDeuteronomy 14:25, Deuteronomy 20:12, Ezekiel 4:3, Ezekiel 5:3
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singular2xExodus 23:22, Isaiah 29:3
Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct1x1 Samuel 23:8
Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine singular1x2 Chronicles 6:28
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Confinement through pressure: literal siege/binding or figurative distress; God fashions, enemies besiege.
Strong'sH6696
Lexical occurrences36 versesWord forms2 forms10 referencesVerse guides0 guides
Study linkJeremiah 32:1-5Source Gloss
to cramp , i.e. confine (in many applications, literally and figuratively, formative or hostile)
Extended definitionSource: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Confinement through pressure: literal siege/binding or figurative distress; God fashions, enemies besiege.
to cramp, i.e. confine (in many applications, literally and figuratively, formative or hostile) BDB: fashion Usage: adversary, assault, beset, besiege, bind (up), cast, distress, fashion, fortify, inclose, lay siege, put up in bags.
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 groups2Aligned forms10
Qalbasic active stem — the word in its most common, direct sense9×
Participle active1Kgs 15:27 · 2Kgs 6:25 · 2Kgs 24:11 · Jer 32:2 · Judg 9:315×
ImperfectDeut 20:19 · Song 8:92×
JussiveDeut 2:91×
Sequential imperfectIsa 21:21×
Hiphilcausative active — the subject causes someone else to perform the action1×
Imperfect2Chr 6:281×
Selected Scripture Witnesses
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Biblical Witnesses
confinement or siege of a city by hostile military forces
military encirclement and assault upon a fortified location
Showing 2 selected witnesses from 36 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
צוּר is a primitive root - no further derivation.
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.