🔼The name Ziz: Summary
- Meaning
- Blossom, Flower
- Etymology
- From the noun ציץ (ziz), blossom.
🔼The name Ziz in the Bible
The name Ziz occurs only once in the Bible. When a battle between Israel under king Jehoshaphat and the Moabites, Ammonites and some of the Meunites was about to begin, the Spirit of YHWH came upon Jahaziel, son of Zechariah, who said that the battle was the Lord's and not theirs. The day after, the enemy would come up by the ascent of Ziz, and Israel would confront them at the end of the valley in front of the wilderness of Jeruel (2 Chronicles 20:16), and just stand there.
The next day, Israel's army was spearheaded by singers and praisers, who sang and worshipped while below them the Ammonites and Moabites rose up against the men of Seir and destroyed them and each other (20:23). Word of this marvel spread about the surrounding nations, and the kingdom of Jehoshaphat remained at peace since then.
🔼Etymology of the name Ziz
The name Ziz is identical to the noun ציץ (sis) meaning blossom:
צוץ ציץ
The verb צוץ (sus) or ציץ (sys) means to bloom or blossom and the noun ציץ (sis) means flower or blossom. But instead of a "flowering" or emerging of petals, these words for flower appear to mostly commemorate the dropping of petals, which is what happens when a pretty blossom collapses and turns into a juicy, seed-bearing fruit. The noun ציצת (sisit) describes a bundle of hair or a tassel on a garment.
🔼Ziz meaning
For a meaning of the name Ziz, NOBSE Study Bible Name List reads an interpretative Brightness and Jones' Dictionary of Old Testament Proper Names has a more specific Flower. BDB Theological Dictionary gives no interpretation of our name but does confirm it is identical to the noun(s) meaning blossom and flight.