Original Word: צָבוּעַ
Part of Speech: Adjective
Transliteration: tsabuwa`
Pronunciation: tsaw-BOO-ah
Phonetic Spelling: (tsaw-boo'-ah)
KJV: speckled
NASB: speckled
Word Origin: [passive participle of the same as H6648 (צֶּבַע - dyed work)]

1. dyed (in stripes), i.e. the hyena

speckled

Passive participle of the same as tseba'; dyed (in stripes), i.e. The hyena -- speckled.

see HEBREW tseba'

Word Origin
from the same as tseba
Definition
colored, variegated
NASB Translation
speckled (1).

צָבוּעַ adjective coloured, variegated (properly passive participle); — ׳עַיִט צ Jeremiah 12:9 a variegated bird of prey.

II. צבע (√ of following; compare Arabic point Lag^{BN 20. 21} finger, Sabean אצבע DHM^{ZMG xxxvii (1883), 375}; Ethiopic Late Hebrew = Biblical Hebrew; Aramaic אֶצְבְּעָא , Mandean צבאתא Nö^{M 36}; Dl^{Pr 172} Kö^{ii. 1, 96} compare Assyrian ƒibû II. surround firmly).

Occurrence and Scriptural Context

The noun צָבוּעַ (Strong’s 6641) appears once, in Jeremiah 12:9. Here the Lord, through Jeremiah, grieves that His covenant people have become “like a speckled bird of prey—the other birds of prey surround and attack her” (Jeremiah 12:9). The single use lends the word a vivid exclusivity: it is reserved to paint a striking picture of Judah’s apostasy and impending judgment.

Imagery and Symbolism

1. Unnatural Coloring. The adjective “speckled” suggests an irregular, variegated appearance—something neither wholly one thing nor another. Spiritually, Judah’s worship had become a motley mixture of covenant ritual and pagan practice (Jeremiah 2:11–13; 7:8–10).
2. Isolation and Vulnerability. A strangely colored bird stands out from its surroundings, becoming an easy target. Likewise, the nation that should have been sheltered by the Lord (Psalm 91:4) now sits exposed to devouring nations (Jeremiah 5:15–17).
3. Predator/Prey Reversal. The “bird of prey” normally devours; yet in the verse it is about to be devoured. So Judah, once an instrument of God’s testimony among the nations, will become their victim (Deuteronomy 28:25–26).

Historical Setting

Jeremiah’s ministry (ca. 627–586 BC) spanned the final decades of the kingdom of Judah. Josiah’s reforms had briefly kindled hope, but after his death idolatry resurged. Internationally, Babylon was eclipsing Assyria—creating a climate of fear, intrigue, and false alliances. The single-word picture of the speckled bird captures Judah’s compromised identity in that turbulent era.

Theological Themes

• Covenant Faithfulness versus Syncretism. The mingled plumage warns against blending true worship with foreign elements (Exodus 20:3; 1 Corinthians 10:21).
• Divine Ownership of “My Inheritance.” Though defiled, Judah still belongs to the Lord. His lament is not mere disgust but wounded love (Hosea 11:8).
• Impending Judgment and Hope. While Jeremiah foretells siege and exile, the prophet also promises restoration (Jeremiah 31:31–34). The speckled bird image underscores that purging precedes renewal.

Comparative Translation Notes

Older versions (e.g., Septuagint, Vulgate) render the word “hyena” rather than “speckled bird,” highlighting its ambiguity. Yet both readings share the same point: the heritage has become something distasteful and doomed. Modern conservative scholarship generally favors “speckled bird,” in line with usage of the cognate verb “to dye” or “to color.”

Connections to Wider Canon

• Leviticus 19:19 forbids mixed breeding and fabrics, reinforcing the motif that mixture violates holiness.
• Ezekiel 22:26 and James 4:4 condemn blending sacred and profane.
• Revelation 18:4 calls God’s people out of Babylon, the ultimate symbol of corrupt mixture.

Practical Ministry Application

1. Call to Purity. Churches must guard doctrinal and moral distinctiveness (Jude 3; 2 Peter 3:17).
2. Pastoral Warning. Unchecked compromise invites spiritual predators—false teaching, moral decay, persecution.
3. Gospel Hope. Even a “speckled” people can be cleansed: “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow” (Isaiah 1:18). The believer’s assurance rests in Christ’s atoning blood, not in self-manufactured purity (Hebrews 9:14).

Christological Perspective

The Messiah embodied the pure, undivided devotion Israel lacked (John 4:34). By bearing the curse of the covenant breakers (Galatians 3:13), He gathers a redeemed flock (John 10:11–16) free from the stain of syncretism (Ephesians 5:25–27).

Summary

צָבוּעַ serves as a one-stroke portrait of compromised covenant identity—striking in its rarity, unforgettable in its color. The Spirit employs this solitary term to warn, wound, and woo God’s people back to the undiluted holiness that finds its fulfillment in Jesus Christ.

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