Lexical Summary tsir: Messenger, envoy, hinge, pain Original Word: צִיר Strong's Exhaustive Concordance beauty, idol The same as tsiyr; a form (of beauty; as if pressed out, i.e. Carved); hence, an (idolatrous) image -- beauty, idol. see HEBREW tsiyr NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom tsur Definition an image NASB Translation form (1), idols (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs I. [צִיר] noun masculine image; — plural צִירִים Isaiah 45:16 = idols; singular suffix צירם Psalm 49:5 Kt their form (see צוּרָה). above V. צור (√of following; "" III. צרר; compare SI3; SI6 צר, rock, Aramaic טוּרָא, Topical Lexicon Definition and Semantic Range צִיר (tsiyr) denotes a visible “form” or “image” that has been fashioned by human hands. The term therefore oscillates between neutral description (the outward frame of a person) and negative appraisal (an idol deliberately sculpted as a false god). Biblical Occurrences Psalm 49:14 places צִיר within the sober reflection on mortality: “Their form will decay in Sheol…”. The word captures the transitory shell of the wicked—impressive in life, yet powerless to resist corruption. Isaiah 45:16 applies the same noun to the idol trade: the “makers of images” who will be “ashamed and confounded” when the uniqueness of the LORD is revealed. Here צִיר exposes idolatry as a futile enterprise whose products cannot save their craftsmen. Theological Themes 1. Fragility of Human Glory. Psalm 49 contrasts earthly pomp with eternal realities. The צִיר of the rich collapses under death’s shepherding, underscoring that dignity apart from God is merely cosmetic (compare Job 4:19; Ecclesiastes 3:19). Historical Background In the Ancient Near East, elite tombs often displayed effigies of the deceased, while temples housed cult statues believed to mediate divine presence. Israel’s neighbors trusted such images for protection and status. The prophets, however, interpreted these practices as spiritual blindness: artisans had inverted the order of Genesis by turning the created material into a creator substitute (Isaiah 44:9-20). Ministry Significance • Preaching Psalm 49 invites hearers to evaluate where they place their security. Contemporary “forms”—whether wealth, reputation, or digital personas—perish as surely as the grave claimed ancient noblemen. Cross-References Genesis 1:26; Exodus 20:4; Deuteronomy 4:15-19; Psalm 73:20; Isaiah 40:18-20; Romans 1:23. Forms and Transliterations וְ֭צוּרָם וצורם צִירִֽים׃ צירים׃ ṣî·rîm ṣîrîm tziRim Vetzurom wə·ṣū·rām wəṣūrāmLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Psalm 49:14 HEB: [וְצִירָם כ] (וְ֭צוּרָם ק) לְבַלּ֥וֹת NAS: over them in the morning, And their form shall be for Sheol INT: and the upright the morning beauty to consume Sheol Isaiah 45:16 2 Occurrences |
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hill, so Palmyrene plural טוריא).