Original Word: צְרוֹר
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: tsrowr
Pronunciation: tser-ore'
Phonetic Spelling: (tser-ore')
KJV: bag, X bendeth, bundle, least grain, small stone
Word Origin: [from H6887 (צָּרַר - To bind)]

1. a parcel (as packed up)
2. also a kernel or particle (as if a package)

bag, bendeth, bundle, least grain, small stone

Or (shorter) tsror {tser-ore'}; from tsarar; a parcel (as packed up); also a kernel or particle (as if a package) -- bag, X bendeth, bundle, least grain, small stone.

see HEBREW tsarar

I. צְרוֺר noun masculine^{Haggai 1:6} bundle, parcel, pouch, bag (properly a binding, i.e. something bound up); — ׳צ absolute Amos 9:9 +, construct Genesis 42:35 +; plural construct צְרֹרוֺת Genesis 42:35; — bundle or pouch (purse) of money Genesis 42:35 (twice in verse) (E), Proverbs 7:20; הַמֹּר ׳צ Songs 1:13 (figurative of lover); ׳צְרוּרָה בִּצ הַחַיִּים 1 Samuel 25:29 (figurative; see I. צרר); מִּשְׁעִי ׳חָתֻם בִּצ Job 14:17 (i.e. hidden, forgotten Hi Bu and others; > al. treasured up), נָקוּב ׳צ Haggai 1:6 (see I. נקב).

II. צְרוֺר noun masculine pebble; — ׳צ 2 Samuel 17:13; also Amos 9:9 (where perhaps figurative for grain of wheat, in metaphor of winnowed Israel, compare Dr Now and others; > pebble retained in sieve Preuschem^{ZAW xv (1895), 24,} compare on custom Wetzst^{ZPV xiv (1891), f.}).

III. צְרוֺר proper name, masculine grandfather of Kish 1 Samuel 9:1, Αρεδ, ᵐ5 of L Σαρα.

Everyday Containers and Commerce

צְרוֹר often describes the small pouch or bundle in which valuables were carried. Joseph’s brothers were startled when “each man’s bundle of silver was in his sack” (Genesis 42:35), proof that a צְרוֹר could hold a significant sum. Likewise, the adulteress in Proverbs warns that her husband “took his purse of money with him” (Proverbs 7:20), showing its place in normal economic activity. In Haggai the impoverished exiles pour wages “into a bag with holes” (Haggai 1:6), a vivid picture of frustrated toil. The word paints the humble leather purse or knotted cloth that kept coins, wages, or other treasures secure—until God uses it for object lessons about honesty, stewardship, or futility.

Personal Adornment and Affection

Solomon’s bride sighs, “My beloved is to me a sachet of myrrh resting between my breasts” (Song of Songs 1:13). Here צְרוֹר is a fragrant sachet worn close to the heart, symbolizing intimacy and continual delight. The image reminds believers that Christ, our Beloved, is meant to dwell constantly at the center of affections, diffusing the aroma of His presence.

Security of Life with the LORD

Abigail comforts David: “the life of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of the living with the LORD your God” (1 Samuel 25:29). The “bundle” becomes an emblem of covenant safety. Lives entrusted to God are gathered, tied, and protected in His personal pouch. The verse anticipates New Testament assurances that believers are kept by divine power and have their life “hidden with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:3).

Concealment of Sin

Job laments, “My transgression is sealed up in a bag” (Job 14:17). The same container that safeguards treasure can store guilt. Sealed tight, it awaits divine reckoning. The Gospel answers Job’s dread: in Christ, the record is not merely stored—it is cancelled (Colossians 2:14).

Pebbles and Divine Sorting

In two prophetic settings צְרוֹר is a small stone. Hushai predicts that David’s enemies will be hunted “until not even a pebble can be found” (2 Samuel 17:13). Amos foresees Israel sifted “as grain is shaken in a sieve, yet not one pebble will fall to the ground” (Amos 9:9). Stones are the seemingly insignificant lives God still notices. Judgment may shake the nations, but none of His chosen “pebbles” will be lost.

Lessons from a Leaky Bag

Haggai’s “bag with holes” rebukes misplaced priorities. Labor without seeking God first is like storing wages in a ripped pouch—gain evaporates. Ministry application: programs and busyness that bypass obedience drain spiritual resources. True prosperity comes when the house of the Lord is given precedence.

A Name in Israel’s Royal Line

צְרוֹר also appears as Zeror, great-grandfather of Saul (1 Samuel 9:1). The family name “Bundle” hints at kin tied together, a subtle reminder that the monarchy—though later torn—began with a household bound in God’s purposes.

Pastoral Reflections

1. Stewardship: Like Joseph’s brothers, saints must handle money transparently; secret “bundles” will surface.
2. Assurance: Abigail’s phrase provides vocabulary for counseling anxious believers—our life is cinched tight in God’s pouch.
3. Holiness: Job’s sealed bag urges confession now rather than judgment later.
4. Missions and Discipline: Amos teaches that scattering does not equal abandonment; God tracks every pebble.
5. Worship Priority: Haggai warns congregations of spiritual leakage when God’s house is neglected.

Thus צְרוֹר moves from market stall to battlefield, from perfume sachet to prophetic stone, tying together threads of daily life and eternal destiny.

בִּצְר֣וֹר בצרור צְֽרוֹר־ צְר֖וֹר צְר֥וֹר צְר֧וֹר צְר֨וֹר צְרֹר֧וֹת צְרֽוֹר׃ צְרוֹר־ צרור צרור־ צרור׃ צררות biṣ·rō·wr biṣrōwr bitzRor ṣə·rō·rō·wṯ ṣə·rō·wr ṣə·rō·wr- ṣərōrōwṯ ṣərōwr ṣərōwr- tzeror tzeroRotInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts