Lexical Summary tsab: Lizard Original Word: צָב Strong's Exhaustive Concordance covered, litter, tortoise From an unused root meaning to establish; a palanquin or canopy (as a fixture); also a species of lizard (probably as clinging fast) -- covered, litter, tortoise. Brown-Driver-Briggs I. צָב noun [masculine] litter; — absolute ׳צ, in עֶגְלֹת צָב Numbers 7:3, probably litter-wagons, i.e. wagons covered, like palanquin; plural צַבִּים Isaiah 66:20 litters (on Vrss compare DiNu). II. צבב (√ of following; compare Arabic II. צָב noun [masculine] lizard, as unclean, Leviticus 11:29. Topical Lexicon Scriptural OccurrencesStrong’s Hebrew 6632, צָב, appears three times in the Old Testament, each time in a distinct setting: the dietary laws of Leviticus 11:29, the presentation of offerings for tabernacle service in Numbers 7:3, and the prophecy of a future worldwide pilgrimage to Jerusalem in Isaiah 66:20. Although English translations render the term differently—“large lizard,” “covered cart,” or “litter”—the word consistently points to themes of separation, worship, and transport in service to the Lord. Classification among Unclean Creatures (Leviticus 11:29) In the laws that distinguish the clean from the unclean, tsab is listed among the “creatures that are unclean for you among the crawling creatures” (Leviticus 11:29). Israel was forbidden to eat or touch its carcass, underscoring God’s call to holiness (Leviticus 11:44–45). The mention of this specific reptile reminds readers that holiness pervades even mundane choices. By refraining from certain animals, Israel rehearsed the truth that God alone defines purity and that His people must submit to that definition, however ordinary the context may seem. Role in Wilderness Worship and Transport (Numbers 7:3) When the tribal leaders first brought gifts for the inauguration of the altar, “they brought their offerings before the LORD—six covered carts and twelve oxen” (Numbers 7:3). Each “covered cart” is described with the word tsab, conveying the idea of a wagon fitted with a protective canopy. These carts were dedicated for transporting the tabernacle’s heavy furnishings through the wilderness (Numbers 7:6–9). Tsab here illustrates provision for mobility in worship: the sacred objects had to move, yet remain undefiled. The covering shielded them from dust and damage, picturing reverence for the holy things of God even while on pilgrimage. Eschatological Pilgrimage Foreshadowed (Isaiah 66:20) Isaiah prophesies a day when nations “will bring all your brothers from all the nations … on horses and chariots and wagons, on mules and camels, to My holy mountain Jerusalem” (Isaiah 66:20). The “wagons” again translate tsab. In this future vision, covered conveyances carry redeemed worshipers to the dwelling place of the Lord. What served Israel’s wilderness worship becomes a symbol of global restoration. The protected caravan transports people rather than furnishings, emphasizing that God’s ultimate purpose is to present a purified people before Himself. Symbolic Thread: Covered and Separated for God Across these contexts, tsab connects ideas of protection, separation, and movement toward God: 1. It names an unclean reptile—an emblem of what must remain separate from the holy community. The word thus forms an arc from separation due to impurity to sheltered approach into divine presence. Practical Lessons for Believers • Holiness involves both abstaining from impurity (Leviticus 11) and honoring what is holy through careful handling (Numbers 7). Tsab therefore urges readers to guard the sacred, reject defilement, and anticipate the protected journey that ends in the presence of the Holy One. Forms and Transliterations וְהַצָּ֥ב וּבַצַּבִּ֨ים ובצבים והצב צָב֙ צב ṣāḇ tzav ū·ḇaṣ·ṣab·bîm ūḇaṣṣabbîm uvatztzabBim vehatzTzav wə·haṣ·ṣāḇ wəhaṣṣāḇLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Leviticus 11:29 HEB: הַחֹ֥לֶד וְהָעַכְבָּ֖ר וְהַצָּ֥ב לְמִינֵֽהוּ׃ NAS: and the mouse, and the great lizard in its kinds, KJV: and the mouse, and the tortoise after his kind, INT: the mole and the mouse and the great kinds Numbers 7:3 Isaiah 66:20 3 Occurrences |
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cleave to ground; Late Hebrew צָב = Biblical Hebrew, Syriac 
in Lexicons; Arabic 
is a large lizard, see especially Seetzen:Reisen iii. 436 f f.).