Original Word: צְבִי
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: tsbiy
Pronunciation: tseb-ee'
Phonetic Spelling: (tseb-ee')
KJV: beautiful(-ty), glorious (-ry), goodly, pleasant, roe(-buck)
Word Origin: [from H6638 (צָּבָה - swell) in the sense of prominence]

1. splendor (as conspicuous)
2. also a gazelle (as beautiful)

beautifulty, glorious, goodly, pleasant, roebuck

From tsabah in the sense of prominence; splendor (as conspicuous); also a gazelle (as beautiful) -- beautiful(-ty), glorious, goodly, pleasant, roe(-buck).

see HEBREW tsabah

I. צְבִי noun masculine^{2Samuel 1:19} beauty, honour; — absolute ׳צ 2 Samuel 1:19 +, צֶבִ֑י Daniel 8:9; construct צְבִי Isaiah 13:19 +; plural construct צִבְאוֺת Jeremiah 3:19 (so ᵑ7 Ki Thes Hi Gf Ol § 145 b Kö^{ii.l, 584} and others; > from צבא ᵑ6 Gie and others); —

1. a. beauty, decoration, עֶדְיוֺ ׳צ, of silver and gold Ezekiel 7:20, of products of soil Isaiah 4:2 (predict.)

b. elsewhere in figure: of drunkard's chaplet, תִפְאַרְתּוֺ ׳צ Isaiah 28:1,4 (figurative of Samaria); ׳עֲטֶרֶת צ Isaiah 28:5 (of ׳י); ׳הַצּ 2 Samuel 1:19 (Saul and Jonathan); ׳גְּאוֺן כָּלצֿ, of Tyre Isaiah 23:9; מַמְלָכוֺת ׳צ Isaiah 13:19 (of Babylonian ); of land of Israel (Judah), צְבִי הִיא לְכָלהָֿאֲרָצוֺת Ezekiel 20:6,15, גּוֺיִם נַחֲלַת צְבִי צִבְאוֺת Jeremiah 3:19 (see above) heritage of the beauty of beauties of the nations, i.e. most beauteous heritage; ׳הַצּ especially of Jerusalem and temple Daniel 8:9 (Bev), compare ׳אֶרֶץ הַצּ Daniel 11:16,41 (see Dr), קֹֿרֶשׁ׳הַר צ Daniel 11:45(i.e. temple-hill); of cities of Moab, אֶרֶץ ׳צ Ezekiel 25:9.

2 = honour, דִּיק׳לַצּ ׳צ Isaiah 24:16. — Ezekiel 26:20 read בִי׳וְתִתְיַצְּ for וְנָתַתִּי צְבִי, so Lxx Co Berthol Toy Krae and others

III. צבה (√ of following; Late Hebrew צְבִי, צְבִיָה = Biblical Hebrew; so Assyrian ƒabîtu, Arabic Aramaic טַבְיָה ).

II. צְבִי noun masculine^{Isaiah 13:14} gazelle; — ׳צ absolute Deuteronomy 12:15 +; plural צְבָיִם 2 Samuel 2:18, צְבָאיִם 1 Chronicles 12:9 (Gi Baer; van d. H. v.1 Chronicles 12:8), צְבָאוֺת Songs 2:7; Songs 3:5; — gazelle, allowed as food Deuteronomy 14:5, compare Deuteronomy 12:15,22 (although not for sacrifice, Dr; all + אַיָּל), so Deuteronomy 15:22 (+ אַיָּל, יַחְמוּר, etc.), see 1 Kings 5:3; simile of swiftness 2 Samuel 2:18; 1 Chronicles 12:9 see above, Proverbs 6:5; of grace and beauty Songs 2:9,17; Songs 8:14 (compare Jacob^{Arab. Dichter iv. 20 f.}); hence used in adjuration Songs 2:7; Songs 3:5 ( + אילות); מֻדָּח ׳צ Isaiah 13:14, simile of fugitives.

Summary of Usage

צְבִי appears about thirty-two times across the Old Testament, carrying two intertwined ideas: (1) the graceful, swift gazelle; (2) beauty, splendor, desirability. Context determines which nuance stands foremost, yet both senses often blend, so that what is lovely is also lively, and what is swift is also prized.

Animal Imagery: Grace, Agility, Alertness

The gazelle is native to the hills and wadis of the Levant, and Scripture uses it as the standard for speed and nimbleness. In warfare narratives the Benjaminites are commended as men “swift as gazelles on the mountains” (1 Chronicles 12:8). Proverbs employs the animal as a model for urgency in escaping temptation: “Free yourself, like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter” (Proverbs 6:5). Because of its elegance, lovers in Song of Songs repeatedly liken one another to a gazelle (Song of Songs 2:9; 2:17; 4:5; 8:14). The metaphors invite believers to cultivate spiritual vigilance and to pursue purity and marital affection with the same lively devotion.

Beauty and Ornamentation

When צְבִי is translated “beauty,” “glory,” or “splendor,” it stresses the appeal of something precious. David’s lament opens, “Your beauty, O Israel, lies slain on your heights” (2 Samuel 1:19), grieving that what made the nation attractive—her heroic leaders—had fallen. Isaiah rebukes prideful Samaria by calling her a “fading flower of glorious beauty” (Isaiah 28:1-4), warning that outward loveliness without inner righteousness soon withers. Ezekiel 7:20 condemns Judah for turning “the beauty of His ornaments” (the temple vessels) into idols, showing how desecration of holy things defaces true beauty.

The Land of Israel: The Beautiful Land

Several prophets designate Israel’s territory as “the Beautiful Land” (Daniel 8:9; 11:16, 41, 45) or “the glory of all lands” (Ezekiel 20:6, 15). The expression emphasizes Yahweh’s gracious gift, flowing with milk and honey, and anticipates the eschatological restoration when the land will manifest its full splendor under Messiah’s reign. Jeremiah 3:19 recalls God’s intent: “I gave you a pleasant land, a heritage most beautiful among the nations.” The enduring theological point is that covenant blessing is embodied in a real geography, anchoring faith in concrete history while pointing forward to the new creation.

Prophetic and Eschatological Dimensions

צְבִי frames both judgment and hope:
• Judgment—Babylon was once “the jewel of kingdoms, the glory of the pride of the Chaldeans,” yet was doomed to desolation (Isaiah 13:19). Prideful beauty apart from holiness invites divine overthrow.
• Hope—“In that day the Branch of the LORD will be beautiful and glorious” (Isaiah 4:2), projecting a Messianic age when external and internal beauty converge in the Person and kingdom of Christ.

Theological Themes

1. Beauty derives from God and is meant to reflect His character.
2. When misused, beauty becomes an idol, provoking judgment.
3. Redemption restores true beauty, climaxing in the Messiah and a renewed creation.
4. Swiftness and alertness—seen in the gazelle—mirror the believer’s call to run the race with endurance and flee sin decisively (Hebrews 12:1; 1 Corinthians 6:18).

Devotional and Pastoral Applications

• Worship: Recognize and guard the “ornaments” of corporate worship—Word, sacraments, fellowship—as gifts not to be corrupted.
• Holiness: Personal allure or ministry success can fade quickly; cultivate inner beauty through Spirit-wrought character (1 Peter 3:3-4).
• Marriage: Song of Songs encourages spouses to celebrate physical and emotional attraction as God-given.
• Evangelism and Missions: The “Beautiful Land” motif fuels longing for the ultimate inheritance and motivates proclamation so others may share in its glory.

Selected Occurrences

Deuteronomy 12:15; 12:22; 14:5; 15:22 – dietary laws liken common meat consumption to eating the gazelle.

2 Samuel 1:19 – “Your beauty, O Israel, lies slain on your heights.”

1 Chronicles 12:8 – warriors “swift as gazelles.”

Psalm 42:1 (parallel word 354) – longing for God as a deer pants for water; sets thematic resonance.

Proverbs 6:5 – flee temptation like a gazelle.

Song of Songs 2:9; 4:5; 8:14 – romantic imagery.

Isaiah 4:2; 13:19; 28:1-5 – beauty in eschatology and judgment.

Jeremiah 3:19 – “a heritage most beautiful.”

Ezekiel 7:20; 20:6, 15 – temple and land called “beauty.”

Daniel 8:9; 11:16, 41, 45 – “Beautiful Land.”

Conclusion

צְבִי unites the tangible grace of the gazelle with the moral and eschatological splendor God designs for His people. It challenges readers to prize what God calls beautiful, to flee corruption swiftly, and to anticipate the consummate glory revealed in Jesus Christ and the coming kingdom.

בִּצְבָא֔וֹת בצבאות הַצְּבִ֔י הַצְּבִ֖י הַצְּבִי֙ הַצְּבָיִ֖ם הַצֶּֽבִי׃ הצבי הצבי׃ הצבים וְכִצְבָאיִ֥ם וּצְבִ֖י וּצְבִ֤י וּצְבִי֙ וכצבאים וצבי כִּצְבִ֣י כַּצְּבִ֖י כצבי לִצְבִ֔י לִצְבִ֖י לִצְבִ֗י לִצְבִי֙ לצבי צְבִ֔י צְבִ֖י צְבִ֗י צְבִ֣י צְבִ֥י צְבִי־ צבי צבי־ biṣ·ḇā·’ō·wṯ biṣḇā’ōwṯ bitzvaot haṣ·ṣə·ḇā·yim haṣ·ṣe·ḇî haṣ·ṣə·ḇî haṣṣəḇāyim haṣṣeḇî haṣṣəḇî hatztzevaYim hatztzeVi kaṣ·ṣə·ḇî kaṣṣəḇî katztzeVi kiṣ·ḇî kiṣḇî kitzVi liṣ·ḇî liṣḇî litzVi ṣə·ḇî ṣə·ḇî- ṣəḇî ṣəḇî- tzeVi ū·ṣə·ḇî ūṣəḇî utzeVi vechitzvaYim wə·ḵiṣ·ḇā·yim wəḵiṣḇāyimInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts