Original Word: יָצַג
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: yatsag
Pronunciation: yah-tsag'
Phonetic Spelling: (yaw-tsag')
KJV: establish, leave, make, present, put, set, stay
NASB: set, placed, detained, establish, expose, leave, made
Word Origin: [a primitive root]

1. to place permanently

establish, leave, make, present, put, set, stay

A primitive root; to place permanently -- establish, leave, make, present, put, set, stay.

Word Origin
a prim. root
Definition
to set, place
NASB Translation
detained (1), establish (1), expose (1), leave (1), made (1), placed (2), presented* (1), put (1), set (5), set me down (1).

[יָצַג] verb Hiph`il set, place, a vivid and forcible synonym of שָׂם (Kö^{i. 430} Ges^{§ 71}) —

Hiph`il Perfect suffix הִצִּיגַּ֫נִי Jeremiah 51:34 Qr (Kt הציגנו), Job 17:6; 1singular suffix הִצַּגְתִּיו Genesis 43:9; וְהִצַּגְּתִּיהָ consecutive Hosea 2:5; Imperfect וַיַּצֵּג Genesis 30:38; Judges 8:27; suffix וַיַּצִּגֵם Genesis 47:2; 2masculine singular תַּצִּיג Judges 7:5, etc.; Imperative הַצִּ֫יגוּ Amos 5:15; Infinitive construct הַצֵּג Deuteronomy 28:56 (Ges^{§ 53}, 3, R.2 Kö^l.c.); Participle מַצִּיג Judges 6:37; — set, place, with accusative: + ב location Genesis 30:28 (J; + לְֹנכַח צאֹן), Judges 6:37; Judges 8:27; 2 Samuel 6:17 ( + בְּתוֺךְ), with בְּתוֺךְ in "" 1 Chronicles 16:1; + אֵצֶל 1 Samuel 5:2; of setting foot on (לְ) ground Deuteronomy 28:56; Genesis 33:15 (J; followed by עִם) = station with thee some of my retinue; + לִפְנֵי Genesis 43:9 (J); so with idea of presenting, introducing to Genesis 47:2 (J); set (so that all may see) + לְ Job 17:6; followed by 2accusative ( = set as) Jeremiah 51:34; וְהִצַּגְתִּיהָ כְּיוֺם הִוָָּֽלְדָ֑הּ Hosea 2:5 and (lest) I set ( = exhibit) her as in the day when she was born ("" אַפְשִׁיטֶנָּה עֲרֻמָּה); figurative set up, establish, הציגר בשׁער משׁפט Amos 5:15 (opposed to vAmos 5:7 לארץ הניחו).

Hoph`al Imperfect יצָֻּ֑ג Exodus 10:24 (E) be stayed, stopped, detained (of herds, etc.)

יִצִהָר, יִצְחָק, יִצְחָר see below צהר, צהק, צחר

Overview of Usage

יָצַג appears sixteen times, consistently conveying the deliberate placing or presenting of persons, objects, or moral realities. Whether Jacob positions rods before breeding flocks (Genesis 30:38) or Amos calls Israel to “establish justice in the gate” (Amos 5:15), the verb underscores purposeful positioning—an act done with intent and accountability before God and men.

Patriarchal Narratives: Responsibility and Representation

In Genesis the verb highlights covenantal responsibility. Judah pledges concerning Benjamin, “If I do not bring him back to you and set him before you, then let me bear the blame before you all my days” (Genesis 43:9). The act of “setting” Benjamin before Jacob becomes a tangible measure of faithfulness. Likewise, Joseph “presented” five of his brothers to Pharaoh (Genesis 47:2), picturing mediation for the covenant family in a foreign court. יָצַג thus frames the duty of headship and intercession—a pattern later fulfilled perfectly in Christ, our representative before the Father.

Covenant Worship: Placing the Ark

When David brings the ark to Jerusalem, “they brought in the ark of the LORD and set it in its place inside the tent that David had pitched for it” (2 Samuel 6:17; cf. 1 Chronicles 16:1). The same verb had earlier described the Philistines’ irreverent act of placing the ark beside Dagon (1 Samuel 5:2). In both scenes the positioning of the ark reveals the heart of the worshipers: pagan contempt versus Davidic reverence. יָצַג therefore accents the holiness of God’s presence and the necessity of proper worship order.

Signs and Confirmations: Gideon’s Fleece

Gideon twice “places” a fleece to seek assurance of divine favor (Judges 6:37; 7:5). The verb conveys more than casual laying down; it reflects earnest dependence on God’s revealed will. While Scripture later commends living by faith, Gideon’s act illustrates the Lord’s gracious condescension to human weakness, answering with unmistakable confirmation.

Crafted Objects and Hidden Snares

Gideon’s golden ephod was “placed” in Ophrah and “all Israel prostituted themselves by worshiping it there” (Judges 8:27). A verb that can exalt God’s ark can also mark idolatry when man misdirects devotion. יָצַג warns that how and where we position symbols profoundly shapes communal life.

Prophetic and Judicial Contexts

Amos urges the nation to “establish justice in the gate” (Amos 5:15). Jeremiah laments that Babylon “has set me like an empty vessel” (Jeremiah 51:34). In both, יָצַג exposes societal order—righteous or oppressive—calling rulers to align public life with divine standards.

Suffering and Shame: Job’s Complaint

“He has made me a byword of the people; I am one in whose face they spit” (Job 17:6). The verb portrays Job’s enforced public humiliation. Yet the larger narrative vindicates him, anticipating the Suffering Servant who was likewise “set” before scoffers yet ultimately exalted.

Covenant Curses and Hardness of Heart

Deuteronomy 28:56 depicts a siege so severe that the most delicate woman “will not venture to set the sole of her foot on the ground.” The verse uses יָצַג to portray terror-driven paralysis, illustrating covenant curses that befall persistent disobedience.

Redemptive Trajectory and Christological Foreshadowing

Throughout Scripture God “sets forth” types that culminate in Christ:
• Benjamin safely “set” before Jacob foretells the Son presented alive after sacrificial obedience.
• The ark “set” in its place prefigures God dwelling among men in incarnate flesh.
• Justice “established” in the gate anticipates the Messianic kingdom where righteousness is perfectly positioned.

Pastoral and Ministry Insights

1. Representation: Leaders today must consciously “set” people before authorities—earthly and heavenly—through prayer, advocacy, and discipleship.
2. Worship Order: Churches are called to position the gospel, ordinances, and Scripture with reverent clarity, avoiding both irreverence and idolatrous embellishment.
3. Social Ethics: Believers must labor that justice be “established in the gate,” engaging public life so that societal structures reflect God’s moral order.
4. Personal Integrity: Like Judah, Christians pledge accountability; like Gideon, they may seek confirmation, yet ultimately trust the sufficiency of God’s word already given.

Applications for Believers Today

• Examine what is being “set” at the center of personal and corporate life.
• Present one’s body “as a living sacrifice” (Romans 12:1), echoing the deliberate placement envisioned by יָצַג.
• Pray that the Lord “establish” justice in contemporary “gates,” from courts to marketplaces.
• Anticipate the day when the risen Christ is publicly “set” as King of kings, fulfilling every righteous theme embedded in this verb.

אַצִּֽיגָה־ אציגה־ הִצִּיגַ֙נִי֙ הַצֵּ֣ג הצג הציגני וְֽ֭הִצִּגַנִי וְהִ֨צַּגְתִּ֔יהָ וְהִצַּגְתִּ֣יו וְהַצִּ֥יגוּ וַיַּצִּ֣יגוּ וַיַּצִּ֤גוּ וַיַּצִּ֥יגוּ וַיַּצִּגֵ֖ם וַיַּצֵּ֗ג וַיַּצֵּ֨ג והצגני והצגתיה והצגתיו והציגו ויצג ויצגו ויצגם ויציגו יֻצָּ֑ג יצג מַצִּ֛יג מציג תַּצִּ֤יג תציג ’aṣ·ṣî·ḡāh- ’aṣṣîḡāh- atztzigah haṣ·ṣêḡ haṣṣêḡ hatzTzeg hiṣ·ṣî·ḡa·nî hiṣṣîḡanî hitztziGani maṣ·ṣîḡ maṣṣîḡ matzTzig taṣ·ṣîḡ taṣṣîḡ tatzTzig vaiyatzTzeg vaiyatztziGem vaiyatzTzigu vehatzTzigu veHitztzagTiha vehitztzagTiv Vehitztzigani way·yaṣ·ṣêḡ way·yaṣ·ṣi·ḡêm way·yaṣ·ṣi·ḡū way·yaṣ·ṣî·ḡū wayyaṣṣêḡ wayyaṣṣiḡêm wayyaṣṣiḡū wayyaṣṣîḡū wə·haṣ·ṣî·ḡū wə·hiṣ·ṣaḡ·tî·hā wə·hiṣ·ṣaḡ·tîw wə·hiṣ·ṣi·ḡa·nî wəhaṣṣîḡū wəhiṣṣaḡtîhā wəhiṣṣaḡtîw wəhiṣṣiḡanî yuṣ·ṣāḡ yuṣṣāḡ yutzTzagInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts