H6770 H6770
To be thirsty; of physical craving for water or figurative spiritual longing for God.
Describes the fundamental human experience of thirst, both physical and spiritual. Literally, it appears in dramatic wilderness narratives—Israel at Rephidim demanding water (Exod 17:3), Samson near collapse after slaying the Philistines (Judg 15:18), and Ruth in the harvest fields of Bethlehem (Ruth 2:9). Its most memorable use is figurative: 'My soul thirsts for God, for the living God' (Ps 42:3; cf. 63:1), where bodily craving becomes a metaphor for desperate spiritual longing. The Spanish tiene sed and the Arabic cognate convey the same visceral urgency.
Senses
1. be thirsty, thirst — To be thirsty, to experience thirst—ranging from literal physical dehydration to intense spiritual yearning. The literal sense dominates in narrative contexts: Israel thirsts at Rephidim (Exod 17:3), Samson after defeating the Philistines (Judg 15:18), and laborers who press olive oil yet remain parched (Job 24:11). In prophetic and eschatological usage, it pairs with hunger as covenant imagery: 'My servants shall drink, but you shall thirst' (Isa 65:13). The psalmist transforms the word into one of Scripture's most evocative spiritual metaphors—'My soul thirsts for God' (Ps 42:3; 63:1)—where physical craving becomes the language of longing for divine presence. 10×
AR["تَظْمَأُونَ", "عَطِشَت", "عَطِشَتْ", "عَطِشْتُ", "وَ-إِذَا-عَطِشْتِ", "وَ-عَطِشَ", "وَ-يَعْطَشُونَ", "يَعْطَشُوا", "يَعْطَشُونَ"]·ben["এবং-তুমি-তৃষ্ণার্ত-হলে", "এবং-তৃষ্ণার্ত", "এবং-তৃষ্ণার্ত-হল", "এবং-তৃষ্ণার্ত-হলেন", "তারা-তৃষ্ণার্ত-হবে", "তারা-তৃষ্ণার্ত-হয়েছিল", "তৃষ্ণার্ত", "তৃষ্ণার্ত-হবে"]·DE["[ויצמאו]", "[וצמת]", "[יצמאו]", "[צמאו]", "[תצמאו]", "ich-bin-durstig", "thirsts", "und-thirsted"]·EN["I-am-thirsty", "and-they-thirst", "and-thirsted", "and-you-thirst", "shall-thirst", "they-thirsted", "they-will-thirst", "thirsts"]·FR["[יצמאו]", "[צמאו]", "[תצמאו]", "avoir-soif", "et-avoir-soif", "et-thirsted", "et-tu-thirst", "je-suis-thirsty"]·heb["ו-יצמאו", "ו-צמא", "ו-צמית", "יצמאו", "צמאה", "צמאו", "צמאתי", "תצמאו"]·HI["और-प्यास-लगे", "और-प्यासा-लगा-उसे", "और-प्यासे-थे", "और-प्यासे-हैं", "प्यासा-हूँ-मैं", "प्यासी-है", "प्यासे-रहोगे", "वे-प्यासे-थे", "वे-प्यासे-रहेंगे"]·ID["Dan-haus", "Dan-hauslah", "akan-haus", "dan-engkau-haus", "dan-mereka-haus", "haus", "hauslah-aku", "mereka-akan-haus", "mereka-haus"]·IT["[יצמאו]", "[צמאו]", "[תצמאו]", "e-e-essi-thirst", "e-thirsted", "e-tu-thirst", "fu-assetato", "io-am-thirsty"]·jav["Lan-ngelak", "Lan-piyambakipun-ngorong", "Ngelak", "badhe-ngelak", "badhé-ngelak", "kula-ngorong", "lan-ngorong", "lan-piyambakipun-ngelak", "ngelak"]·KO["그리고-네가-목마르면", "그리고-목마르나니", "그리고-목말랐다", "목마르다", "목마르도다", "목마를-것이다", "목말라리라", "목말라하도다", "목말랐느니라"]·PT["E-teve-sede", "Tem-sede", "e-tiveres-sede", "e-têm-sede.", "tem-sede", "tenho-sede", "tereis-sede", "terão-sede", "tiveram-sede"]·RU["И-возжаждал", "И-жаждал", "будете-жаждать", "будут-жаждать", "жаждали", "жаждет", "жажду-я", "и-жаждала", "и-жаждут"]·ES["Tiene-sed", "Y-tuvo-sed", "tendrán-sed", "tendréis-sed", "tengo-sed", "tiene-sed", "tuvieron-sed", "y-si-tienes-sed", "y-tienen-sed."]·SW["Ina-kiu", "inakuonea-kiu", "kiu", "mtaona-kiu", "na-akaona-kiu", "na-ukiona-kiu", "na-wakaona-kiu", "na-wanaona-kiu", "nina-kiu", "waliona-kiu"]·TR["Susadı", "Ve-susadı", "susadilar", "susadı", "susadım", "susayacaklar", "susayacaksiniz", "ve-susarsan", "ve-susuyorlar"]·urd["اور-پیاسا-ہوا", "اور-پیاسی-لگے", "اور-پیاسے ہیں", "وہ-پیاسے-ہوں-گے", "پیاسا-ہوں-میں", "پیاسی", "پیاسی-ہے", "پیاسے-تھے", "پیاسے-ہو-گے"]
Related Senses
H7200 1. Qal: to see, perceive (1257×)G4771 2. you (singular address) (1077×)H8085 1. Qal: hear, perceive aurally (921×)H0859a 1. you (2nd person masculine singular pronoun) (743×)H0398 1. eat (consume food) (697×)H4191 1. die (Qal: natural/general death) (645×)G3708 1. see, perceive visually (419×)G0191 1. hear, perceive sound (360×)H???? 3. (352×)G3708 2. behold, look (exclamatory) (256×)H7272 1. foot (body part) (236×)H8354 1. drink, consume liquid (209×)H3205 1. Qal active: bear/give birth (female subject) (204×)H3205 2. Qal active: beget/father (male subject) (198×)H2421 1. Qal: live, be alive (177×)H8085 2. Qal: listen, heed, pay attention (172×)H2416a 1. alive, living (state/attribute) (146×)H2416e 1. life, lifespan, lifetime (145×)G2198 1. be alive, have life (133×)H8193 1. lip, lips (body part) (123×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† [צָמֵא] vb. be thirsty (NH = BH (rare); so Arabic ظَمِىَٔ, Ethiopic ጸምአ Assyrian ṣûmu, thirst, etc.);— Qal Pf. 3 fs. צָֽמְאָה ψ 42:3; 63:2; 2 fs. וְצָמִת consec. Ru 2:9 (Ges§ 75 qq); 1 s. צָמֵתִי Ju 4:19 (Ges§ 74k); 3 pl. צָֽמְאוּ Is 28:21; Impf. 3 ms. וַיִּצְמָא Ex 17:3; Ju 15:18; 3 mpl. יִצְמָ֑אוּ Is 49:10, וַיִּצ׳ Jb 24:11; 2 mpl. תִּצְמָ֑אוּ Is 65:13;—be thirsty Ju 4:19; 15:18; Ru 2:9; Is…