Original Word: צָנַח
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: tsanach
Pronunciation: tsaw-nakh'
Phonetic Spelling: (tsaw-nakh')
KJV: fasten, light (from off)
NASB: alighted, went through
Word Origin: [a primitive root]

1. to alight
2. (transitive) to cause to descend, i.e. drive down

fasten, light from off

A primitive root; to alight; (transitive) to cause to descend, i.e. Drive down -- fasten, light (from off).

Word Origin
a prim. root
Definition
to descend
NASB Translation
alighted (2), went through (1).

[צָנַח] verb descend (meaning inferred from context); —

Qal Imperfect3feminine singular וַתִּצְנַח מֵעַל הַחֲמוֺר Judges 1:14 = Joshua 15:18 and she descended (alighted) from the ass; בָּאָרֶץ ׳וַתּ Judges 4:21and it (the tent-peg) went down into the ground.

Overview of Usage

צָנַח appears only three times in Scripture, yet its impact is felt in two distinct narrative settings. In Joshua 15:18 and Judges 1:14 the verb describes Achsah’s decisive “dismounting” from her donkey as she prepares to request springs of water from her father, Caleb. In Judges 4:21 it depicts the tent-peg driven by Jael that “went down into the ground” as Sisera dies. The same root thus frames acts that, though outwardly different, each pivot a account toward covenant victory.

Historical and Literary Context

1. Joshua 15:18 and Judges 1:14—parallel accounts in conquest narratives—portray Achsah’s bold initiative immediately after her marriage to Othniel. Her abrupt descent from the animal signals urgent intent and confident expectation of paternal favor. The scene stands amid the allotment of land, reminding Israel that divine inheritance includes both territory and the life-sustaining waters she requests.
2. Judges 4:21 records the climax of Deborah and Barak’s campaign against Jabin. Jael, a Kenite woman living on Israel’s frontier, seizes the moment to eliminate Sisera. The verb captures the unrelenting force with which the peg sinks, anchoring the victory God promised in Judges 4:9: “The LORD will deliver Sisera into the hand of a woman”.

Symbolism and Theological Implications

Descent and penetration—two shades of the same verb—symbolize humility and decisive judgment.
• Humility: Achsah’s physical lowering mirrors the posture of a petitioner. Her action precedes a gracious gift, illustrating that blessings flow to those who ask in faith (compare Matthew 7:7).
• Judgment: Jael’s tent-peg descends in lethal precision, portraying divine retribution on the oppressor. The verb’s motion from hand to earth underscores the completeness of God’s victory; Sisera is literally fastened to the ground he sought to dominate.

Connections within the Canon

Achsah’s request and Jael’s strike find echoes in later Scripture:
• Ruth likewise acts boldly to secure covenant provision (Ruth 3).
• David’s stone “sank into [Goliath’s] forehead” (1 Samuel 17:49), employing a different verb yet sharing the imagery of a penetrative blow that fells an enemy.
• The ultimate descent that secures victory is Christ’s own: “He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to death” (Philippians 2:8). The narrative arc that begins with a daughter humbling herself and a tent-peg sinking into tyrannical flesh finds consummation in the cross, where judgment and deliverance converge.

Practical Ministry Insights

1. Courageous Initiative: Both women act within their God-given spheres—Achsah in domestic negotiation, Jael in frontier warfare—encouraging believers to seize Spirit-led opportunities regardless of setting or gender.
2. Prayer and Petition: Achsah’s dismount precedes her plea; physical readiness mirrors spiritual preparedness. The scene models earnest, specific intercession.
3. Spiritual Warfare: Jael’s act, while graphic, typifies the believer’s call to drive sin “to the ground” (Romans 8:13). The church is exhorted to relentless, decisive action against spiritual strongholds.

Christological and Eschatological Resonance

The downward motion of צָנַח both in humble approach and fatal blow anticipates the paradox of the Gospel: descent leads to exaltation, death to life. As Achsah rises from her petition with the upper and lower springs, and Israel sings Deborah’s song after Sisera’s demise, so the church emerges from the humiliation of the cross into resurrection triumph. The verb’s sparse yet vivid appearances invite reflection on the God who answers humble requests and executes perfect justice, assuring that every enemy of His people will likewise be driven down in the final day.

וַתִּצְנַ֖ח ותצנח vattitzNach wat·tiṣ·naḥ wattiṣnaḥInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts