ESTUDIO DE LA PALABRA HEBREA
Tsavah (צָוָה) — Command in the Bible
Tsavah (צָוָה) is a Hebrew verb meaning to command, charge, or appoint with authority.
Significado de la palabra
Tsavah (צָוָה) is an intensive Hebrew verb that means 'to command, charge, or appoint.' It conveys more than a casual suggestion—it expresses the constitution of an order by someone with authority, carrying weight and obligation on the hearer.
The most common form in the Bible is the Piel (Piel), which intensifies the action. In this stem tsavah is used to lay a charge upon someone, give instructions, appoint a person to a duty, or commission an agent. The Pual stem shows the passive side: 'to be commanded.'
The KJV translates it variously as 'command,' 'charge,' 'appoint,' 'bid,' 'order,' and 'commandment.' All of these renderings share the idea of an authoritative directive that the recipient is expected to obey.
Uso en las Escrituras
Tsavah appears 221 times across the Old Testament and dominates the early chapters of Genesis. In Genesis 2:16 God 'commands' the man regarding the trees of the garden, and in Genesis 3:11, 17 the same word is recalled as the violated order whose transgression brought the curse. The fall narrative is framed by a tsavah that was disobeyed.
The verb is also the language of covenant faithfulness: in Genesis 6:22 and 7:5, 9, 16 Noah 'did according to all that God commanded him,' making tsavah the marker of righteous obedience. The same pattern appears in Genesis 21:4, where Abraham circumcised Isaac 'as God had commanded him,' and in Genesis 27:8, where parental instruction to a child uses tsavah. Beyond divine-human settings, rulers and heads of household use the verb: Pharaoh gives 'charge' in Genesis 12:20, and Abimelech warns the people in Genesis 26:11.
La palabra en detalle
- H6680 A Piel-intensive verb expressing an authoritative directive. The same root supplies the noun mitzvah (מִצְוָה), 'commandment,' giving tsavah a central place in the vocabulary of divine instruction and covenant obligation.
Versículos de ejemplo
- Genesis 2:16 God's first spoken directive to humanity, establishing tsavah as the pattern for divine command in Scripture.
- Genesis 3:11 The verb is recalled as the violated order, making tsavah the hinge between obedience and the fall.
- Genesis 6:22 Noah's obedience is measured 'according to all that God commanded him,' using tsavah as the standard of righteousness.
- Genesis 27:8 A parent 'commands' a child, extending tsavah from divine-human to household relationships.
Preguntas frecuentes
What does tsavah mean in Hebrew?
Tsavah (H6680) is an intensive verb meaning 'to command, charge, or appoint.' It expresses an authoritative directive that obligates the hearer.
How is tsavah different from other Hebrew 'command' words?
While 'amar can simply mean 'to say' and dabar can mean 'to speak,' tsavah specifically intensifies the speech act into an authoritative order or appointment that carries obligation.
Does tsavah apply only to God's commands?
No. Although its most theologically significant uses describe divine commands (as in Genesis 2:16 and 6:22), tsavah is also used of human authorities such as Pharaoh in Genesis 12:20 and parents in Genesis 27:8.