Hebrew word · H6632

צָב

tzav

litter

A large lizard, most likely the spiny-tailed lizard Uromastyx (Arabic ḍabb), a common, sizable desert lizard. Ancient translators were unsure.

Appears 3 times in 3 verses of the Hebrew Old Testament. ·

What it means

a carrying vehicle, litter, covered wagon

Abridged from Brown, Driver and Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (1906), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

In depth

From the study of Leviticus 11:29

Range of meaning

A large lizard, most likely the spiny-tailed lizard Uromastyx (Arabic ḍabb), a common, sizable desert lizard. Ancient translators were unsure. The Septuagint has 'land crocodile' (probably a monitor lizard), the Vulgate crocodilus, and medieval Jewish tradition gave 'tortoise' (hence Modern Hebrew tsav = tortoise).

Against the English

KJV and YLT have 'tortoise'. BSB, WEB and most modern versions have 'great/large lizard'. The tortoise rendering is unlikely, because the whole list of eight in vv. 29–30 otherwise points to rodents and lizards.

How it drifted

KJV 'tortoise' reflects a medieval Jewish identification, not the Hebrew of the biblical period. Modern Hebrew strengthened the association.

Used elsewhere in the period

It appears only here with this sense (a homonym, ṣāb 'covered wagon', occurs in Num 7:3). Septuagint krokodeilos ho chersaios ('land crocodile'); Vulgate crocodilus.

Where it appears

Leviticus · 1

  1. Leviticus 11:29 וְהַצָּ֥ב and the great lizard

    The following creatures that move along the ground are unclean for you: the mole, the mouse, any kind of great lizard,

    Here: Most likely the large spiny-tailed lizard (Uromastyx), which is called ḍabb in Arabic. The KJV's 'tortoise' follows a later Jewish identification (Modern Hebrew tsav means tortoise). The Septuagint has 'land crocodile', probably a monitor lizard or similar.

Numbers · 1

  1. Numbers 7:3 צָב֙ covering

    They brought as their offering before the LORD six covered carts and twelve oxen—an ox from each leader and a cart from every two leaders—and presented them before the tabernacle.

Isaiah · 1

  1. Isaiah 66:20 וּבַצַּבִּ֨ים and in <the> wagons

    And they will bring all your brothers from all the nations as a gift to the LORD on horses and chariots and wagons, on mules and camels, to My holy mountain Jerusalem,” says the LORD, “just as the Israelites bring an offering in a clean vessel to the house of the LORD.”

    Here: Covered carts or litters. The same word describes the 'covered wagons' the tribal leaders gave for the tabernacle in Numbers 7:3. This is comfortable, sheltered transport, perhaps for women, children and the elderly.

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.