Lexical Definition

‎צָבָא‎ tsâbâʼ (tsaw-baw') army ^H:N-M
or (feminine) צְבָאָה tsᵉbâʼâh (tsebaw-aw'); from ‎צָבָא‎

appointed time, ([phrase]) army, ([phrase]) battle, company, host, service, soldiers, waiting upon, war(-fare).

• a mass of persons (or figuratively, things), especially reg. organized forwar (an army)
• by implication, a campaign, literally or figuratively (specifically, hardship, worship)

1) that which goes forth, army, war, warfare, host
1a) army, host
1a1) host (of organised army)
1a2) host (of angels)
1a3) of sun, moon, and stars
1a4) of whole creation
1b) war, warfare, service, go out to war
1c) service

See Greek: ἅγιον · ἀριθμός · ἀστήρ · ἄστρον · βίος · δύναμις · ἔθνος · κόσμος · λειτουργία · μάχη · πλῆθος · πόλεμος · στρατεία · στρατιά · σαβαώθ

Extended Information

name of: יְהֹוָה

• The Hosts (of the Lord)
• Another name of ye.ho.vah (‎יהוה‎ "LORD" יְהֹוָה)

Brown-Driver-Briggs

‎צָבָא‎ :485 noun masculine^{2Chr 28:9} (possibly feminine Isa 10:2; Isa 40:2; Dan 8:12, but see Albr^{ZAW xv (1895), 319}; Bev^Dn) army, war, warfare; — absolute ‎׳‎‎צ‎ Num 1:3 + (‎מִצָּבָה‎ Zech 9:8); construct ‎צְבָא‎ Num 10:15 +; suffix ‎צְבָאִי‎ Job 14:14 ‎צְבָאֲךָ‎ Judg 8:9; Judg 9:29 ‎צְבָיָו‎ Ps 103:21; Ps 148:2 (Kt ‎צבאו‎; so read probably in both), etc.; plural ‎צְבָאוֺת‎ Num 20:9 + 278 t.; construct ‎צִבְאוֺת‎ Exod 12:41 + 2 t.; suffix ‎צִבְאֹתַי‎ Exod 7:4 ‎צִבְאֹתָם‎ Exod 6:26 +, etc.; —

1. army, host:
a. organized for war Judg 8:6; Judg 9:29 (J) Isa 34:2; Jer 51:3; 2Chr 28:9 ‎צְבָאוֺ‎ his host Num 2:4; Num 2:6 + 10 t. 2 (P), ‎לְצִבְאֹתָם‎ Num 1:3; Num 1:52; Num 2:3; Num 2:9 + 11 t. Num 2:10; Num 33:1 (P); ‎׳‎‎אַלְפֵי הצ‎ Num 31:48 (P); ‎ישׂראל‎ ‎׳‎‎צ‎ 2Chr 25:7 ‎׳‎‎חֵיל (ה)צ‎ 1Chr 20:1; 2Chr 26:13 ‎׳‎‎גְּדוּדֵי צ‎ 1Chr 7:4 ‎כלהֿצבא‎ 2Sam 3:23; 2Sam 10:7; 1Chr 19:8; 2Chr 26:14 ‎׳‎‎(ה)צ‎ ‎שַׂר‎ captain of (the) host Gen 21:22; Gen 21:32 (E) Gen 26:26 (J) Judg 4:2; Judg 4:7; 1Sam 12:9 + 21 t.; ‎(ה)צבא‎ ‎שָׂרֵי‎ 1Kgs 1:25 (but read ‎שַׂר‎), 1Chr 25:1; 1Chr 26:26; 2Chr 33:11 ‎׳‎‎שָׂרִים בצ‎ 1Chr 12:22* ‎(ה)צבאות‎ ‎שָׂרֵי‎ Deut 20:9; 1Kgs 2:5; 1Chr 27:3 ‎׳‎‎רָאשֵׁי הצ‎ 1Chr 12:14* ‎מַלְכֵי צבאות‎ Ps 68:13* ‎׳‎‎(ה)צ‎ ‎עַל‎ over the host (as captain) Num 10:14; Num 10:15 + 10 t. Num 10 (P), 2Sam 8:16 = 1Chr 18:15; 2Sam 17:25; 1Kgs 2:35; 1Kgs 4:4 ‎אלֿ‎ ‎׳‎‎כל הצ‎ 2Sam 20:23 (‎אל‎ for ‎על‎); ‎עַלצִֿבְאֹתָם‎ Exod 6:26; Exod 12:51 (P); ‎הוציא צבאות‎ lead out armies Exod 7:4; Exod 12:17 (P); ‎׳‎‎יצא צ‎ army goes forth (to war) Exod 12:41; 1Chr 7:11 ‎לֹא תֵצֵא בְּצִבְאוֺתֵינוּ‎ Ps 44:10*, of ‎׳‎‎י‎ going with our armies = Ps 60:12* = Ps 108:12* figurative of great number, ‎צבא רב‎ Ps 68:12*. — On ‎חֲלִיפוֺת וְצָבָא‎ Job 10:17 see Di; Bu proposes ‎תַּחֲלֵף צְבָאֲ(ךָׅ‎ i.e. thou dost renew (thine) army against me.
b. host (organized body) of angels (compare Luke 2:13), ‎צבא השׁמים‎ (‎כל‎) all the host of heaven 1Kgs 22:19 = 2Chr 18:18; Neh 9:6 ‎כל צבאיו‎ Ps 103:21; Ps 148:2 ‎צבא הַמָּרוֺם‎ Isa 24:21 host of the high (angle-princes; || earthly monarchs); ‎צבא השׁמים‎ Dan 8:10, ‎הצבא‎ vDan 8:10 (al. v^{b figurative of Israel}); ‎׳‎‎י‎ ‎׳‎‎שׂר צ‎ captain of the host of ‎׳‎‎י‎ Josh 5:14; Josh 5:15 (theophanic angel); ‎שׂר‎ ‎הצבא‎ Dan 8:11 (angel-prince of Israel, others, God).
c. of sun, moon and stars, ‎כלצבא השׁמים‎ Deut 4:19; Deut 17:3; 2Kgs 17:16; 2Kgs 21:3; 2Kgs 21:5 = 2Chr 33:3; 2Chr 33:5; 2Kgs 23:4; 2Kgs 23:5; Jer 8:2; Jer 19:13 (all as objects of worship), Isa 34:4 ‎השׁמים‎ ‎׳‎‎צ‎ Jer 33:22; Zeph 1:5 ‎כל צבאם‎ Neh 9:6; Ps 33:6; Isa 34:4; Isa 45:12 ‎צבאם‎ Isa 40:26. — Jer 3:19 see I. ‎צְבִי‎.
d. of the entire creation, ‎כל צבאם‎ Gen 2:1.

2. war, warfare, service: ‎יָצָא צָבָא‎ go out to war Num 1:3; Num 1:20 + 12 t. Num 1; Num 26:2 (P) 1Chr 5:18; 1Chr 7:11; 1Chr 12:33*; 1Chr 12:36*; 2Chr 25:5; 2Chr 26:11 ‎׳‎‎יצא בצ‎ Num 31:36 (P) Deut 24:5 ‎׳‎‎יצא לצ‎ Num 31:27; Num 31:28 (P); ‎׳‎‎עלה לצ‎ go up to war Josh 22:12; Josh 22:33 (P); ‎׳‎‎בא מצ‎ come from war Num 31:14; 2Chr 28:12 ‎׳‎‎קבץ לצ‎ 1Sam 28:1 ‎׳‎‎שׁלח לצ‎ Num 31:4; Num 31:6 (twice in verse) (P) ‎התיחשׂם‎ ‎׳‎‎בּצ‎ 1Chr 7:40 ‎תִנָּתֵן‎ ‎׳‎‎צ‎ Dan 8:12 ‎׳‎‎אַנְשֵׁי (ה)צ‎ men of war Num 31:21; Num 31:53 (P) 1Chr 12:8*, compare ‎׳‎‎עַם הצ‎ Num 31:32(P); see also II. ‎חלץ‎; ‎׳‎‎גִבּוֺרֵי חַיִל לצ‎ 1Chr 12:25* ‎׳‎‎כְּלֵי צ‎ 1Chr 12:37* instruments of war.

3. service:
a. of Levites in sacred places Num 4:3; Num 4:23; Num 4:30; Num 4:35; Num 4:39; Num 4:43; Num 8:24; Num 8:25 ‎קֹדֶשׁ וְצָבָא‎ Dan 8:13 (al. as vDan 8:11, 1 b).
b. of hard service of troubled life Job 7:1; Job 14:14; Isa 40:2; Dan 10:1.

4. ‎צְבָאוֺת‎, in name of ‎׳‎‎י‎ as God of war, probably first in time of warlike David (some connect with sacred ark, but ark older), explained ‎יהוה צבאות אֱלֹחֵי מערכות ישׂראל‎ 1Sam 17:45 ‎׳‎‎י‎ Sebaoth God of the battle array of Israel (the thought of angels and stars as army of God is later);
a. earliest form with article: ‎אֱלֹהֵי הַצְּבָאוֺת‎ ‎׳‎‎י‎ Amos 3:13; Amos 6:14; Amos 9:5 (‎אֱלֹהֵי‎ omitted by error, compare We), Hos 12:6*.
b. without article, definite by usage, ‎אֱלֹהֵי צְבָאוֺת‎ ‎׳‎‎י‎ 2Sam 5:10; Amos 5:14; Amos 5:15; Amos 5:16; Amos 6:8; 1Kgs 19:10; 1Kgs 19:14; Jer 5:14; Jer 15:16; Ps 89:9* ‎אֱלֹהֵי צְבָאֹת אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל‎ ‎׳‎‎י‎ Jer 35:17; Jer 38:17; Jer 44:7; Jer 1:27 = 1Chr 17:24; Isa 21:10; Isa 37:16 1st ‎אֱלֹהֵי‎ omitted Jer 7:3; Jer 7:21 + 30 t. Jeremiah; Zeph 2:9 ‎אלהי ישׂראל‎ ‎׳‎‎אלהים צ‎ ‎׳‎‎י‎ Ps 59:6* (‎אלהים‎ variant of ‎׳‎‎י‎); ‎שְׁמוֺ‎ ‎׳‎‎צ‎ ‎׳‎‎א‎ ‎׳‎‎י‎, ‎׳‎‎י‎ God of hosts his name Amos 4:13; Amos 5:27, later reduced to ‎׳‎‎צ‎ ‎׳‎‎י‎ ‎שְׁמוֺ‎ Isa 47:4; Isa 48:2; Isa 51:15; Isa 54:5; Jer 10:16; Jer 31:35 + 6 t. Jeremiah
c. as proper name Sebaoth: ‎צבאות‎ ‎׳‎‎י‎, ‎׳‎‎י‎ Sebaoth (Lord of hosts, Vrss, owing to Qr ‎אֲדֹנָי‎, but this never construct ‎אֲדֹנֵי‎; al. ‎׳‎‎י‎ of hosts, but < names in apposition, since ‎׳‎‎י‎ is proper name; ‎׳‎‎צ‎ for earlier ‎׳‎‎אלהי צ‎; compare Σαβαωθ Jas 5:4; Rom 9:29): 1Sam 1:3; 1Sam 1:11; 1Sam 4:4; 1Sam 15:2; 1Sam 17:45; 2Sam 6:2; 2Sam 6:18; 2Sam 7:8; 2Sam 7:26; 1Kgs 18:15; 2Kgs 3:14; 2Kgs 19:31; 1Chr 11:9; 1Chr 17:7; Ps 24:10 + 6 t. Psalms; Mic 4:4; Nah 2:14*; Nah 3:5; Nah 2:12*; Nah 5:7; Nah 5:9; Nah 5:16; Nah 5:24 + 35 t. Isa 6-39; Isa², only Isa 44:6; Isa 45:13; Jer 6:6; Jer 6:9; Jer 8:3; Jer 9:6*; Jer 9:16* + 26 t. Jeremiah; Hag 1:2; Hag 1:5 + 12 t. Haggai; Zech 1:3 (3 t. in verse); Zech 1:4 + 40 t. Zech 1-8; Zech 9:15 + 8 t. Zechariah 10-14; Mal 1:4; Mal 1:6; Mal 1:8 + 21 t. Malachi; ‎׳‎‎צ‎ ‎׳‎‎האדון י‎ Isa 1:24 + 4 t. Isaiah (including Isa 10:16 Baer Gi > van d. H. ‎אֲדֹנָי‎ for ‎׳‎‎י‎); ‎׳‎‎צ‎ ‎׳‎‎אֲדֹנָי י‎ Isa 3:15 + (on these phrase see ‎אָדוֺן‎ 1, 6); ‎׳‎‎אלהים צ‎ (‎׳‎‎א‎ later Qr for original ‎׳‎‎י‎) Ps 80:8*; Ps 80:15* ‎׳‎‎אלהים צ‎ ‎׳‎‎י‎ (earlier ‎׳‎‎י‎ + later [inserted] ‎׳‎‎א‎) Ps 80:5*; Ps 80:20*; Ps 84:9*. — compare Dr^{Hastings DB (1900), LORD OF HOSTS and references}, Löhr^{Amos (Beiheftezur ZAW iv (1900), 38-67)}.

‎צְבָאוֺת‎, ‎צִבְאוֺת‎, ‎צְבָאִים‎ see further I, II. ‎צְבִי‎. ‎צְבֹאִים‎ see ‎צְבֹיִים‎.

Brown-Driver-Briggs References