H6833 H6833
bird, sparrow — a small bird or any bird generically; used in ritual purification and as a figure of freedom
Tsippor is a feminine noun for a bird, especially a small passerine or sparrow, occurring 40 times. Its onomatopoeic quality — evoking the twittering sound of small birds — sets it apart from the more general 'of ('fowl'). The Levitical purification ritual for skin disease requires 'two living clean birds' (tsipporim, Lev 14:4-7, 49-53): one is slaughtered over running water, the other dipped in the blood and released alive, a vivid image of death-to-life cleansing. As a figure of freedom and vulnerability, the tsippor wanders from its nest (Prov 27:8), escapes from the fowler's snare (Ps 124:7), and watches alone on a rooftop (Ps 102:7). The psalmist envies the sparrow that finds a home near God's altars (Ps 84:3). In Ecclesiastes, the 'voice of the bird' awakens the aged (Eccl 12:4). Spanish distinguishes 'ave' (bird) from 'pajaro' (sparrow), while French 'oiseau' and German 'Vogel' use a single generic term.
Senses
1. [split] bird, small bird, sparrow — A bird in general or specifically a small bird / sparrow, used across three main domains: (1) the Levitical purification rite, where two tsipporim figure in the cleansing of skin disease and contaminated houses (Lev 14:4-7, 49-53) — one killed, one released alive; (2) proverbial imagery of freedom and vulnerability — the bird fleeing its nest (Prov 27:8), escaping the snare (Ps 124:7), perching alone in grief (Ps 102:7), or finding sanctuary near God's altar (Ps 84:3); (3) general zoological reference as 'every winged bird' (kol-tsippor kanaf, Deut 4:17; 14:11). The Noahic narrative includes tsippor among the creatures entering the ark (Gen 7:14). The onomatopoeic root ts-p-r evokes chirping, linking the word to its referent acoustically. 0×
AR["الْعُصْفُورَ","الْعُصْفُورِ","طائِرٌ","طَيْرٍ","عُصْفُورٍ","كَ-عُصفور","كَالطَّائِرِ","كَالعُصفورِ","كَعُصْفُورٍ","هَ-صِّفُّور"]·ben["-পাখির-মতো","পাখি","পাখির","পাখির-মত","পাখির-মতো","পাখির-মতো-","সেই-পাখি","সেই-পাখির","সেই-পাখির-মতো"]·DE["Vogel","[הצפור]","[כצפור]","[צפור]","der-Vogel","wie-ein-Vogel"]·EN["a-bird","bird","bird-of","like-a-bird","the-bird"]·FR["[כצפור]","comme-oiseau","le-oiseau","oiseau"]·heb["ה-ציפור","ה-צפור","ה-צפר","כ-ציפור","ציפוֹר","ציפור"]·HI["और-को","चिड़िया","चिड़िया-की-तरह","चिड़िया-के","पंछी","पक्षी","पक्षी-की-तरह","पक्षी-के-समान"]·ID["Burung","burung","seperti-burung"]·IT["[כצפור]","[צפור]","come-il-uccello","il-uccello","uccello"]·jav["kados-peksi","kadosdéné-peksi;","manuk","peksi"]·KO["같으니라-새에","새","새-가","새-같이","새-그의","새-처럼","새가","새를","새의"]·PT["a-ave","ave","ave-de-","como-pássaro","como-pássaro?","o-pássaro","pássaro"]·RU["как-на-птицу","как-птица","как-с-птицей","птица","птица-","птицу","птицы","птицы,"]·ES["ave","como-ave","como-pájaro","el-pájaro"]·SW["Ndege","kama-ndege","ndege"]·TR["her","kusun","kuş","kuş-gibi","kuşu","kuşun"]·urd["جیسا-پرندہ","پرندہ","پرندے","پرندے-کی-طرح","چڑیا","چڑیا-کی","چڑیے","چڑیے-کے"]
1. sparrow / small bird (proverbial) — Split from sense 130507. Criteria: Proverbial and natural-history contexts: freedom, vulnerability, sanctuary (Ps 84:3, 102:7, 124:7; Prov 27:8) 15×
AR["العُصْفُورُ","طائِرٌ","عُصْفُورٍ","عُصْفُورَةً","كَ-العُصْفُورِ","كَ-عُصفور","كَ-عُصْفُورٍ","كَالطَّائِرِ","كَالعُصفورِ","كَعُصْفُورٍ","كَـ-طُيُورٍ","وَ-كَعُصْفُورٍ","وِ-كَ-صِّفُّورِيم"]·ben["-পাখির-মতো","এবং-পাখিদের-মতো","ও--এর-মতো-পাখি","চড়ুই","চড়ুইর-মতো","পাখি","পাখিদের-মতো","পাখির","পাখির-মত","পাখির-মতো","পাখির-মতো-","সেই-পাখির-মতো"]·DE["Vogel","[וכצפור]","[וכצפרים]","[כצפור]","[כצפרים]","[צפור]","ein-Vogel","wie-ein-Vogel"]·EN["Like-birds","a-bird","a-sparrow","and-like-a-bird","and-like-the-birds","bird","like-a-bird","like-a-sparrow"]·FR["[כצפור]","[כצפרים]","comme-oiseau","et-oiseau","oiseau"]·heb["ו-כ-ציפור","ו-כ-ציפורים","כ-ציפור","כ-ציפורים","ציפוֹר","ציפור"]·HI["और-चिड़िया-की-तरह","और-पक्षियों-के-समान","चिड़िया","चिड़िया-की-तरह","जैसे-चिड़िया","जैसे-पक्षी","पक्षी-का","पक्षी-की-तरह","पक्षी-के-समान"]·ID["Seperti-burung","Seperti-burung-burung","Seperti-burung-pipit","burung","burung-pipit","dan-seperti-burung","dan-seperti-burung-burung","seperti-burung"]·IT["[כצפור]","[כצפרים]","[צפור]","come-il-uccello","come-uccello","e-come-il-uccello","e-come-uccello","uccello"]·jav["kados-manuk","kados-peksi","kadosdéné-peksi;","lan-kados-manuk","lan-kados-peksi","manuk","peksi","peksi-sriti"]·KO["~처럼-새가","같으니라-새에","같이-새","같이-새들","그리고-같이-새들","그리고-새-같이","새-가","새-같이","새-도","새-여","새-처럼","새가","새의"]·PT["Como-pardal","Como-pássaro","Como-pássaros","ave","como-pássaro","como-pássaro?","e-como-ave","e-como-os-pássaros","o-pardal","pássaro","ó-pássaro"]·RU["Как-птицы","и-как-птица","и-как-птицы,","как-на-птицу","как-птица","как-с-птицей","птица","птицы"]·ES["Como-gorrion","Como-pájaro","ave","ave?","como-ave","como-aves","como-pájaro","pájaro","y-como-ave","y-como-los-pájaros"]·SW["Kama-ndege","cha-ndege","kama-ndege","na-kama-ndege","ndege"]·TR["Kuslar-gibi","kuş","kuş-gibi","kuşun","serçe","ve-gibi-kuş","ve-kuslar-gibi"]·urd["اور-جیسے-پرندہ","اور-جیسے-پرندے","جیسا-پرندہ","جیسے-چڑیا","پرندوں-کی-طرح","پرندہ","پرندے-کا","پرندے-کی-طرح","چڑیا","گوریّا"]
2. bird (Levitical purification rite) — Split from sense 130507. Criteria: Two birds prescribed for skin-disease and house cleansing rituals (Lev 14:4-7, 49-53) 13×
AR["الْعُصْفُورَ","الْعُصْفُورِ","عُصْفُورَيْنِ","وَ-بِ-الْعُصْفُورِ"]·ben["এবং-পাখিতে","পাখি","সেই-পাখি","সেই-পাখির"]·DE["Voegel","der-Vogel","und-mit-der-Vogel"]·EN["and-with-the-bird","birds","the-bird"]·FR["et-avec-le-oiseau","le-oiseau","oiseaux"]·heb["ה-צפור","ה-צפר","ו-ב-ה-ובצפר","צפרים"]·HI["और-को","देवदार","पक्षी"]·ID["Burung","burung","dan-dengan-burung"]·IT["e-con-il-uccello","il-uccello","uccelli"]·jav["lan-mawi-peksi","peksi"]·KO["그리고-안에서-새로","새를","새의"]·PT["a-ave","aves","e-com-a-ave"]·RU["и-в-птице","птиц","птицу","птицы"]·ES["el-pájaro","pájaros","y-con-el-pájaro"]·SW["Ndege","na-kwa-ndege","ndege"]·TR["kuş","kuşu","kuşun","ve-kuşla"]·urd["اور-سے-چڑیے","چڑیا","چڑیاں","چڑیے","چڑیے-کے"]
3. birds / winged creatures (generic collective) — Split from sense 130507. Criteria: Generic zoological category in creation-type lists (Gen 7:14; Deut 4:17; 14:11) 12×
AR["الطَّيْرَ","الطَّيْرِ","الطُّيورُ","طَائِرٍ","طَيْرٍ","طَيْرَ","عُصْفُورٍ","لِطَيْرِ","هَ-صِّفُّور","وَ-طُيورٌ","وَطَيْرُ"]·ben["-পাখিগুলি","এবং-পাখি","ও-পাখি","পাখি","পাখিকে","পাখির","পাখিরা"]·DE["Vogel","Vogel-","[הצפור]","[וצפרים]","[לצפור]","[צפור]","die-Vögel","und-Vogel"]·EN["and-bird-of","and-birds","bird","bird-of","birds","birds-of","prey","the-bird","to-bird-of"]·FR["[וצפרים]","et-oiseau","le-oiseau","oiseau"]·heb["ה-ציפור","ה-צפר","ו-ציפור","ו-צפרים","ל-ציפור","ציפור","ציפורים","צפור"]·HI["और-पक्षी","के-लिए-पक्षी","चिड़िया-के","चिदिया","पंछी","पकशि","पक्षी","पक्षी-का"]·ID["Burung","burung","burung-burung","burung-itu","dan-burung","dan-burung-burung","kepada-burung","unggas"]·IT["[וצפרים]","[לצפור]","[צפור]","e-uccello","il-uccello","uccello"]·jav["Peksi","dhateng-peksi","lan-manuk","lan-peksi","manuk","peksi","peksi-peksi"]·KO["그리고-새들이","그리고-새이","새","새-","새-그의","새-들-이","새-에게","새-와","새가","새는","새의"]·PT["As-aves","a-ave","a-pássaro-de","ave","ave-de-","e-aves","o-pássaro","os-pássaros","pássaro","pássaro-de"]·RU["-птицу","-птицы","и-птицы","птаха","птиц","птица-","птице","птицу","птицы","птицы,"]·ES["Ave-de","a-pájaro","ave","el-ave","el-pájaro","pájaro","pájaros","y-ave-de","y-aves"]·SW["Ndege-wa","na-ndege","ndege","ndege-wala-nyama","ndege-wote","yeyote"]·TR["-kuşları","her","kusun","kuş","kuşa","kuşlar","kuşu","ve-kuş","ve-kuşlar"]·urd["اور-پرندے","اور-پرندے-والو","پرندہ","پرندے","چڑیا","چڑیا-کی","ہر-پرندے-کو"]
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. צִפּוֹר, צִפֹּר n.f. Am 3:5 (m. ψ 102:8, cf. KöSynt.§ 252 a, so 104:17, yet cf. AlbrZAW xvi (1896), 71), bird;—abs. צִפּוֹר Ho 11:11 + 15 times, צִפֹּר Gn 15:10 + 11 times, cstr. צִפּוֹר Dt 4:17 + 5 times, צִפֹּר ψ 8:9; pl. צִפֳּרִים Lv 14:4 + 5 times;— 1. single bird, Am 3:5; Ho 11:11 (sim.; ‖ יוֹנָה), La 3:52; Jb 40:29 ψ 102:8; 124:7 Pr 6:5; 7:23; 26:2; 27:8 (all sim.), Lv 14:5 + 10 times…