H6705 H6705
to be dazzling, gleaming white
This verb describes brilliant whiteness or dazzling appearance, particularly of skin. The Syriac cognate suggests brightness and clarity, while the Aramaic points to polishing. In Lamentations 4:7, it describes the Nazirites' radiant appearance before Jerusalem's fall—their skin 'more dazzling than milk,' whiter than snow. The multilingual evidence (Spanish 'eran blancos,' English 'bright') confirms this sense of brilliant whiteness.
Senses
1. sense 1 — To appear dazzlingly white or brilliant. Lamentations 4:7 uses this to describe the Nazirites' complexion before the siege: 'more dazzling than milk,' parallel to 'whiter than snow.' The verb emphasizes radiant, gleaming whiteness rather than mere color, suggesting skin that shone with health and vigor in contrast to their later emaciated state. 1×
AR["بَيَضُوا"]·ben["উজ্জ্বল-ছিল-তারা"]·DE["[צחו]"]·EN["they-were-bright"]·FR["[צחו]"]·heb["צחו"]·HI["चमकिले-थे"]·ID["lebih-putih"]·IT["[צחו]"]·jav["pethak"]·KO["빛났네"]·PT["eram-brilhantes"]·RU["сияли"]·ES["eran-blancos"]·SW["walikuwa-weupe"]·TR["parlak-idiler"]·urd["سفید-تھے"]
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
† [צָחַח] vb. be dazzling (𝔗 צַחְצַח polish; Syriac ܨܰܚ be scorched, Aph. declare in writing (make clear), ܨܰܚܺܝܚܳܐ clarus, lucidus, fulgidus; صَحْصَحَانٌ, صَحْصَحٌ, smooth, plain);— Qal Pf. 3 pl. צַחוּ מֵחָלָב La 4:7 (‖ זַכּוּ מִשֶּׁלֶג), they are more dazzling (i.e. whiter) than milk (of effeminate skin).