Tsa’ir: YOUNG/Little/Least

YOUNGEST/LITTLE/LESSER/LEAST:  Tsa’ir, adjective, (Strong’s 6810).

Root: צָעִיר

Sounds like: tsa-ee

I am an only child but I have two children of my own. My oldest child gets accused, by the youngest, of being bossy. And my youngest child gets accused, by the oldest, of being lazy and getting away with everything.  It’s interesting that the Bible seems to have a vested interest in sibling pairs, but it doesn’t rely solely on stereotypes.

The first time we come across the Hebrew word tsa’ir, meaning younger/lesser/little, is in a disturbing story. Lot and his two daughters had escaped the destruction of Sodom and found refuge in a cave. The older daughter suggested to the younger that they have sex with their father in order to keep the family line going. Keep in mind, these are likely the same daughters Lot offered up to the rapists of Sodom in order to save his guests. Was this an act of family solidarity or an act of revenge? It’s worth noting that only the eldest child spoke in the narrative, even though  both daughters took part in the crime. They intoxicate Lot, sleep with him, and give birth to sons. This was the beginning of two family lines which would go on to become enemies of Israel… the Moabites and the Ammonites:

Genesis 19:30-38

Now Lot went up from Zoar with his two daughters and stayed in the mountains, because he was afraid to stay in Zoar; and he stayed in a cave, he and his two daughters. Then the firstborn said to the younger [ha-ts’irah], “Our father is old, and there is not a man on earth to have relations with us according to the custom of all the earth. Come, let’s make our father drink wine, and let’s sleep with him so that we may keep our family alive through our father.” So they made their father drink wine that night, and the firstborn went in and slept with her father; and he did not know when she lay down or got up. On the following day, the firstborn said to the younger [ha-ts’irah], “Look, I slept last night with my father; let’s make him drink wine tonight too, then you go in and sleep with him, so that we may keep our family alive through our father.” So they had their father drink wine that night too, and the younger [ha-ts’irah] got up and slept with him; and he did not know when she lay down or got up. And so both of the daughters of Lot conceived by their father. The firstborn gave birth to a son, and named him Moab; he is the father of the Moabites to this day. As for the younger [w-ha-ts’irah], she also gave birth to a son, and named him Ben-ammi; he is the father of the sons of Ammon to this day.

Regardless of your feelings about this unsettling story, it does seem to set up a precedent about typical sibling behaviour. The oldest came up with the plan, encouraged the younger to follow along, and implemented the plan. The youngest passively went along with everything the older sibling suggested… no questions asked. The results were, quite frankly, disastrous for YHWH’s followers. The Moabites and the Ammonites would cause a lot of destruction. However, it’s also worth noting that Yeshua (Jesus) had a genealogical connection to the Moabites (through His great+ grandmother, Ruth). Although this story seems to hold on to the oldest child/youngest child stereotypes, the pattern we find in the Bible was about to change course.

Youngest Child Syndrome

It’s true that there seems to be a deeply seeded stereotype that younger sons/tribes were less significant sons/tribes. When the prophet Samuel announced to Saul that every desirable thing in Israel would be for him, Saul responded, saying:

1 Samuel 9:21

“Am I not a Benjaminite, of the smallest of the tribes of Israel, and my family the least [ha-tsa’irah] of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? Why then have you spoken to me in this way?”

Similarly, when YHWH called on Gideon to lead the soldiers in their fight against the Midianites, he responded with these words:

Judges 6:15-16

“O Lord, how am I to save Israel? Behold, my family is the least in Manasseh, and I am the youngest [ha-tsa’ir] in my father’s house.” Yet YHWH said to him, “I will certainly be with you, and you will defeat Midian as one man.” 

Job, an older man with adult children, suffered great tragedy in his life. He was a good and decent man, but his life had crumbled around him. The respect his age should have garnered him was dismissed and he lamented that he was mocked by those younger [ts’irim] than he (Job 30:1a). Job’s three friends did not comfort him, but turned on him and blamed him for his misfortunes. But there was one man who had a different take on Job’s suffering:

Job 32:6-9

So Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite spoke out and said,

“I am young [tsa’ir] in years and you are old; therefore I was shy and afraid to tell you what I think. I thought age should speak, and increased years should teach wisdom. But it is a spirit that is in mankind, and the breath of the Almighty gives them understanding. The abundant in years may not be wise, nor may elders understand justice.”

Elihu (whose name means He is my God) was a younger man than Job and Job’s three friends. He had restrained himself from speaking his mind until he realised that it was the Almighty who gave wisdom and understanding to those who followed Him, regardless of age. When it comes to wisdom, there was no age barrier to climb. Wisdom belonged equally to the oldest and  youngest!

The writer of Psalm 119, an alphabetic acrostic poem, saw themselves as small and insignificant on their own, but with God’s word they had the ability to be mighty:

Psalm 119:137-144

You are righteous, YHWH, and Your judgments are right. You have commanded Your testimonies in righteousness and great faithfulness. My zeal has consumed me, because my enemies have forgotten Your words. Your word is very pure, therefore Your servant loves it.

I am small [tsa’ir] and despised, yet I do not forget Your precepts. Your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and Your Law is truth. Trouble and anguish have come upon me, yet Your commandments are my delight. Your testimonies are righteous forever; give me understanding that I may live.

Younger Sons: Isaac, Jacob and the Twelve Tribes

In the early stories of the patriarchs and matriarchs, tsa’ir was part of a surprising announcement. Isaac, the second son of Abraham (first for Sarah) was married to Rebekah. They really wanted children but they seemed to be barren. It wasn’t until they turned to God in prayer that they conceived twins. But Rebekah felt that the babies were struggling within her, so she went back to YHWH in prayer, and here was YHWH’s response to her: 

Genesis 25:23-26a

And YHWH said to her,

“Two nations are in your womb; and two peoples will be separated from your body; and one people will be stronger than the other; and the older will serve the younger [tsa’ir].” 

When her days leading to the delivery were at an end, behold, there were twins in her womb. Now the first came out red, all over like a hairy garment; and they named him Esau. Afterward his brother came out with his hand holding on to Esau’s heel, so he was named Jacob [heel grabber].

And there you have it… God announced that the older would serve the younger. This went against every social norm in the Ancient Near East. The firstborn was everything. They had the right to the choicest inheritance. How could Jacob claim the inheritance of the firstborn when he was not the first to be born?!

Jacob, with the help of his mother, found a way. He bought his inheritance from his brother in exchange for a bowl of stew (Genesis 25:27-34). If that sounds ridiculous, it kind of was. But people do stupid things when they’re tired and hungry, and Esau was no different. This little exchange really didn’t hold up too much weight. As far aw we know, their father, Isaac, was not aware of this transaction. 

When Isaac was blind, and near to death, he called on Esau, his eldest son, the son normally destined to receive the family inheritance, and asked for him to prepare a meal in exchange for the blessing of inheritance. Esau had sold his inheritance for a quick bite years earlier and now he was called on, by his father, to work at a hunt and then work at making a delicious meal in order to claim his inheritance:

Genesis 27:2-4

Then Isaac said [to Esau], “Behold now, I am old and I do not know the day of my death. Now then, please take your gear, your quiver and your bow, and go out to the field and hunt game for me; and prepare a delicious meal for me such as I love, and bring it to me that I may eat, so that my soul may bless you before I die.”

By a bowl of food Esau was planning to claim his inheritance, but by a bowl of food Esau had lost his inheritance years earlier. However, Jacob and Rebekah never forgot Esau’s early weakness and his promise to give his inheritance to Jacob. In order to get Isaac on board, they tricked him. Jacob dressed up like his brother and presented a meal to his blind father. Isaac gave him the inheritance blessing and Esau was denied his birthright. YHWH’s prophetic words came true: The older will serve the younger.

Jacob, the trickster, didn’t always get his way, though. When he wanted to marry Rachel (the younger daughter of Laban) he was tricked into marrying Leah, the older daughter (Genesis 29:21-25). When Jacob confronted Laban about the trickery, here was Laban’s response:

Genesis 29:21-26

“It is not the practice in our place to marry off the younger [ha-ts’irah] before the firstborn.”

After fulfilling a work vow to Laban, Jacob was given the blessing to marry both daughters and Jacob ended up having twelve sons and a daughter. His two youngest sons were Rachel’s boys and Jacob had a great love for these two boys: Joseph and Benjamin. The older sons, of course, saw the favouritism and became jealous of these two youngest sons. Joseph, the oldest of Rachel’s boys, was bold in his faith and had the gift of dream interpretation. Jacob clearly favoured Joseph and made it visible by giving him a splendid coat. This certainly didn’t help his case when it came to the jealousy of his older brothers. They stripped him from his coat, threw him in a pit and then sold him to merchants on their way to Egypt. 

Many of us are familiar with this story. Joseph went to Egypt and managed to work his way up from slave, to employee as a dream interpreter for the Pharaoh of Egypt, to second in command of Egypt, after Pharaoh. He was in charge of the grain storage during a disastrous famine in Egypt. Joseph’s brothers came to him (without knowing he was their brother) in order to receive food (again with the food!). Joseph recognized his brothers (although they did not recognize him) and he invited them to a feast:

Genesis 43:33-34

Now they were seated before him, from the firstborn according to his birthright to the youngest [w-ha-tsa’ir] according to his youth, and the men looked at one another in astonishment. Then he took portions to them from his own table, but Benjamin’s portion was five times as much as any of theirs. So they drank freely with him.

Joseph served the largest portion to the youngest (Benjamin). The older will serve the younger.

The family finally reunited and Jacob was reconnected with his son Jospeh. Joseph, himself, had two sons, Manasseh (the older) and Ephraim (the younger). When Jacob went to bless his two grandchildren, he reversed their birth-order blessing:

Genesis 48:8-20

When Israel saw Joseph’s sons, he said, “Who are these?” And Joseph said to his father, “They are my sons, whom God has given me here.” So he said, “Bring them to me, please, so that I may bless them.” Now the eyes of Israel were so dim from age that he could not see. And Joseph brought them close to him, and he kissed them and embraced them. And Israel said to Joseph, “I never expected to see your face, and behold, God has let me see your children as well!” Then Joseph took them from his knees, and bowed with his face to the ground. And Joseph took them both, Ephraim with his right hand toward Israel’s left, and Manasseh with his left hand toward Israel’s right, and brought them close to him. But Israel reached out his right hand and placed it on the head of Ephraim, who was the younger [ha-tsa’ir], and his left hand on Manasseh’s head, crossing his hands, although Manasseh was the firstborn. And he blessed Joseph, and said,

“The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who has been my shepherd all my life to this day, the angel who has redeemed me from all evil, bless the boys; and may my name live on in them, and the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and may they grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.”

When Joseph saw that his father placed his right hand on Ephraim’s head, it displeased him; and he grasped his father’s hand to move it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s head. And Joseph said to his father, “Not so, my father, for this one is the firstborn. Place your right hand on his head.” But his father refused and said, “I know, my son, I know; he also will become a people and he also will be great. However, his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his descendants shall become a multitude of nations.” So he blessed them that day, saying,

“By you Israel will pronounce blessing, saying, ‘May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh!’”

And so he put Ephraim before Manasseh.

Once again the youngest was placed above the eldest. Ephraim went on to be the name associated with Northern Israel. Later in history Ephraim was placed in opposition to the tribe of Judah. Judah was Leah’s youngest son with Jacob. The ten tribes of the North, identified under the blanket name of Ephraim, faced off against the Southern tribes of Judah and Benjamin (usually identified under the blanket name of Judah). Ezekiel envisioned a day when the split would be reunited:

Ezekiel 37:15-17

The word of YHWH came again to me [Ezekiel], saying, “Now you, son of man, take for yourself one stick and write on it, ‘For Judah and for the sons of Israel, his companions’; then take another stick and write on it, ‘For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim and all the house of Israel, his companions.’ Then put them together for yourself one to another into one stick, so that they may become one in your hand.”

When Ezekiel asked YHWH what He meant by this gesture, YHWH replied:

Ezekiel 37:21-27

‘This is what the Lord YHWH says: “Behold, I am going to take the sons of Israel from among the nations where they have gone, and I will gather them from every side and bring them into their own land; and I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel; and one king will be king for all of them; and they will no longer be two nations, and no longer be divided into two kingdoms. They will no longer defile themselves with their idols, or with their detestable things, or with any of their offenses; but I will rescue them from all their dwelling places in which they have sinned, and will cleanse them. And they will be My people, and I will be their God.

“And My servant David will be king over them, and they will all have one shepherd; and they will walk in My ordinances, and keep My statutes and follow them. And they will live on the land that I gave to My servant Jacob, in which your fathers lived; and they will live on it, they, and their sons and their sons’ sons, forever; and My servant David will be their leader forever. And I will make a covenant of peace with them; it will be an everlasting covenant with them. And I will place them and multiply them, and set My sanctuary in their midst forever. My dwelling place also will be among them; and I will be their God, and they will be My people.”

So Ephraim (a youngest son) and Judah (a younger son) would reunite under the leadership of one king, David, himself the youngest son of Jesse (see 1 Samuel 16:10-12). But there would be a forever “David”… a forever king and a forever sanctuary for them. This forever-David would be God’s Anointed One (Messiah), a true first born son.

Yeshua, Raising up the Little Ones

Micah prophesied that YHWH’s Anointed One would come from the humble little town of Bethlehem:

Micah 5:2-5a

“But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, too little [tsa’ir] to be among the clans of Judah, from you One will come forth for Me to be ruler in Israel. His times of coming forth are from long ago, from the days of eternity.” Therefore He will give them up until the time when she who is in labour has given birth. Then the remainder of His kinsmen will return to the sons of Israel.

And He will arise and shepherd His flock in the strength of YHWH, in the majesty of the name of YHWH His God. And they will remain, because at that time He will be great to the ends of the earth. This One will be our peace.”

It seems that YHWH was always lifting up the youngest over and above the oldest. And it wasn’t just people. Even little, seemingly insignificant, towns would be raised up in importance in order to fulfill God’s plan for human redemption. (For a really deep dive on the topic, I recommend the Bible Project Podcast series “Firstborn: The Last will be First”).

God had clearly identified that a family’s youngest child had an important role to play, and they had no reason to feel inferior. But when Yeshua arrived on the scene, he took this family image of older vs younger sibling and applied it to the social status of the rich vs the poor (or those considered to be “lesser people”):

Luke 6:20-24

And He raised His eyes toward His disciples and began saying, “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh. Blessed are you when the people hate you, and when they exclude you, and insult you, and scorn your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man. Rejoice on that day and jump for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven. For their fathers used to treat the prophets the same way. But woe to you who are rich, for you are receiving your comfort in full.”

Just as Yeshua flipped the tables in the Temple marketplace, Yeshua was flipping the social status tables. The poor would be blessed and the rich would suffer the consequences of their greed. The meek and the mild who followed Yeshua would find themselves elevated to royal status as the children of YHWH:

Matthew 19:29-30

“And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or farms on account of My name, will receive many times as much, and will inherit eternal life. But many who are first will be last; and the last, first.”

Yeshua highlighted this concept of turning the least into the greatest by elevating children: 

Mark 10:13-16

And they were bringing children to Him so that He would touch them; but the disciples rebuked them. But when Jesus saw this, He was indignant and said to them, “Allow the children to come to Me; do not forbid them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it at all.” And He took them in His arms and began blessing them, laying His hands on them.

We ought to receive the gift of God’s Kingdom like a young child… joyous, meek, innocent, open-eyed and in awe. Yeshua was YHWH’s firstborn and we are YHWH’s Lttle Ones, but we are not insignificant in His eyes. He has raised us up in order to bring us home… His beloved children. 

Isaiah announced what YHWH’s plan for salvation looked like:

Isaiah 60:18-22

“Violence will not be heard again in your land, nor devastation or destruction within your borders; but you will call your walls salvation, and your gates praise.

No longer will you have the sun for light by day, nor will the moon give you light for brightness; but you will have YHWH as an everlasting light, and your God as your glory. Your sun will no longer set, nor will your moon wane; for you will have YHWH as an everlasting light, and the days of your mourning will be over.

Then all your people will be righteous; they will possess the land forever, the branch of My planting, the work of My hands, that I may be glorified. The smallest one will become a thousand, and the least one [w-ha-tsa’ir] a mighty nation. I, YHWH will bring it about quickly in its time.”

We are living a waiting game… waiting for YHWH’s great Salvation plan to come to fruition and waiting to return to YHWH in His heavenly Kingdom. But we have a job to do while we wait. As God’s Image bearers, we are to be the face of YHWH for this aching planet. That is not a job for the weak in Spirit. It is a job for the humble and pious, image bearing, Children of God. Celebrate your status as God’s beloved young children, for God has raised you up for a purpose. You matter, little one! Don’t let you, or anyone else tell you differently!

Next week: the elders