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צָבָא485 H6635a

N-cpc | 2mp | 200× in 3 senses

Army, host, or organized force; also hard service, compulsory duty, or warfare as an activity.

At its core, this word denotes an assembled and organized body of people mobilized for a purpose -- most often a military one. It appears frequently in the formulaic phrase 'LORD of hosts' (Yhwh tseva'ot), where it encompasses heavenly armies, angelic beings, and even the stars. Beyond the military host, the word extends to the burdensome reality of compulsory service and forced labor, as when Job laments that human life on earth is like a tsava' (Job 7:1). Isaiah uses the same metaphor when he declares that Jerusalem's 'warfare' is ended (Isa 40:2). The semantic stretch from 'army' to 'hard service' reflects an ancient world where conscription was life's defining burden.

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Senses

1. [split] army, host (military force) — An army, host, or organized military force. This is the dominant sense (192 occurrences), covering both human armies mustered for battle and the heavenly host -- whether angelic forces or celestial bodies marshalled under God's command. The Numbers census material (Num 1-2) uses it formulaically for the tribal hosts. In 'LORD of hosts' (Yhwh tseva'ot), the term reaches cosmic scope. Translations across languages converge: Spanish 'ejército,' French 'armée,' German 'Heer' -- all standard military vocabulary. 0×

PROPERTIES_RELATIONS › Power, Force › Power and Miracles

AR["الجَيشِ", "الجَيْش", "الجَيْشِ", "الـ-جَيْشِ", "الْجَيْشِ", "الْـ-جَيْشِ"]·ben["-উপরে", "-সৈন্যদলের", "সেনাদলের", "সেনার", "সৈন্য", "সৈন্যদলের", "সৈন্যদের", "সৈন্যবাহিনী", "সৈন্যবাহিনীর", "সৈন্যের"]·DE["das-Heer", "der-Heer"]·EN["the-army"]·FR["armée", "le-armée"]·heb["ה-צבא"]·HI["सेन-क", "सेना", "सेना-का", "सेना-के", "सैन्य", "सैन्य-के", "ह-सेना"]·ID["-tentara", "pasukan", "tentara"]·IT["esercito", "il-esercito"]·jav["-bala-tentara", "balatentara", "prajurit", "sang-wadyabala", "wadya", "wadya-bala", "wadya-balaning", "wadyabala"]·KO["군대-의", "군대가", "그-군대", "그-군대를", "그-군대에", "그-군대의"]·PT["o-exército"]·RU["-войска", "-войском", "·-войском", "войска", "войско", "войском"]·ES["el-ejército"]·SW["jeshi", "jeshi-hilo", "na-Abiathari", "na-Sadoki", "na-Sulemani"]·TR["-ordunun", "ordu", "ordunun", "orduyu"]·urd["فوج", "فوج-کے", "لشکر", "لشکر-کا", "لشکر-کے"]

Num 1:3, Num 1:20, Num 1:22, Num 1:24, Num 1:26, Num 1:28, Num 1:30, Num 1:32, Num 1:34, Num 1:36, Num 1:38, Num 1:40 (+38 more)

1. human army, military force — Split from sense 129370. Criteria: Organized military bodies of nations or kings; numbered troops in census material (Num 1-2); armies mustered for battle 158×

Num 1:3, Num 1:20, Num 1:22, Num 1:24, Num 1:26, Num 1:28, Num 1:30, Num 1:32, Num 1:34, Num 1:36, Num 1:38, Num 1:40 (+38 more)

2. hard service, compulsory duty — Hard or compulsory service, forced labor, an appointed term of duty. Found in passages like Job 14:14 ('all the days of my hard service I will wait') and Isa 40:2 ('her warfare is ended'). The Levitical service periods in Numbers 4:23 and 8:24-25 also carry this nuance of assigned, bounded duty. Spanish 'servicio' and German 'Dienst' (service, duty) capture this non-combat sense, distinguishing it from the purely military reading. 5×

PROPERTIES_RELATIONS › Nature, Class, Example › Geography and Space

AR["جِهَادِي", "خِدْمَةً", "خِدْمَتُهَا", "مِنْ-خِدْمَةِ"]·ben["আমার-সেবার", "তার-যুদ্ধসেবা", "বাহিনী", "বাহিনী-থেকে", "সৈন্যদল"]·DE["Dienst", "Heer", "von-Dienst-von"]·EN["from-service-of", "her-warfare", "service", "service-my"]·FR["armée", "de-service-de", "mon-armée-moi", "service"]·heb["מ-צבא", "צבא", "צבאה", "צבאי"]·HI["अपनी-सेवा-के", "टुकड़ी", "टुकड़ी-से", "सेना", "सेवा-उसकी"]·ID["dari-tugas", "masa-peperangannya", "pasukan", "peperanganku", "tugas"]·IT["da-servizio-di", "esercito", "esercito-mio", "servizio"]·jav["barisan", "pakaryan-rekasa-kawula", "perangipun", "saking-barisan"]·KO["군대", "군무", "그녀의-전쟁이", "나의-복무의", "에게서-군무"]·PT["do-serviço-de", "minha-luta", "serviço", "serviço-dela"]·RU["борьбы-моей", "войском", "из-службы", "служба-её", "службу"]·ES["de-servicio-de", "ejército", "mi-servicio", "servicio", "su-tiempo-de-servicio"]·SW["jeshi", "kazi-yangu-ngumu", "kikosi", "kutoka-kikosi-cha", "utumishi-wake"]·TR["-den-ordusundan", "hizmeti", "hizmetimin", "ordu"]·urd["اُس-کی-مشقت", "فوج", "فوج-سے", "میری-خدمت-کے"]

Num 4:23, Num 8:24, Num 8:25, Job 14:14, Isa 40:2

2. heavenly host (angelic/celestial) — Split from sense 129370. Criteria: Angelic forces or celestial bodies under God's command; occurs in the divine title 'LORD of hosts' (Yhwh tseva'ot) 34×

AR["الْجُنْدِ", "جَيشِ", "جَيْشُ", "جُندِ", "جُنْدِ"]·ben["-সৈন্য", "-সৈন্যের", "বাহিনী", "বাহিনীকে", "বাহিনীর", "সেনা", "সৈন্য", "সৈন্যদল", "সৈন্যের", "সৈন্যের-"]·DE["Heer", "Heer-von", "das-Heer", "host-von"]·EN["army-of", "host-of", "of-the-height", "the-host", "the-host-of"]·FR["armée", "armée-de", "host-de"]·heb["ה-צבא", "צבא", "צבא-"]·HI["सेना", "सेना-की", "सेना-के", "सैन्य"]·ID["-bala-tentara", "bala-tentara", "bala-tentara-", "tentara"]·IT["esercito", "esercito-di", "host-di"]·jav["balatentara", "langit", "wadya", "wadya-bala", "wadya-bala-", "wadyabala"]·KO["군대", "군대-", "군대-의", "군대가", "군대를", "군대에게", "군대의"]·PT["exército", "exército-de"]·RU["воинства", "воинства-", "воинство", "воинству", "войска", "войско", "войско-", "войску"]·ES["ejército-de", "el-ejército"]·SW["jeshi", "jeshi-hilo", "jeshi-la", "jeshi-la-", "jeshi-lote", "tsba"]·TR["ordudan", "orduları", "ordunun", "ordusu", "ordusu-", "ordusuna", "ordusunun", "ordusunun-"]·urd["فوج", "لشکر", "لشکر-کا-", "لشکر-کے"]

Gen 2:1, Deut 4:19, Deut 17:3, Josh 5:14, Josh 5:15, 1 Kgs 22:19, 2 Kgs 17:16, 2 Kgs 21:3, 2 Kgs 21:5, 2 Kgs 23:4, 2 Kgs 23:5, 2 Chr 18:18 (+22 more)

3. warfare, war, military campaign — Warfare as an activity or military campaign. Rather than the assembled force itself, this sense points to the act of making war. Joshua 22:12 and 22:33 use it for the prospect of going to war, and Job 7:1 frames earthly existence as a campaign. Spanish 'guerra' and German 'Krieg' (war) appear in translations, shifting from the personnel to the event of conflict. 3×

VIOLENCE_CONFLICT › Hostility, Strife › War and Battle

AR["جِهادٌ", "لِلْحَرْبِ"]·ben["যুদ্ধ-সেবা", "সৈন্যের-জন্য"]·DE["Heer", "zu-der-Krieg"]·EN["to-the-war", "warfare"]·FR["armée", "à-le-guerre"]·heb["ל-צבא", "צבא"]·HI["युद्ध", "सैन्य-के-लिए"]·ID["kerja-paksa", "untuk-berperang"]·IT["a-il-guerra", "esercito"]·jav["kanggé-perang", "pakaryan-rekasa"]·KO["그-군대에", "병역이"]·PT["para-a-guerra", "serviço-militar"]·RU["для-войны", "служба"]·ES["a-la-guerra", "servicio-militar"]·SW["kazi-ngumu", "kwa-vita"]·TR["-e-savaş", "askerlik"]·urd["جنگ-کے-لیے", "مقررہ-خدمت"]

Josh 22:12, Josh 22:33, Job 7:1

BDB / Lexicon Reference

צָבָא485 n.m. 2 Ch 28:9 (poss. f. Is 40:2; Dn 8:12, but v. Albr ZAW xv (1895), 319; Bev Dn) army, war, warfare;—abs. צ׳ Nu 1:3 + (מִצָּבָה Zc 9:8 v. p. 663 a); cstr. צְבָא Nu 10:15 +; sf. צְבָאִי Jb 14:14; צְבָאֲךָ Ju 8:9; 9:29; צְבָאָיו ψ 103:21; 148:2 (Kt צבאו; so read prob. in both), etc.; pl. צְבָאוֹת Nu 20:9 + 278 times; cstr. צִבְאוֹת Ex 12:41 + 2 times; sf. צִבְאֹתַי 7:4; צִבְאֹתָם 6:26 +,…