Original Word: צְפִיר
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: tsphiyr
Pronunciation: tse-feer'
Phonetic Spelling: (tsef-eer')
KJV: he (goat)
NASB: male
Word Origin: [(Aramaic) corresponding to H6842 (צָּפִיר - male)]

1. a he-goat

he-goat

(Aramaic) corresponding to tsaphiyr; a he-goat -- he (goat).

see HEBREW tsaphiyr

Word Origin
(Aramaic) corresponding to tsaphir
Definition
male goat
NASB Translation
male (1).

[צְפִיר] noun masculine he-goat (see Biblical Hebrew V. צפר); — plural construct צְפִירֵי עִזִּין Ezra 6:17.

Biblical setting

The sole occurrence of צְפִיר appears at the dedication of the rebuilt temple under Zerubbabel: “They offered… twelve male goats as a sin offering for all Israel, according to the number of the tribes of Israel” (Ezra 6:17). The exiles had returned from captivity, laid the foundation amid opposition, and finally completed the house of God in the sixth year of King Darius. The presence of the male goats signals that the restored community understood its need for covenant cleansing before resuming regular worship.

Role in temple dedication

Male goats were prescribed in the Torah for sin offerings that dealt with corporate guilt (Leviticus 9:3; Numbers 15:24). By selecting one goat for each tribe, the leaders proclaimed that the entire nation—northern and southern remnants alike—stood under the same gracious provision of divine forgiveness. The offering anchored the new temple to its Mosaic roots, demonstrating that exile had not nullified the law’s requirements or God’s promises.

Sacrificial theology

1. Substitution: A flawless male from the herd or flock symbolized sinless life laid down in place of the guilty (Leviticus 4:23–24).
2. Purification: Blood applied to the altar represented removal of defilement so God’s presence could dwell among His people (Leviticus 16:16).
3. Representation: One goat per tribe affirmed that atonement extends to every covenant member, not merely to priestly or royal elites.

Continuity with earlier dedications

• At Sinai a sin-offering goat accompanied the ratification of the covenant (Leviticus 9:3–4).
• When Solomon dedicated the first temple, he sacrificed peace offerings in overwhelming numbers (2 Chronicles 7:5); Ezra’s smaller post-exilic community echoed the pattern on a scale appropriate to its resources, yet explicitly included the sin-offering goats to highlight repentance after chastening.
• Thus the use of צְפִיר links the second temple to both tabernacle and first temple, underscoring an unbroken redemptive storyline.

Prophetic and typological resonance

The Day of Atonement involved two male goats, one slain and one released (Leviticus 16:7-10). While different vocabulary may be used in that chapter, Ezra’s goat offering invites comparison: the necessity of blood, the focus on national sin, and the anticipation of a perfect, once-for-all sacrifice. Hebrews 10:4 reminds readers, “it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins,” driving attention to Jesus Christ, whose death fulfilled what every צְפִיר prefigured.

Ministry implications

• Worship must begin with atonement. Ministry, building programs, or public celebrations gain legitimacy only when grounded in the cleansing blood God provides.
• Corporate confession unites diverse believers. Post-exilic Israel was fragmented, yet the twelve goats publicly affirmed the equal standing of every tribe before God. Churches today mirror that principle when they approach the Lord’s Table in shared humility.
• Faithfulness amid limitation. The returned exiles lacked Solomon’s wealth, yet God accepted their modest but obedient offerings. Service rendered in simplicity, so long as it accords with Scripture, honors Him.

Related passages for study

Leviticus 4:22-26; Leviticus 16:5-10; Numbers 29:11; 2 Chronicles 7:5; Hebrews 9:12-14; Hebrews 10:4-14

וּצְפִירֵ֨י וצפירי ū·ṣə·p̄î·rê ūṣəp̄îrê utzefiReiInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts