H6731a H6731a
A flower or blossom; also the gold plate (rosette) on the high priest's turban inscribed 'Holy to the LORD.'
A word that bridges the garden and the sanctuary. Most often it denotes a flower or blossom — Isaiah 40:6–8 uses it in the famous passage where 'the grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever.' Numbers 17:8 records Aaron's rod budding with blossoms (tsits), and 1 Kings 6:18–35 describes carved flower ornaments throughout Solomon's temple. But the same word also names the gold plate fastened to the high priest's turban (Exod 28:36; 39:30; Lev 8:9), inscribed with 'Holy to the LORD.' Arabic clearly distinguishes the two: zuhurin ('flowers') for the botanical sense and safihata ('a metal plate') for the priestly diadem — confirming these as genuinely separate meanings rather than metaphorical extension.
Senses
1. flower, blossom (botanical) — A flower or blossom, whether literal or figurative. Numbers 17:8 describes Aaron's rod producing blossoms as a divine sign. Isaiah 40:6–8 and Psalm 103:15 use the fading flower as a metaphor for human transience — 'as a flower of the field, so he flourishes.' Job 14:2 likewise compares human life to a flower that comes forth and withers. In 1 Kings 6:18–35, carved flower designs (tsitsim) adorn the interior of the temple. German 'Blüte' and Spanish 'flor' consistently render this botanical sense. 11×
AR["الزَّهْرَةُ", "بَرَاعِمَ", "زُهُورٍ", "كَ-زَهرَة", "كَ-زَهْرَةٍ", "كَزَهْرَةِ", "وَ-زَهْرَةِ"]·ben["ও-ফুল", "ফুল", "ফুলের-মতো"]·DE["Bluete", "[וציץ]", "[כציץ]", "[ציץ]", "blossoms", "wie-ein-flower-von"]·EN["and-the-fading", "blossom", "blossoms", "like-a-flower-of", "like-flower", "like-the-flower", "the-flower"]·FR["[וציץ]", "[כציץ]", "[ציץ]", "blossom", "blossoms", "comme-plaque", "comme-כציץ"]·heb["ו-ציץ", "כ-ציץ", "ציץ", "ציצים"]·HI["और-फूल", "कली", "जैसा-फूल", "फूल", "फूल-की-तरह", "फूलों-का", "फूलों-के"]·ID["Seperti-bunga", "bunga", "bunga-bunga", "dan-bunga", "seperti-bunga"]·IT["[כציץ]", "come-fiore", "e-fiore", "fiore", "fiori"]·jav["kados-sekar", "kang-mekar", "kembang", "lan-sekar", "sekar"]·KO["같으니라-꽃", "그리고-꽃", "꽃-을", "꽃-처럼", "꽃들의", "꽃은", "꽃처럼"]·PT["Como-flor", "broto", "como-a-flor", "como-flor-de", "e-flor", "flor", "flores"]·RU["и-цветку", "как-цветок", "цвет", "цветов", "цветок", "цветы"]·ES["Como-flor", "como-flor", "como-flor-de", "flores", "la-flor", "y-flor"]·SW["chipukizi", "dhahabu", "kama-ua", "maua", "na-ua", "ua", "yaliyochanua", "yote"]·TR["cicegi-gibi", "cicek", "tomurcuk", "ve-cicegi", "çiçek-gibi", "çiçekler"]·urd["اور-پھول", "جیسا-پھول", "پھول", "پھول-کی-طرح", "پھولوں", "پھولوں کی"]
2. plate, rosette (of gold, priestly headpiece) — The gold plate or rosette affixed to the front of the high priest's turban. Exodus 28:36 commands making a plate of pure gold engraved 'Holy to the LORD,' and Exodus 39:30 and Leviticus 8:9 record its fabrication and placement. Arabic safihata ('a plate/sheet of metal') sharply distinguishes this from the floral sense. Spanish 'lámina' (plate/sheet) and 'placa' also reflect a metalworking term. The connection to the flower sense may lie in the rosette shape of the plate, but functionally this is a distinct cultic object — a sacred insignia of priestly consecration. 3×
AR["صَفيحَةً", "صَفِيحَةَ"]·ben["পাত"]·DE["Platte", "Platte-von", "der-plate-von"]·EN["plate", "plate-of", "the-plate-of"]·FR["le-plate-de", "plate", "plate-de"]·heb["ציץ"]·HI["टीका", "पट्टी", "पत्ती"]·ID["hiasan", "mahkota", "patam"]·IT["il-plate-di", "lamina", "lamina-di"]·jav["lempeng", "lempengan", "plat"]·KO["꼽을", "판을"]·PT["diadema-de", "lâmina-de", "placa"]·RU["пластину"]·ES["diadema-de", "lámina-de", "placa-de"]·SW["bamba"]·TR["levha", "levhayı"]·urd["پتری", "پٹری"]
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
† I. צִיץ n.m. Is 28:1 1. blossom, flower. 2. shining thing;—צ׳ abs. Is 40:7 +, cstr. v 6 +; pl. צִצִּים 1 K 6:18 + 3 times 6 (on form v Köii. 1, 60);— 1. blossom, flower, Nu 17:23 (P; of Aaron’s rod); (fig. of man Is 40:7, 8 (both נָבֵל צ׳; ‖ חָצִיר), cf. sim. צִיץ הַשָּׂדֶה v 6 (‖ id.), ψ 103:15, and צ׳ alone Jb 14:2; צ׳ נֹבֵל Is 28:1 (fig. of Samaria), so prob. also v 4 (for MT צִיצַת נ׳; so…