Original Word: צָפַד
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: tsaphad
Pronunciation: tsaw-fad'
Phonetic Spelling: (tsaw-fad')
KJV: cleave
NASB: shriveled
Word Origin: [a primitive root]

1. to adhere

cleave

A primitive root; to adhere -- cleave.

Word Origin
a prim. root
Definition
to draw together, contract
NASB Translation
shriveled (1).

צָפַד verb draw together, contract (Late Hebrew id., trams; Arabic bind fast, shackle, compare Nö^{M § 46} who compare Mand סאפטים fetters); —

Qal Perfect3masculine singular ׳צ Lamentations 4:8 their skin contracteth, shrivelleth, upon (עֵל) their bones.

צָפָה Ezekiel 32:6 see צוף

Scriptural Occurrence

Tsaphad appears only in Lamentations 4:8, where Jeremiah describes the famine-stricken remnant in Jerusalem: “Their appearance is darker than soot; they are not recognized in the streets; their skin has shriveled on their bones; it has become as dry as a stick” (Berean Standard Bible). The verb evokes skin that contracts, sticks, and dries out under extreme deprivation.

Historical Context

Lamentations mourns the Babylonian siege of 586 BC. Starvation reduced nobles and priests to living skeletons. Tsaphad captures the physical consequence of covenant judgment foretold in Deuteronomy 28:53–57 and fulfilled when the city’s supply lines were cut (Jeremiah 37:21). The shriveling flesh dramatizes how far God’s people had fallen from the thriving condition promised in obedience (Deuteronomy 28:1–14).

Imagery and Symbolism

1. Physical decay mirrors spiritual decay. As skin adhered to bone, Judah’s pride, beauty, and national identity collapsed.
2. Public disgrace: “They are not recognized in the streets.” The people who once reflected the glory of Zion now resemble the refuse of a ruined city (Lamentations 2:15).
3. Dryness evokes the wilderness motif. Just as Israel once wandered in a barren land until they trusted the LORD, so Jerusalem experiences barrenness until genuine repentance comes.

Theological Implications

• Divine justice is tangible. Sin produces measurable ruin that affects bodies, families, and societies.
• Covenant discipline is purposeful. The same God who withholds rain (Amos 4:6–8) also restores when hearts return to Him (Lamentations 3:21–23).
• Mortality underlines the need for redemption. Shriveling flesh anticipates the cry for resurrection life promised in Ezekiel 37:5–6.

Ministry and Pastoral Application

• Preaching: Tsaphad warns congregations that unrepented sin corrodes from the inside out. Gospel proclamation must include both the seriousness of judgment and the promise of restoration in Christ.
• Counseling: Those facing the consequences of sin—addiction, broken relationships, spiritual dryness—can see themselves in Lamentations 4:8 and find hope in Lamentations 3:31–33.
• Compassion ministry: The passage urges practical care for the hungry. Isaiah 58:7 links true worship with feeding the starving whose “skin” symbolically clings to their bones today.

Christological Resonance

The shriveled visage of Jerusalem foreshadows the suffering of the Messiah: “His appearance was marred beyond that of a man” (Isaiah 52:14). At the cross Jesus bore the curse of famine, exile, and shame (Galatians 3:13), providing the bread of life that ends spiritual starvation (John 6:35).

Hope and Restoration

The same book that contains tsaphad also proclaims, “The LORD’s loving devotion never ends; His mercies never fail” (Lamentations 3:22). God raises dry bones (Ezekiel 37:10), clothes the naked (Zechariah 3:4), and promises a new Jerusalem where hunger and disgrace are banished (Revelation 7:16–17).

Summary

Tsaphad in Lamentations 4:8 crystallizes Judah’s famine-induced misery and God’s righteous judgment. Its stark imagery calls believers to sobriety about sin, compassion for sufferers, and faith in the Redeemer who turns shriveled skin into radiant resurrection glory.

צָפַ֤ד צפד ṣā·p̄aḏ ṣāp̄aḏ tzaFadInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts