Lexical Definition

‎צָבָא‎ tsâbâʼ (tsaw-baw') to serve ^H:V
a primitive root

assemble, fight, perform, muster, wait upon, war.

• to mass (an army or servants)

1) to go forth, wage war, fight, serve
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to wage war, fight, go forth to war
1a2) to serve (at sacred tent)
1b) (Hiphil) to cause to go forth, muster

See Greek: ἐνεργέω · ἐξέρχομαι · λειτουργέω · παρίστημι · στρατιώτης

Brown-Driver-Briggs

[‎צָבָא‎] verb wage war, serve (Sabean ‎צֿבא‎ wage war with, also noun army, campaign Hom^{Chrest. 125} CIS^{iv. 299, 1. 2} DHM^{VOJ i.28}; Ethiopic ( > ) wage war; Assyrian ƒâbu, man, soldier; Nö^{ZMG xl (1886), 726} and others compare (on account of Sabean, Ethiopic ) Arabic conceal oneself, hence lie in wait; this is phonetically suitable, but better in meaning would be go or come forth (against one), etc., so Thes Lag^{BN 21}; Frä²³² compare young man); —

Qal Perfect 3 masculine plural ‎˜צבְאוּ‎ Exod 38:8; Zech 14:12 Imperfect 3 masculine plural ‎יִצְבְּאוּ‎ Num 31:7 Infinitive construct ‎לִצְבֹּא‎ Isa 31:4 ‎לִצְבאֹ‎ Num 4:23; Num 8:24 Participle plural ‎צֹבְאִים‎ Num 31:42; Isa 29:7; Isa 29:8 suffix ‎צֹבֶיהָ‎ Isa 29:7 (Ges^{«GKC:75oo»§ 75oo}; Di ‎צָרֶיהָ‎); feminine plural ‎צֹבְאֹת‎ Exod 38:8 ‎צֹבְאוֺת‎ 1Sam 2:22 —

1. wage war, fight, with ‎עַל‎ against, Num 31:7 (P) Isa 29:7; Isa 29:8; Isa 31:4; Zech 14:12, with suffix Isa 29:7 (?); absolute Num 31:42(P).

2. serve at sacred tent, Levites, with accusative ‎צָבָא‎ Num 4:23; Num 8:24 (P); women Exod 38:8 (twice in verse) (P) 1Sam 2:22. Hiph`il Participle ‎׳‎‎הַמַּצְבִּא אֶתעַֿם וגו‎ 2Kgs 25:19 = Jer 52:25 muster..

Brown-Driver-Briggs References