Lexical Definition

‎צָפוֹן‎ tsâphôwn (tsaw-fone') north ^H:N-F
or צָפֹן tsâphôn (tsaw-fone'); from ‎צָפַן‎

north(-ern, side, -ward, wind).

• properly, hidden, i.e. dark
• used only of the north as aquarter (gloomy and unknown)

1) north (of direction), northward
1a) north
1b) northward

See Greek: βοῤῥᾶς · εὐώνυμος

Extended Information

• This name means north
• Also named: tsa.phon (‎צ‎ָ‎פו‎ֹ‎ן‎ "Zaphon" צָפוֹן)

Brown-Driver-Briggs

I. ‎צָפוֺן‎₁₅₃ noun feminine^{Isa 43:6} north (as the hidden, dark; compare Thes Lewy^{Fremdw. 188 f.}; perhaps Phoenician ‎צפל‎ north); — absolute ‎׳‎‎צ‎ Jer 26:26 +, ‎צָפֹ֫נָה‎ northward Gen 13:14 +, oftener ‎צָפ֫וֺנָה‎ Jer 3:12 +, also ‎צָפ֫וֺנָה‎ = ‎צָפוֺן‎ Jer 1:13 + (after prepositions and stative construct; compare Ges^{«GKC:90e»§ 90e}); construct ‎מִצְּפוֺן לְ‎ Josh 8:11 +, also ‎מִצְּפוֺן‎ Josh 19:14 Gi (compare Benn; van d. H. Baer ‎׳‎‎מִצָּ‎), ‎מִצְּפ֫וֺנָה לְ‎ Judg 21:19 (‎׳‎‎צ‎ occurs oftenest in Ezekiel [46 t.], Joshua [25 t.], Jeremiah [25 t.], Daniel [9 t.]); — north (opposite south, east, west) Gen 13:14; Gen 28:14 (both J), Exod 27:11 (P), +; ‎׳‎‎פְּאַת צ‎ north side Exod 26:20; Josh 15:5 + (see ‎פֵּאָה‎); so ‎׳‎‎צֶלַיע צ‎ Exod 26:35, ‎׳‎‎רוּחַ הַצּ‎ Ezek 42:17, compare ‎עַליֶֿרֶךְ הַמִּזְבֵּחַ צָפ֫וֺנָה‎ 2Kgs 16:14 ‎׳‎‎גְּבוּל צ‎ Num 34:7; Num 34:9 north boundary; ‎׳‎‎יַתְכְּתֵי צ‎ remote parts of north Isa 14:13 (as divine abode), Ezek 38:6; Ezek 38:15 + (see [ ‎יַרְכָה‎]); ‎׳‎‎שַׁעַר הַצּ‎ Ezek 40:35 +, ‎׳‎‎פֶּתַח צ‎ Ezek 42:2 ‎׳‎‎רוּחַ צ‎ Ezek 25:23 north wind, and so ‎׳‎‎צ‎ alone Song 4:16 toward the north is ‎צָפ֫וֺנָה‎ Josh 13:3 + (see also above), and ‎אֶלצָֿפוֺן‎ Eccl 1:6, ‎׳‎‎אֶלהַֿצּ‎ Ezek 42:1, ‎אֶלהַֿצָּפ֫וֺנָה‎ Ezek 8:14, ‎לַצָּפוֺן‎ Ezek 40:23, ‎דֶּרֶךְ הַצָּפוֺן‎ vEzek 40:20, ‎צָפ֫וֺנָה‎ ‎׳‎‎ד‎ Ezek 8:5 (twice in verse) +, etc.; especially (in Jeremiah, Ezekiel, etc.) of quarter whence invaders were to come, e. g. Assyrians Isa 14:31, compare Zeph 2:13, Babylonians Jer 6:1; Jer 6:22; Jer 15:12; Jer 46:20; Jer 46:24 (‎׳‎‎עַםצֿ‎), Jer 47:2, Ezek 26:7, Cyrus against Babylonian Isa 41:25, compare Jer 50:3; Jer 50:9; Jer 50:41; Jer 51:48 more vaguely, Jer 1:14; Jer 1:15 (‎׳‎‎מַמְלְכוֺת צ‎), Jer 4:6; Jer 10:22; Jer 13:20; Jer 25:9; Jer 25:26 (‎׳‎‎מַלְכֵי הַצּ‎); of Gog's host Ezek 38:6; Ezek 38:15; Ezek 39:2 ‎׳‎‎נְסִיכֵי צ‎ Ezek 32:30 (apparently of nearer [Aramaean?] princes); ‎׳‎‎אֶרֶץ צ‎ Jer 31:8 is region of Carchemish, but Zech 2:10*; Zech 6:6; Zech 6:8 (twice in verse) of Babylon; ‎׳‎‎מֵאֶרֶץ צ‎ (sometimes + other countries) the exiles and dispersed are to return Jer 3:18; Jer 16:15 = Jer 23:8; Jer 31:8, compare Isa 43:6; Isa 49:12 ‎׳‎‎מֶלֶךְ הַצּ‎ Dan 11:6; Dan 11:7; Dan 11:8; Dan 11:11; Dan 11:13; Dan 11:15; Dan 11:40 denotes successive Seleucidae.

Brown-Driver-Briggs References

Profile

Zaphon • A city in Gad and a term for the north

Zaphon, a city allotted to the tribe of Gad, also used as a term for the north or the heavenly dwelling place of God (Josh. 13:27; Judg. 12:1; Ps. 48:2; Isa. 14:13).

• A location first mentioned at Jos.13.27;
• referred to as Zaphon or Zaphon (KJV, ESV= "north") צָפוֹן, or Zaphon צָפוֹן.
  

Zaphon has two distinct meanings in the Bible. First, it is the name of a city allotted to the tribe of Gad in the division of the Promised Land (Josh. 13:27). This city was located in the Jordan Valley, near the Sea of Chinnereth (Galilee). Second, Zaphon is used as a term for the north or the heavenly dwelling place of God. In Psalm 48:2, Mount Zion is described as being "in the far north," using the term "Zaphon" to emphasize its sacred status. In Isaiah 14:13, the king of Babylon is portrayed as aspiring to ascend to heaven and sit on the mount of assembly "in the far reaches of the north" (Zaphon), symbolizing his desire to usurp God's authority. The term "Zaphon" is also mentioned in Judges 12:1, where the Ephraimites gathered in Zaphon before confronting Jephthah. The dual usage of Zaphon in the Bible highlights the interplay between physical locations and spiritual symbolism in the biblical narrative.

All entries for Zaphon: צָפוֹן ☩ צָפוֹן