H6828 H6828
North, the northern direction; the north as source of invasion and judgment; Zaphon, the sacred mountain
Derived from a root meaning 'to hide' or 'to be dark,' tsaphon designates the compass direction north throughout the Hebrew Bible, appearing most frequently in Ezekiel (46 times), Joshua (25 times), and Jeremiah (25 times). Its directional function — marking boundaries, positioning the tabernacle furniture, and orienting tribal allotments — accounts for most occurrences. Yet in prophetic literature, the north takes on an ominous character: evil 'breaks forth from the north' (Jer 1:14; 4:6; 6:1), and vast armies descend from the northern horizon as instruments of divine wrath. Behind this geography lies ancient Near Eastern mythology, where Mount Zaphon (Ugaritic Sapanu) was the mountain of the gods — a tradition the psalmist deliberately echoes when calling Zion 'the heights of Zaphon' (Ps 48:2), claiming for the LORD what Baal's worshipers ascribed to their storm deity.
1. north, cardinal direction — The cardinal direction north — a geographical and spatial reference point used for orientation, boundary descriptions, and positioning — covering 120 of 153 occurrences. Appears with directional he (tsaphonah, 'northward'), in construct chains (mitstsephon le-, 'north of'), and as a compass label alongside south, east, and west (Gen 13:14; 28:14). Ezekiel's temple visions rely heavily on this sense for architectural orientation. Spanish norte, French nord, and Arabic shamal all translate this spatial meaning directly. 120×
AR["الشَّمالِ","الشِّمالِ","شَمالاً","شَمالًا","شَمَالاً","شَمَالًا","شِمالاً"]·ben["উত্তর","উত্তর-দিকে","উত্তরে","উত্তরে-","উত্তরের","লবণের"]·DE["nach-Norden","nordwaerts","north-ward","northward"]·EN["north","north-ward","northward"]·FR["nord","north-garde","northward","vers-le-nord"]·heb["צפונ-ה","צפונה","צפונה-ה","צפנה-ה"]·HI["उत्तर","उत्तर-ओर","उत्तर-की-ओर","उत्तर-को","उत्तर-दिशा","उत्तर-दिशा-में"]·ID["di-sebelah-utara","di-utara","ke-utara","sebelah-utara","utara"]·IT["nord","nord-custodia","northward","verso-nord"]·jav["dhateng-ler","dhateng-lèr","iring-lèr","ler","lèr","sisih-lor","sisih-lèr"]·KO["북으로","북쪽-으로","북쪽으로","북쪽의"]·PT["ao-norte","norte","norte-ward","para-norte"]·RU["к-северу","на-север","с-севера","север","севера","северной"]·ES["al-norte","hacia-el-norte","hacia-norte","norte"]·SW["kaskazini","na-watatu"]·TR["kuzey","kuzeyde","kuzeye","kuzeyin"]·urd["شمال","شمال کی طرف","شمال-میں","شمال-کو","شمال-کی-طرف","شمالی"]
Gen 13:14, Exod 26:20, Exod 26:35, Exod 27:11, Exod 36:25, Exod 38:11, Exod 40:22, Lev 1:11, Num 2:25, Num 3:35, Num 34:7, Num 34:9 (+38 more)
▼ 2 more senses below
Senses
2. the north as threatening origin — The north as a threatening, ominous direction from which invaders and divine judgment approach — 28 occurrences concentrated in the prophetic corpus, especially Jeremiah and Ezekiel. 'Out of the north an evil shall break forth' (Jer 1:14) establishes the pattern; subsequent oracles specify Babylon and other powers descending from the north (Jer 4:6; 6:1, 22; 10:22; 25:9; 46:20, 24; 47:2; Ezek 1:4; 26:7; 38:6, 15; 39:2). The north is not merely a direction but a charged theological symbol — the quarter from which chaos approaches. This resonance may connect to ancient Mesopotamian associations of the north with darkness and hostile powers. 28×
AR["شِمالاً","مِنَ-الشَّمال","مِنَ-الشَّمالِ","مِنَ-الشَّمَالِ","مِنَ-الشِّمالِ","مِنَ-الشِّمَالِ","مِنَ-الـ-شَّمَالِ"]·ben["-উত্তর-থেকে","উত্তর-থেকে","উত্তর-দিক-থেকে","উত্তরে","থেকে-উত্তর"]·DE["Norden","von-Norden","von-der-north","von-north"]·EN["from-north","from-the-north"]·FR["de-nord","de-north","du-nord"]·heb["מ-צפון","מ-צפונה"]·HI["उत्तर-से","से-उत्तर"]·ID["Dari-utara","dari-utara","di-utara"]·IT["da-nord","nord"]·jav["Saking-lèr","ler","saking-Lèr","saking-ler","saking-lèr","saking-lér","sisih-lèr"]·KO["북에서-","북쪽-에서","북쪽에서","북쪽에서-","북쪽으로","북쪽으로부터","에서-북쪽","에서-북쪽에서"]·PT["Do-norte","do-norte","do-norte;"]·RU["С-севера","от-севера","с-севера"]·ES["De-norte","Desde-el-norte","al-norte","de-norte","del-norte","desde-el-norte"]·SW["kaskazini","kutoka-kaskazini"]·TR["-den-kuzey","-den-kuzeyden","Kuzeyden","kuzeyde","kuzeyden","kuzeyden-","kuzeyinde","kuzeyinden"]·urd["شمال سے","شمال-سے","شمال-میں"]
Josh 11:2, Josh 15:6, Josh 15:10, Josh 16:6, Josh 17:9, Josh 17:10, Josh 18:5, Josh 18:12, Josh 18:17, Josh 19:14, 1 Sam 14:5, Job 37:22 (+16 more)
3. Zaphon, sacred mountain / place name — Mount Zaphon as a proper or semi-proper noun — the mythological mountain of the gods in Canaanite religion (Ugaritic Sapanu), identified with Jebel al-Aqra on the Syrian coast — appearing in approximately 5 occurrences. Psalm 48:3 (ET 48:2) boldly transfers the title to Mount Zion: 'beautiful in elevation, the joy of the whole earth, Mount Zion, the heights of Zaphon.' Isaiah 14:13 places the divine assembly 'on the mount of assembly, in the far reaches of Zaphon.' Arabic transliterations (Safun) rather than translations confirm the proper-noun status. Job 26:7 ('He stretches out Zaphon over the void') may preserve the cosmic-mountain sense in a creation context. 5×
AR["بَ-صَّفُون","صَفُون","مِنَ-الـ-شِّمَال","مِنْ-شَمالِ","مِنْ-صِفُونَ"]·ben["ইফ্রয়িম","উত্তর-দিকে","উত্তরে","হে-উত্তর-বাতাস"]·DE["Norden","im-Norden","von-Norden","von-der-Norden"]·EN["from-north","from-the-north","in-the-north","north"]·FR["de-le-nord","de-nord","nord","nord,"]·heb["ב-צפון","מ-צפון","צפון"]·HI["उत्तर","उत्तर-में"]·ID["di-sebelah-utara","di-utara","hai-angin-utara"]·IT["da-il-nord","da-nord","nel-nord","nord"]·jav["angin-ler","ing-lèr","ing-sisih-lèr","ler"]·KO["북쪽-에서","북쪽에","북풍-아","에서-북쪽"]·PT["ao-norte","ao-norte-de","para-o-norte","ó-norte"]·RU["на-север -","от-севера","с-севера","север"]·ES["al-norte","al-norte-de","en-el-norte","norte"]·SW["kaskazini","upepo-wa-kaskazini"]·TR["kuzey","kuzeyde","kuzeyinde","ona"]·urd["شمال-میں","شمالی-ہوا","میں-شمال"]
Related Senses
H0776 1. land, country, territory (2323×)H8033 1. There (locative adverb) (835×)H7760a 1. put, place, set physically (444×)H8064 1. heavens / sky (329×)H5439 1. around, all around (spatial) (319×)G3772 1. heaven, sky, heavens (278×)H4057b 1. wilderness, desert region (270×)H3220 1. sea, body of water (269×)H0520a 1. cubit (unit of length) (246×)H0127 1. ground, land (territory) (210×)G2889 1. world (185×)H3383 1. Jordan River (proper noun) (183×)G1093 1. earth, the world (176×)H5800a 1. forsake, abandon (Qal active) (166×)H8121 1. sun (celestial body) (133×)H7126 1. offer, present sacrificially (122×)H2351 1. outside, exterior space (119×)H5104 1. river, stream (119×)H7341 1. width, breadth (101×)G1563 1. there (95×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
I. צָפוֹן153 n.f. Is 43:6 north (as the hidden, dark; cf. Thes LewyFremdw. 188 f.; perhaps Ph. צפל north);—abs. צ׳ Je 25:26 +, צָפֹ֫נָה northward Gn 13:14 +, oftener צָפ֫וֹנָה Je 3:12 +, also צָפ֫וֹנָה = צָפוֹן Je 1:13 + (after preps. and st. cstr.; cf. Ges§ 90 e); cstr. מִצְּפוֹן לְ Jos 8:11 +, also מִצְּפוֹן 19:14 Gi (cf. Benn; van d. H. Baer מִצָּ׳), מִצְּפ֫וֹנָה לְ Ju 21:19; (צ׳ occurs…