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shebanq

צַח ṣaḥ – clear

Semantic Fields: Colours   
Author(s): John E. Hartley
First published: 2026-05-20
Citation: John E. Hartley, צַח ṣaḥ – clear,
               Semantics of Ancient Hebrew Database (sahd-online.com), 2026

Introduction

Grammatical type: adjective.
Occurrences: 4x HB (0/3/1); 0x Sir; 0x Qum; 1x Inscr. (Total: 5x).

  • Nebiim: Isa 18:14; 32:4; Jer 4:11;
  • Ketubim: Cant 5:10.

A.1 BHK and BHS recommend deleting צחות (1 צוחותQIsaa) in Isa 32:4. Wildberger favours this emendation since לדעת, the parallel term to לדבר, has no object (Wildberger 1982:1250, 1258). The textual evidence, however, clearly supports the MT.

7. Conclusion

A.1 צַח may be glossed with the English lexemes ‘clear, bright, glowing, shimmering’. In the few occurrences in the Heb. Scriptures, it modifies a wide range of items: a man’s complexion, wind, heat, and speaking. As a colour lexeme it conveys the ‘sheen’ or ‘brightness’ or ‘glow’ of a light colour. Its focus, then, is brilliance rather than hue.

For this entry, see further John E. Hartley, The Semantics of Ancient Hebrew Colour Lexemes (2010), 60-65 (Printed publications).

Bibliography

For the abbreviations see the List of Abbreviations.

Wildberger 1982
Semantics of Ancient Hebrew Database