צבא

Aramaic

Verb

צבא • (transliteration needed)

1. to desire, to will, to wish

Hebrew

Etymology

Root
צ־ב־א (ts-b-ʾ)
3 terms

Cognate with Akkadian 𒂟 (ṣābum, “soldier, gang”) and Arabic صَبًّا (ṣabban, “abundance”).

Pronunciation

• (Biblical Hebrew) IPA^(key): /sˤaːˈbaːʔ/
• (Tiberian Hebrew) IPA^(key): /sˤɔːˈvɔː/
• (Modern Israeli Hebrew) IPA^(key): /t͡saˈva/

Noun

צָבָא • (tsaváʾ) m (plural indefinite צְבָאוֹת, singular construct צְבָא־, plural construct צִבְאוֹת־) [pattern: קָטָל]

1. a military (armed forces)
2. an army (military force concerned mainly with ground operations)
3. a host, a mob, a multitude (of people, particularly an army organized for war)
   • Tanach, Genesis 2:1, with translation of the English Standard Version:

     וַיְכֻלּוּ הַשָּׁמַיִם וְהָאָרֶץ וְכָל־צְבָאָם׃

     Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.

4. (dated) a military campaign (a number of related operations aimed at achieving a particular military goal)
5. (dated) a battle
6. (dated) a war
   • Tanach, Numbers 1:3, with translation of the English Standard Version:

     מִבֶּן עֶשְׂרִים שָׁנָה וָמַעְלָה כָּל־יֹצֵא צָבָא בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל תִּפְקְדוּ אֹתָם לְצִבְאֹתָם אַתָּה וְאַהֲרֹן׃

     From twenty years old and upward, all in Israel who are able to go to war, you and Aaron shall list them, company by company.

7. (dated) a hardship or tiring worship similar to military service

Derived terms

• צְבָא הֲגָנָה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל (ts'vá haganá l'yisra'él)
• צְבָאִי
• צְבָאָנִי

Verb

צָבָא • (tsaváʾ) (pa'al construction) (dated)

1. To assemble, particularly to muster for military service
2. To go forth as an assembled body, particularly as an army to war
3. To cause to assemble or go forth, particularly in military contexts
4. To fight as an assembled body
5. To serve, as in religious rites

Conjugation

Conjugation of צָבָא (see also Appendix:Hebrew verbs)

non-finite forms		to-infinitive		לצבוא / לִצְבֹּא
		action noun		צְבִיאָה
		passive participle		—
finite forms		singular		plural
		m	f	m	f
past	first	צָבָאתִי		צָבָאנוּ
	second	צָבָאתָ	צָבָאת	צְבָאתֶם1	צְבָאתֶן1
	third	צָבָא	צָבְאָה	צָבְאוּ
present		צוֹבֵא	צוֹבֵאת	צוֹבְאִים	צוֹבְאוֹת
future	first	אֶצְבָּא		נִצְבָּא
	second	תִּצְבָּא	תִּצְבְּאִי	תִּצְבְּאוּ	תִּצְבֶּאנָה2
	third	יִצְבָּא	תִּצְבָּא	יִצְבְּאוּ	תִּצְבֶּאנָה2
imperative		צְבָא	צִבְאִי	צִבְאוּ	צְבֶאנָה2

¹ Pronounced צָבָאתֶם and צָבָאתֶן in informal Modern Hebrew.
² Rare in Modern Hebrew.

References

• H6633 in Strong, James (1979), Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance to the Bible
• H6635 in Strong, James (1979), Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance to the Bible