H6643b H6643b
Gazelle; the swift, graceful antelope used as a figure of beauty, agility, and permitted food.
Designates the gazelle (Gazella), one of the most evocative animals in the Hebrew Bible. Deuteronomy lists it among clean animals permitted for food alongside the deer (Deut 12:15, 22; 14:5; 15:22), and it appears on Solomon's daily provision list (1 Kgs 4:23). Beyond the table, the gazelle becomes a literary image of extraordinary swiftness — Asahel is 'as fleet-footed as a wild gazelle' (2 Sam 2:18), and warriors are 'swift as gazelles on the mountains' (1 Chr 12:8). In the Song of Songs, the gazelle embodies romantic beauty and grace (Song 2:9, 17; 8:14) and solemnly adjures the daughters of Jerusalem (Song 2:7; 3:5). Arabic cognate ظبي (ẓaby) confirms the identification.
Senses
1. gazelle (animal) — The gazelle (צְבִי as animal noun), a swift, graceful antelope native to the Levant. Cross-linguistic glosses align perfectly — Spanish 'gacela,' French 'gazelle,' German 'Gazelle' — confirming the zoological referent. The word operates across three semantic registers: dietary law, where it is clean game (Deut 12:15; 14:5); military simile, where it figures extraordinary speed (2 Sam 2:18; 1 Chr 12:8); and erotic poetry, where it symbolizes beauty and desire (Song 2:9, 17; 8:14). Isaiah 13:14 adds a fourth use: the hunted gazelle as an image of panicked fugitives. 14×
AR["الظَّبْيُ", "الظِّبَاءِ", "بِ-صْبَاوُت", "كَظَبْيٍ", "كَـ-الظَّبْيِ", "كَـ-ظَبْيٍ", "لِ-صْبِي", "وَ-الظَّبْيُ", "وَ-الغَزَالِ", "وَكَالظِّبَاء"]·ben["-এর-মতো-গজেলা", "-গজেলাদের-দিয়ে", "-গজেলার-মতো", "-গজেলার-সাথে", "এবং-কৃষ্ণসার", "এবং-হরিণদের-মতো", "গজলা", "গজলার-মতো", "হরিণদের", "হরিণের-মতো"]·DE["[וכצבאים]", "[כצבי]", "der-gazelle", "der-gazelles", "in-der-Heerscharen", "und-gazelle", "und-gazelles", "wie-der-gazelle", "zu-Gazelle"]·EN["a-gazelle", "and-gazelle", "and-gazelles", "and-like-gazelles", "as-the-gazelle", "by-gazelles", "like-a-gazelle", "like-gazelle", "the-gazelle", "the-gazelles"]·FR["[וכצבאים]", "[כצבי]", "comme-gazelle", "comme-le-gazelle", "et-gazelle", "et-gazelles", "le-gazelle", "le-gazelles", "par-les-gazelles", "à-une-gazelle"]·heb["ב-צבאות", "ה-צבאים", "ה-צבי", "ו-כ-צבאים", "ו-צבי", "כ-ה-צבי", "כ-צבי", "ל-צבי"]·HI["और-चिकारा", "और-चिकारे", "और-जैसे-हिरन", "के-लिए-हिरण", "चिकारा", "चिकारियों-की", "चिकारे-को", "जैसे-चिकारा", "जैसे-चिकारे", "जैसे-हिरन-", "हिरण-की-तरह", "हिरनों"]·ID["dan-kijang", "dan-seperti-kijang-kijang", "demi-kijang-kijang", "dengan-kijang", "kijang", "rusa-rusa", "seperti-kijang"]·IT["[וכצבאים]", "[כצבי]", "come-bellezza", "come-il-gazelle", "e-gazelle", "e-gazelles", "il-gazelle", "il-gazelles", "in-bellezza", "per-bellezza"]·jav["dhateng-kidang", "déning-kidang", "kados-kidang", "kados-kijang", "kidang", "lan-kados-kidang", "lan-kidang"]·KO["그-노루와", "그-사슴들", "그-와-같이-노루들", "그리고-노루과", "그리고-노루와", "노루-같이", "노루-에게", "마치-노루-같이", "암사슴들-로"]·PT["a-gazela", "a-uma-gazela", "as-gazelas", "como-a-gazela", "como-gazela", "e-como-gazelas", "e-de-gazela", "e-gazela", "pelas-gazelas"]·RU["-серну", "газелей", "газели", "газелями", "и-газелей", "и-как-серны", "и-серна", "как-газель", "как-серну", "на-газель"]·ES["a-gacela", "a-una-gacela", "como-gacela", "como-la-gacela", "gacela", "las-gacelas", "por-las-gacelas", "y-como-gacelas", "y-gacela"]·SW["kama-paa", "kama-swala", "kwa-paa", "na-kama-paa", "na-paa", "na-swala", "paa", "wa-paa"]·TR["ceylan-gibi", "ceylana", "ceylanlara", "ceylanı", "ceylânların", "gibi-ceylan", "ve-ceylan", "ve-ceylanlar-gibi"]·urd["-ہرن", "اور-غزال", "اور-غزالوں-جیسے", "اور-ہرنی", "جیسے-ہرن", "غزال-کی-طرح", "غزال-کے", "غزالوں-کی", "ہرن-کی-طرح", "ہرنوں", "ہرنی-کی-طرح"]
Deut 12:15, Deut 12:22, Deut 14:5, Deut 15:22, 2 Sam 2:18, 1 Kgs 4:23, 1 Chr 12:9, Prov 6:5, Song 2:7, Song 2:9, Song 2:17, Song 3:5 (+2 more)
Related Senses
H6629 1. flock, sheep/goats (small livestock) (274×)H1241 1. cattle, herd (bovine livestock) (183×)H0352a 1. ram (male sheep) (156×)H6499 1. young bull, bullock (130×)H3532 1. lamb, young male sheep (105×)H2543 1. donkey (male ass) (96×)H7794 1. ox, bull (79×)H7462b 1. shepherd (agent noun) (76×)H5795 1. she-goat(s), female goat(s) (68×)H7462b 2. to shepherd, tend, pasture (60×)H1581 1. camel (domestic animal) (54×)H0738b 1. lion (46×)G4263 1. sheep (39×)H5739 1. flock or herd of livestock (38×)H5695 1. calf, young bull (35×)H0738a 1. lion (large predatory feline) (34×)H0860 1. female donkey (34×)H3611 1. dog (animal) (32×)H3715a 1. young lion, lion cub (31×)G0721 1. Lamb (29×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† II. צְבִי n.m.Is 13:14 gazelle;—צ׳ abs. Dt 12:15 +; pl. צְבָיִם 2 S 2:18, צְבָאיִם 1 Ch 12:9 (Gi Baer; van d. H. v 8), צְבָאוֹת Ct 2:7; 3:5;—gazelle, allowed as food Dt 14:5, cf. 12:15, 22 (although not for sacrif., Dr; all + אַיָּל), so 15:22 (+ אַיָּל, יַחְמוּר, etc.), v. 1 K 5:3; sim. of swiftness 2 S 2:18; 1 Ch 12:9; v. supr., Pr 6:5; of grace and beauty Ct 2:9, 17; 8:14 (cf. JacobArab. Dichter iv. 20 f.); hence used in adjuration 2:7; 3:5 (+ אילות); צ׳ מֻדָּח Is 13:14, sim. of fugitives.