צָפָה

Genesis 31:49 יִ֥צֶף may he keep watch

It was also called Mizpah, because Laban said, “May the LORD keep watch between you and me when we are absent from each other.

1 Samuel 4:13 מְצַפֶּ֔ה watching

When he arrived, there was Eli, sitting on his chair beside the road and watching, because his heart trembled for the ark of God. When the man entered the city to give a report, the whole city cried out.

1 Samuel 14:16 הַצֹּפִים֙ the watchmen

Now when Saul’s watchmen at Gibeah in Benjamin looked and saw the troops melting away and scattering in every direction,

2 Samuel 13:34 הַצֹּפֶה֙ who kept watch

Meanwhile, Absalom had fled. When the young man standing watch looked up, he saw many people coming down the road west of him, along the side of the hill. And the watchman went and reported to the king, “I see men coming from the direction of Horonaim, along the side of the hill.”

2 Samuel 18:24 הַצֹּפֶ֜ה the watchman

Now David was sitting between the two gates when the watchman went up to the roof of the gateway by the wall, looked out, and saw a man running alone.

2 Samuel 18:25 הַצֹּפֶה֙ the watchman

So he called out and told the king. “If he is alone,” the king replied, “he bears good news.” As the first runner drew near,

2 Samuel 18:26 הַצֹּפֶה֮ הַצֹּפֶה֙ the watchman

the watchman saw another man running, and he called out to the gatekeeper, “Look! Another man is running alone!” “This one also brings good news,” said the king.

2 Samuel 18:27 הַצֹּפֶ֔ה the watchman

The watchman said, “The first man appears to me to be running like Ahimaaz son of Zadok.” “This is a good man,” said the king. “He comes with good news.”

2 Kings 9:17 וְהַצֹּפֶה֩ and the watchman

Now the watchman standing on the tower in Jezreel saw Jehu’s troops approaching, and he called out, “I see a company of troops!” “Choose a rider,” Joram commanded. “Send him out to meet them and ask, ‘Have you come in peace?’”

Here: A participle of 'to keep watch, look out' used as a noun: the man whose job is to scan the horizon from a high post. The 'and' turns the scene from Jehu on the road (v.16) to the city waiting for him.

2 Kings 9:18 הַצֹּפֶה֙ the watchman

So a horseman rode off to meet Jehu and said, “This is what the king asks: ‘Have you come in peace?’” “What do you know about peace?” Jehu replied. “Fall in behind me.” And the watchman reported, “The messenger reached them, but he is not coming back.”

2 Kings 9:20 הַצֹּפֶה֙ the watchman

Again the watchman reported, “He reached them, but he is not coming back. And the charioteer is driving like Jehu son of Nimshi—he is driving like a madman!”

Job 15:22 וְצָפ֖וּי and [is] watched

He despairs of his return from darkness; he is marked for the sword.

Psalm 5:3 וַאֲצַפֶּֽה׃ so I may watch

In the morning, O LORD, You hear my voice; at daybreak I lay my plea before You and wait in expectation.

Here: "And I will keep watch." This is the verb of the sentry on the city wall who scans the horizon for a messenger. Once he has laid out his plea, the psalmist takes up a lookout post and waits for God's answer to show up.

Psalm 37:32 צוֹפֶ֣ה [is] watching

Though the wicked lie in wait for the righteous, and seek to slay them,

Here: A participle, so the watching goes on and on: the wicked man keeps the righteous under steady observation, waiting for his chance. It is the verb for a sentry on a wall, here turned into a hunter's or spy's watching. It comes first in the line because this is the tsade (צ) line of an alphabet poem.

Psalm 66:7 תִּצְפֶּ֑ינָה they keep watch

He rules forever by His power; His eyes watch the nations. Do not let the rebellious exalt themselves. Selah

Here: The verb of the watchman (tsofeh) on a city wall, who scans the horizon for movement. The verb form describes an ongoing habit: his eyes keep on watching. It is the attention of a guard ready to act, not of an idle spectator.

Proverbs 15:3 צֹ֝פ֗וֹת watching

The eyes of the LORD are in every place, observing the evil and the good.

Here: A participle (an ongoing '-ing' form), feminine plural to agree with 'eyes'. It means continuous, alert watching, the verb used for a lookout on a wall or tower. Not a passing glance but steady surveillance that is ready to act.

Proverbs 31:27 צ֭וֹפִיָּה [she is] watching over

She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.

Song of Songs 7:4 צוֹפֶ֖ה [which] watches

Your neck is like a tower made of ivory; your eyes are like the pools of Heshbon by the gate of Bath-rabbim; your nose is like the tower of Lebanon, facing toward Damascus.

Isaiah 21:6 הַֽמְצַפֶּ֔ה the watchman

For this is what the Lord says to me: “Go, post a lookout and have him report what he sees.

Isaiah 52:8 צֹפַ֛יִךְ watchmen your

Listen! Your watchmen lift up their voices, together they shout for joy. For every eye will see when the LORD returns to Zion.

Here: "Your lookouts." It is a participle used as a noun: men posted on the city wall to scan the horizon. "Your" is feminine singular, so the speaker is addressing Zion/Jerusalem pictured as a woman (cf. 52:1–2).

Isaiah 56:10 צֹפָ֞יו watchmen its

Israel’s watchmen are blind, they are all oblivious; they are all mute dogs, they cannot bark; they are dreamers lying around, loving to slumber.

Here: An active participle used as a noun: the ones whose job is to keep watch from a wall or tower and raise the alarm. 'His' points back to the people of God (BSB 'Israel's') or to God himself; either way these are the community's appointed lookouts, most likely its prophets and leaders.

Jeremiah 6:17 צֹפִ֔ים watchmen

I appointed watchmen over you and said, ‘Listen for the sound of the ram’s horn.’ But they answered, ‘We will not listen!’

Here: Literally 'ones who keep looking out': sentries on a wall or tower who scan the horizon for an approaching army. Here it is a picture of the prophets God sent to warn Judah.

Jeremiah 48:19 וְצַפִּ֖י and watch

Stand by the road and watch, O dweller of Aroer! Ask the man fleeing or the woman escaping, ‘What has happened?’

Lamentations 4:17 צִפִּ֔ינוּ we watched

All the while our eyes were failing as we looked in vain for help. We watched from our towers for a nation that could not save us.

Here: 'We kept watch'. It comes from the same root as the noun before it. The repetition ('in our watching we watched') stresses how intense and long the waiting was.

Ezekiel 3:17 צֹפֶ֥ה a watchman

“Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel. Whenever you hear a word from My mouth, give them a warning from Me.

Here: A participle used as a noun: 'one who keeps watch'. This is the lookout on the city wall or watchtower who scans the horizon for danger and raises the alarm. It comes first in the Hebrew clause for emphasis: '*A lookout* is what I have made you.'

Ezekiel 33:2 לְצֹפֶֽה׃ into a watchman

“Son of man, speak to your people and tell them: ‘Suppose I bring the sword against a land, and the people of that land choose a man from among them, appointing him as their watchman,

Here: 'As one who watches': the lookout on a city wall or tower whose job is to spot an approaching army and sound the alarm (v. 3).

Ezekiel 33:6 וְ֠הַצֹּפֶה הַצֹּפֶ֥ה and the watchman, the watchman

But if the watchman sees the sword coming and fails to blow the horn to warn the people, and the sword comes and takes away a life, then that one will be taken away in his iniquity, but I will hold the watchman accountable for his blood.’

Here: A participle of the verb 'to look out, keep watch', used as a title: the lookout posted on a wall or tower. It is placed first in the sentence as the topic, as if to say, 'Now the watchman: if he...'. Everything that follows is about his responsibility.

Ezekiel 33:7 צֹפֶ֥ה a watchman

As for you, O son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; so hear the word from My mouth and give them the warning from Me.

Here: A participle used as a noun: 'one who keeps looking out', the lookout posted on a city wall or tower. It comes first in the clause for emphasis: 'a lookout is what I have made you'.

Hosea 9:8 צֹפֶ֥ה [was] a watchman

The prophet is Ephraim’s watchman, along with my God, yet the snare of the fowler lies on all his paths. Hostility is in the house of his God!

Here: An active participle ('one who keeps watch'), the standard word for the lookout on a city wall or tower. It can also mean 'spy on' or 'lie in wait for' (Ps 37:32). Most readers take it as the prophet's role as sentinel; a minority read it as Ephraim hostilely 'watching' the prophet.

Micah 7:4 מְצַפֶּ֙יךָ֙ watchmen your

The best of them is like a brier; the most upright is sharper than a hedge of thorns. The day for your watchmen has come, the day of your visitation. Now is the time of their confusion.

Here: 'Your watchmen.' Literally the ones who keep looking out, like sentries on a city wall. Prophets used this as a title for themselves (Hos 9:8, Jer 6:17, Ezek 3:17). 'The day of your watchmen' is the day they warned you about.

Micah 7:7 אֲצַפֶּ֔ה I will watch

But as for me, I will look to the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation. My God will hear me.

Here: This is the verb behind the Hebrew word for a sentry (tsopheh), the man on the wall scanning the horizon. In this verb form it means to keep watch, or to look out expectantly. It picks up verse 4, where the 'day of your watchmen' (the same root) arrives as judgment. The false watchmen failed, so now the speaker takes up the watch himself, facing toward Yahweh.

Nahum 2:1 צַפֵּה־ watch

One who scatters advances against you, O Nineveh. Guard the fortress! Watch the road! Brace yourselves! Summon all your strength!

Here: This is the watchman's verb (a watchman is a tsopheh). It is a command to post lookouts and keep watching.

Habakkuk 2:1 וַאֲצַפֶּ֗ה so I may watch

I will stand at my guard post and station myself on the ramparts. I will watch to see what He will say to me, and how I should answer when corrected.

Here: 'And I will keep watch,' the verb of the watchman (ṣōpeh) who scans for approaching runners or enemies. The intensive form suggests sustained, alert looking. It also echoes the standard picture of the prophet as Israel's watchman.