צָבָא485 H6635b
Hosts, armies (of YHWH) — the celestial or military forces invoked in the divine title 'LORD of Hosts'
Tseva'ot is the plural of tsava ('army, host') and overwhelmingly appears in the divine epithet YHWH Tseva'ot — 'the LORD of Hosts.' Of its 286 occurrences, the vast majority belong to this title, which dominates the prophetic books (Isaiah, Jeremiah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi). The 'hosts' have been understood variously as Israel's armies, angelic beings, or the cosmic forces of heaven. German 'Heerscharen' ('host-multitudes') and French 'armées' preserve the military imagery, while the Spanish and English transliterations 'Tsevaot/Tsebaot' acknowledge that no single word captures the title's theological weight.
Senses
1. hosts, armies (of YHWH) — The plural noun meaning 'hosts' or 'armies,' used almost exclusively in the divine epithet YHWH Tseva'ot ('LORD of Hosts'). The title first appears in the context of the Shiloh sanctuary (1 Sam 1:3) and becomes the dominant prophetic name for God — especially in Isaiah, Jeremiah, and the post-exilic prophets. Whether the 'hosts' denote Israel's armies, heavenly angels (Ps 103:21; 148:2), or the stars themselves, the epithet asserts YHWH's sovereign command over all forces visible and invisible. 286×
AR["الجُنود", "الجُنودِ", "الجُنُود", "الجُنُودِ", "الصَّبَاؤُتُ", "الصَّبَاؤُوتِ", "الْجُنُودِ", "رَبُّ-الْجُنُودِ"]·ben["ঈশ্বররূপে", "বাহিনীগণের", "বাহিনীর", "সেনাদের", "সেনাবাহিনী-এর", "সেনাবাহিনীর", "সৈন্যদলের", "সৈন্যদের", "সৈন্যবাহিনীর"]·DE["Heerscharen", "der-Heerscharen", "von-Heerscharen"]·EN["Tsevaot", "hosts", "of-hosts"]·FR["armées", "de-armées", "des-armées"]·heb["צבאות"]·HI["तसेबओत", "सेनाओं-का", "सेनाओं-के", "सैन्यों-का", "सैन्यों-के-ने"]·ID["semesta-alam"]·IT["degli-eserciti", "di-eserciti", "eserciti"]·jav["Sebaot", "Wadyabala", "balatentara", "lan", "sarwa-dumadi", "wadyabala"]·KO["만군", "만군-의", "만군들-의", "만군의", "만군이"]·PT["Tzeva'ot", "de-exércitos", "dos-Exércitos", "dos-exércitos", "exércitos"]·RU["Воинств", "Цваот", "Цеваот", "воинств"]·ES["Tsebaot", "Tsevaot", "Tseva’ot", "de-ejércitos", "de-los-ejércitos", "ejércitos"]·SW["majeshi", "wa-majeshi"]·TR["Tseva'ot", "Tsevaot", "ordular", "orduların"]·urd["لشکروں-کا", "لشکروں-کا-خداوند", "لشکروں-کے", "لشکروں-کے-خداوند-نے", "لشکروں-کے۔", "لَشکروں"]
1 Sam 17:45, 2 Sam 5:10, 2 Sam 6:2, 2 Sam 6:18, 2 Sam 7:8, 2 Sam 7:26, 2 Sam 7:27, 2 Kgs 3:14, 1 Chr 11:9, 1 Chr 17:7, 1 Chr 17:24, Ps 24:10 (+38 more)
Related Senses
G2316 1. God, the true God (1315×)H0410 1. God, the true God (223×)G0032 1. heavenly angel (170×)H4397 2. messenger, envoy, ambassador (102×)H3742 1. cherub, angelic guardian being (91×)H0430 2. gods (pagan deities) (81×)H0426 1. God, the true God (76×)G1140 1. demon, evil spirit (62×)H0433 1. God, the true God (54×)H5945b 1. Most High (30×)G4152 1. spiritual (21×)H0426 2. god(s), pagan deities (20×)H5943 1. [ketiv:Most High] (18×)G1139 1. be demon-possessed (13×)H1712 1. Dagon (13×)G2316 2. god, pagan deity (12×)G5310 1. Most High (9×)H0410 3. a god, deity (generic) (9×)H3645 1. Chemosh (9×)H0842 2. Asherah (goddess) (8×)
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 +,…