H6679a H6679a
To hunt game animals; to pursue or stalk a person figuratively; to ensnare or trap souls (Piel intensive)
The Hebrew verb tsud carries the earthy physicality of the ancient hunt — tracking prey, pursuing quarry, and setting traps. Its most memorable appearances cluster around Esau, the quintessential hunter, whom Isaac sends to 'hunt game' (Gen 27:3, 5, 33). Leviticus 17:13 legislates the proper treatment of blood when a man hunts a wild animal. But the verb quickly crosses into metaphorical territory: Lamentations 3:52 cries 'they hunted me relentlessly like a bird,' and Micah 7:2 accuses each man of hunting his brother with a net. The Piel intensive in Ezekiel 13:18-20 takes this to its darkest extreme, where false prophetesses 'hunt souls' through their sorcery. Arabic saada ('to hunt') and Aramaic tsud confirm the root's Pan-Semitic antiquity. Spanish cazar and German jagen both mirror the range from field sport to figurative pursuit.
Senses
1. hunt/pursue a person (Qal figurative) — The figurative-personal sense (Qal): to pursue, stalk, or hunt down a person as if they were prey. Lamentations 3:52 provides the most poignant image — 'they hunted me relentlessly like a bird' — and Lamentations 4:18 records enemies stalking through the streets. Job 10:16 pictures God hunting him like a lion, and Psalm 140:12 warns that evil will hunt down the violent man. Jeremiah 16:16 sends 'hunters' to pursue Israel from every hiding place. Spanish acechar ('to stalk') and German nachstellen capture the menacing register. 7×
AR["تَصْطادُني", "تَصْطَادُ", "صَادُوا", "صَادُونِي", "فَ-يَصْطَادُونَهُمْ", "يَصْطَادُهُ", "يَصْطَادُونَ"]·ben["আপনি-আমাকে-শিকার-করেন", "আর-শিকার-করবে-তাদের", "শিকার-করবে-তাকে", "শিকার-করে", "শিকার-করেছিল-তারা", "শিকার-করেছে-আমাকে"]·DE["[וצדום]", "[יצודו]", "[צדו]", "[צדוני]", "[תצוד]", "[תצודני]", "lass-es-hunt-ihn"]·EN["They-hunted", "You-hunt-me", "and-they-will-hunt-them", "let-it-hunt-him", "she-hunts", "they-hunt", "they-hunted-me"]·FR["[וצדום]", "[צדו]", "[צדוני]", "chasser", "תצוד", "תצודני-moi"]·heb["ו-צדום", "יצודו", "יצודנו", "צדו", "צדוני", "תצוד", "תצודני"]·HI["उन्होंने-शिकार-किया", "उसका-पीछा-करेगी", "और-शिकार-करेंगे-उन्हें", "तू-मुझे-शिकार-करता-है", "फँसाती-है", "मुझे-शिकार-किया", "वे-शिकार-करते-हैं"]·ID["Engkau-memburuku", "Mereka-memburu", "dan-mereka-akan-memburu-mereka", "dia-berburu", "memburu", "memburu-dia", "mereka-memburu-aku"]·IT["You-hunt-me-mio", "[וצדום]", "[יצודו]", "[יצודנו]", "[צדו]", "[צדוני]", "ella-hunts"]·jav["Panjenengan-mburu-kawula", "Piyambakipun-sami-mbedhag", "lan-piyambakipun-badhé-mburu-piyambakipun", "mburu", "mugi-kabedhag", "piyambakipun-sami-mbedhag-kawula"]·KO["그들-이-사냥했네", "그들-이-사냥했네-나-를", "그리고-그들이-사냥하리라-그들을", "당신이-나를-사냥하신다", "사냥하리라-그-를", "사냥한다"]·PT["Caçaram", "caça", "caçam", "caçaram-me", "e-caçá-los-ão", "me-caças", "o-caçará"]·RU["Подстерегали", "будет-ловить-его", "и-поймают-их", "ловит.", "ловят", "охотились-на-меня", "охотишься-на-меня"]·ES["Acechaban", "caza", "cazan", "lo-cace", "me-cazaron", "me-cazas;", "y-los-cazarán"]·SW["Walifuatilia", "anamwinda", "anawinda", "na-watawainda", "unaniwinda", "uovu-umwindane", "wameniwinda"]·TR["Avladılar", "avladılar-beni", "avlar", "avlarlar", "avlarsın-beni", "avlasın-onu", "ve-avlayacaklar"]·urd["اور-شکار-کریں-گے-اُنہیں", "شکار-کرتا-ہے-مجھے", "شکار-کرتی-ہے", "شکار-کرتے-ہیں", "شکار-کرے-گی-اُسے", "شکار-کیا", "شکار-کیا-مجھے"]
2. hunt game (Qal literal) — The literal hunting sense (Qal): to hunt wild animals for food or sport, the physical pursuit of game. Genesis 27 is the defining narrative: Isaac commands Esau 'go out to the field and hunt game for me' (Gen 27:3, 5), and the aged father later asks 'who was it that hunted game?' (Gen 27:33). Leviticus 17:13 regulates the blood of hunted game, and Job 38:39 asks whether Job can hunt prey for the lioness. Spanish cazar and French chasser map directly. This is the concrete root from which the metaphorical extensions grow. 6×
AR["الذي-اصطادَ", "صَيْدًا", "لِيَصطادَ", "هَلْ-تَصْطَادُ", "وَ-اصطَدْ", "يَصْطَادُ"]·ben["-শিকারী", "আর-শিকার-কর", "তুমি-কি-শিকার-করবে", "শিকার-করতে", "শিকার-করে"]·DE["[התצוד]", "[צוד]", "der-gejagt-hat-", "hunts", "um-zu-jagen", "und-erjage"]·EN["Hunting", "and-hunt", "can-you-hunt", "hunts", "the-hunting", "to-hunt"]·FR["[צוד]", "et-hunt", "hunts", "le-chassant", "à-hunt", "התצוד"]·heb["ה-צד", "ה-תצוד", "ו-צודה-ה", "יצוד", "ל-צוד", "צוד"]·HI["और-शिकार-कर", "क्या-तू-शिकार-कर-सकता-है", "शिकार-करना", "शिकार-करने", "शिकार-करने-वाला-", "शिकार-करे"]·ID["Berburu", "Dapatkah-engkau-berburu", "berburu", "dan-berburulah", "untuk-berburu", "yang-berburu"]·IT["[צוד]", "a-hunt", "can-voi-hunt", "e-hunt", "hunts", "il-hunting"]·jav["Griya", "Punapa-panjenengan-mburu", "ingkang-mbeburu", "kanggé-mbeburu", "lan-beburon", "nggrèmèk"]·KO["그리고-사냥하라", "네가-사냥하겠느냐", "사냥하는", "사냥하려고", "사냥한", "사냥함-으로"]·PT["Caçando", "Caçarás", "caçará", "e-caça", "o-que-caçou-", "para-caçar"]·RU["Охотясь", "и-налови", "охотившийся", "охотиться", "поймает-на-охоте", "поохотишься-ли"]·ES["Cazando", "cace", "el-que-cazó", "para-cazar", "y-caza", "¿Puedes-cazar"]·SW["Kuwinda", "aliyewinda", "atawinda", "je-unawinda", "kuwinda", "na-uwinde"]·TR["Avlamak", "avlamak-için", "avlarsa", "avlayan", "mı-Avlarsın", "ve-avla"]·urd["اور-شکار-کر", "شکار", "شکار-کرنے", "شکار-کرنے-والا", "شکار-کرے", "کیا تو شکار کرے گا"]
3. ensnare souls (Piel) — The intensive-trapping sense (Piel): to ensnare or trap persons, particularly their souls, with connotations of deceptive entrapment through sorcery or false prophecy. Ezekiel 13:18-20 contains all four occurrences, where false prophetesses sew magic bands and 'hunt souls' — the repeated phrase naphshot tetsodedna. God declares he will tear away their veils and free the souls they hunt 'like birds.' Spanish cazar almas and German Seelen fangen both render the disturbing image. The Piel intensification marks this as systematic, predatory entrapment rather than casual pursuit. 4×
AR["تَصْطَدْنَ", "صَائِدَاتٌ", "لِاصْطِيَادِ"]·ben["তোমরা-শিকার-করবে", "শিকার-করতে", "শিকারকারীনী"]·DE["[לצודד]", "[מצדדות]", "[תצודדנה]"]·EN["hunting", "to-hunt", "will-you-hunt"]·FR["chasser"]·heb["ל-צודד", "מצודדות", "תצודדנה"]·HI["को-फँसाने", "तुम-फंसाओगी", "फंसाती"]·ID["apakah-kamu-menjerat", "jerat", "menjerat", "untuk-menjerat"]·IT["[לצודד]", "[מצדדות]", "[תצודדנה]"]·jav["kanggé-njerat", "njerat", "panjenengan-sedaya-badhé-njerat"]·KO["너희가-사냥하느냐", "사냥하기-위하여-", "사냥하는"]·PT["caçando", "caçareis", "para-caçar"]·RU["ловите", "чтобы-ловить"]·ES["cazando", "cazaréis", "para-cazar"]·SW["kuwinda", "mnawinda", "mnaziwinda", "mtaziwinda"]·TR["avlamak-için", "avlayacak-mısınız", "siz"]·urd["شکار-کرتی-ہو", "شکار-کرتی-ہو-تم", "شکار-کرنے-کو"]
Related Senses
H0935 1. come, arrive (Qal) (2413×)G1473 1. first person singular pronoun (2084×)H3318 1. Qal: go out, depart, come forth (891×)H7725 1. to return, come/go back (Qal) (874×)H5927 1. go up, ascend (Qal) (779×)H7971 1. to send, dispatch (Qal) (701×)G2064 1. come / arrive (physical movement toward) (588×)H5307 1. Qal: fall down physically (339×)H5375 1. Qal: to lift up, raise (330×)H5975 1. to stand, stand up (310×)H5674a 1. Qal: pass by, pass through (256×)H3381 1. Qal: to go down, descend (physical movement) (242×)G1831 1. go/come out physically (193×)H5337 1. deliver, rescue, save (Hifil) (188×)H7901 1. lie down, rest, sleep (183×)G1525 1. enter a place physically (179×)H7812 1. prostrate oneself, bow down, worship (173×)H3318 2. Hifil: bring out, lead out, take out (persons) (172×)H7725 2. to bring back, restore (Hifil) (151×)H5674a 2. Qal: cross over (134×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† I. צוּד vb. hunt (NH id. (rare), מְצוּדָה = BH Assyrian ṣâdu, hunt, so Arabic (صيد), صَادَ, Aramaic צוּד, צִיד, ((ܨܘܕ) ܨܳܕ) Old Aramaic צידא hunting);— Qal Pf. 3 pl. צָד֣וּ La 4:18; sf. צָדוּנִי 3:52, וְצָדוּם consec. Je 16:16; Impf. 3 ms. יָצוּד Lv 17:13, etc.; Imv. ms. צוּ֫דָה Gn 27:3; Inf. abs. צוֹד La 3:52; cstr. לָצוּד Gn 27:5; Pt. הַצָּד v 33;—hunt, c. acc. i. צַיִד Gn 27:3 Qr (> Kt…