Bible Lexicons

צָבָא const. צְבָא plur. צְבָאוֹ m. (but twice however, with a fem. verb, Isaiah 40:2; Daniel 8:12).

(1) army, host, στρατός (pr. going forth to war), 2 Samuel 8:16, 10:7, and frequently. שַׂר הַצָּבָא leader of an army, Genesis 21:22. אַנְשֵׁי הַצָּבָא soldiers, Num. 31:53. יָצָא בַצָּבָה Deuteronomy 24:5. יָצָא לַצָּבָא Numbers 31:27, 28 Numbers 31:28 and what is of far more frequent occurrence יָצָא צָבָא Numbers 1:3, seqq., to go out to the host, i.e. to make war. Often also used of the (sacred) host of the Levites, Numbers 4:23, 35, 39, 43.

Specially

(a) צְבָא הַשָׁמַיִם the host of heaven is applied

(α) to the host of angels that stand round the throne of God (στρατιὰ οὐράνιος, Luke 2:13), 1 Kings 22:19; 2 Chronicles 18:18; Psalms 148:2 comp. צִבְאֵי יְיָ Psalms 103:21 and שַׂר צְבָא יְיָ Joshua 5:14, 15 Joshua 5:15 used of Jehovah himself [manifested in the person of the Son].

(β) used of the sun, moon, and stars (δυνάμεις τῶν οὐρανῶν, Matth. 24:29 ), Isaiah 34:4, 40:26 45:12 Jerem. 33:22 Daniel 8:10 often used when the worship of the stars is mentioned, Deuteronomy 4:19, 17:3 2 Kings 17:16, 21:3, 2 Kings 21:5; Zephaniah 1:5 it is sometimes so used that a special mention precedes of the sun and moon (Deuteronomy 17:3; Jeremiah 8:2), and even of the stars (Deuteronomy 4:19; Daniel 8:10); and this word is added as being more general, and comprehending all the heavenly bodies, as it were all the deities [?] of heaven (Daniel 4:32); compare Job 38:7 (where angels and stars are mentioned together); and Isaiah 24:21 (where the host of heaven, צְבָא הַמָּרוֹם, is in opposition to the kings of the earth). Once rather more boldly צָבָא (by zeugma) is applied also to the inhabitants of the earth, or rather to whatever fills the earth (elsewhere מְלֹא הָאָרֶץ), the plants even being included. Genesis 2:1, וַיְכֻלּוּ הַשָׁמַיִם וְהָאָרֶץ וְכָל־צְבָאָם, which, with the zeugma resolved, is thus explained in Nehemiah 9:6, הַשָׁמַיִם וְכָל צְבָאָם הָאָרֶץ וְכָל־אֲשֶׁר עָלֶיהָ; compare Exodus 20:11, הַשָׁמַיִם וְהָאָלֶץ … וְכָל אֲשֶׁר בָּם. Hence Jehovah is very often called

(b) אֱלֹהִים צְבָאוֹ Psalms 80:15 יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵי צְבָאוֹ Jeremiah 5:14, 15:16 38:17 44:7 יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהִים צְבָאוֹ Psalms 59:6, 80:5 and יְהֹוָה צְבָאוֹ “Jehovah (God) of the heavenly hosts” (a construction which I have noticed on Isaiah 1:9); this appellation of the most high God, is very frequent in the prophetical books, especially in Isaiah, Jeremiah, Zechariah, Malachi; never found in the Pentateuch [nor in Joshua] nor Judges [nor in Ezekiel, Job, or Solomon]. As to the meaning of the phrase, compare Joshua 5:14, 15 Joshua 5:15 although the Hebrew writers seem sometimes to have regarded God as the leader and patron of the host of Israel [as of course he was], see 1 Samuel 17:45 compare 2 Samuel 5:24. In the later books of the Old Test. God is called, in the same sense אֱלֹהֵי 0ָ91השָׁמַיִם, אֱלָהּ שְׁמַיָּא; see שָׁמַיִם. LXX. commonly παντοκράτωρ.

(2) warfare, almost always figuratively used of a wretched and miserable condition, Job 7:1, 10:17 14:14 Isaiah 40:2; Daniel 10:1, “and the edict is true וְצָבָא גָרוֹל and (belongs to) a long warfare,” to many calamities to be endured.

הַמַּצְבִּ֖א הַצֹּ֣בְא֔וֹת הַצֹּ֣בְאֹ֔ת הַצֹּבְאִ֖ים הַצֹּבְאִֽים׃ המצבא הצבאות הצבאים הצבאים׃ הצבאת וַֽיִּצְבְּאוּ֙ ויצבאו לִצְבֹ֣א לִצְבֹּ֥א לצבא צָֽבְא֔וּ צָבְא֖וּ צֹבֶ֙יהָ֙ צבאו צביה ham·maṣ·bi hammaṣbi hammatzBi haṣ·ṣō·ḇə·’îm haṣ·ṣō·ḇə·’ō·wṯ haṣ·ṣō·ḇə·’ōṯ haṣṣōḇə’îm haṣṣōḇə’ōṯ haṣṣōḇə’ōwṯ hatztzoeIm hatzTzoeOt liṣ·bō liṣ·ḇō liṣbō liṣḇō litzBo litzVo ṣā·ḇə·’ū ṣāḇə’ū ṣō·ḇe·hā ṣōḇehā tzaveU tzoVeiha vaiyitzbeU way·yiṣ·bə·’ū wayyiṣbə’ū