H6673 H6673
Precept, command, rule; used in Isaiah's repetitive phrase 'precept upon precept' and in Hosea 5:11.
A rare noun occurring almost entirely in Isaiah 28:10, 13, where it appears in the mocking refrain tsav la-tsav, tsav la-tsav ('precept upon precept'). Scholars debate whether this represents genuine content -- a weary people mimicking Isaiah's repetitive moral instruction -- or nonsense syllables imitating a droning teacher. Hosea 5:11 uses the related form for a 'command' that Ephraim stubbornly followed. The Spanish 'mandato' and German 'Gebot' both render it as a directive or commandment, preserving the authoritative tone.
Senses
1. precept, command — A precept, command, or directive, appearing primarily in Isaiah 28:10, 13 in the repetitive formula tsav la-tsav ('precept upon precept'), which may be either genuine summary of prophetic instruction or mocking imitation of Isaiah's insistent teaching. Hosea 5:11 uses it for an ordinance Ephraim willingly followed. The parallel with qav la-qav ('line upon line') suggests measured, rule-like instruction. Spanish 'mandato' and English 'precept/command' consistently render it as authoritative directive, though the Isaiah context carries an ironic or satirical edge. 9×
AR["أَمْرٌ", "الوَصيَّةِ", "عَلَى-أَمْرٍ"]·ben["আজ্ঞার", "আদেশ", "আদেশের-উপরে"]·DE["Gebot", "[צו]", "zu-Gebot"]·EN["command", "precept", "upon-precept"]·FR["commandement"]·heb["ל-צו", "צו"]·HI["आज्ञा", "पर-आज्ञा"]·ID["demi-perintah", "perintah", "sampah"]·IT["[צו]", "a-precetto", "precetto"]·jav["prentah", "tumrap-prentah"]·KO["명령", "에-명령", "헛된-것의"]·PT["mandamento", "sobre-mandamento"]·RU["заповедь", "на-заповедь", "повелением"]·ES["mandato", "sobre-mandato"]·SW["amri", "juu-ya-amri"]·TR["buyruk", "emrin", "uzerine-buyruk"]·urd["حکم", "پر-حکم"]
Related Senses
H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)G1537 1. from, out of (source/origin) (886×)H8034 1. Name (designation / identifier) (856×)G3361 1. subjective negation (not) (834×)G1909 1. on, upon (spatial surface) (757×)H0369 1. existential negation: there is not (738×)H5869a 1. in the eyes/sight of (evaluative) (734×)H5650 1. Servant, attendant, subject (723×)H0408 1. prohibitive negation do-not (712×)G2443 1. so that, in order that (purpose/result) (665×)G0575 1. from (649×)G1223 1. through, by means of (582×)H3541 1. thus, so, in this manner (569×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† צַו appar. n.[m.], dub. word;—in הָלַךְ אַחֲרֵי־צָ֑ו Ho 5:11 usually command, ordinance; שָׁוְא; elsewhere only צַו לָצָ֙ו צַו לָצָ֔ו (‖ קַו לָקָו קַו לָקָו), Is 28:10 in mocking mimicry of Is.’s words, and, v 13, of the unintelligible speech of י׳’s foreign agents of judgment; Ges CheComm. al. (cf. AV RV) render command upon command; Ew Di (carpenter’s) rule (+ קַו = line and rule), from √ צָוָה (whence צִיּוּן); Du CheHpt. explain as mocking sounds without sense.