Commentary for Genesis 41:23

צנמות PARCHED — In Aramaic צונמא signifies a rock. They are like wood without moisture and as hard as a rock. But in the Targum it is translated by נצן לקין “their blossom is stricken” — there was nothing in them but the withered blossom, because they were empty of grain).

‘TZ’NUMOTH,’ THIN. Tz’numa is Aramaic for “a rock.” That is, they are like wood without sap and hard as rock. But Onkelos translated, natzan lakyan (their blossom is stricken), i.e., there is nothing in them but their withered blossom because they were empty of grain. Thus the language of Rashi.
But ears of corn when empty of grain have no blossoms! Pharaoh also did not see the ears of corn when they blossomed; he saw them full and good,⁴³Verse 22 here. and thin, and parched with the east wind.⁴⁴Verse 23 here. Likewise, Rashi’s interpretation deriving tz’numoth from tz’numa as signifying “rocky” is also not correct. Thin ears of corn are not as hard as rocks.
But the meaning of tz’numoth is “separated,” [fragmented] into many pieces. It is the Rabbinic word:⁴⁵Berachoth 39a. “Bread hatz’numa in a bowl requires the blessing of hamotzi,”⁴⁶The standard blessing for bread. the word hatz’numa meaning “cut bread,” or more exactly, pieces of bread⁴⁷Rashi, however, in his commentary to Berachoth, translates it as “hard pieces of bread.” This is consistent with his interpretation here. in a bowl upon which he pours soup, and each part is eaten without any other bread. This likewise is the meaning of the Targum, who uses the word natzan, which signifies “cut and deficient.”
The usage of the word natza is similar to that in the saying of the Rabbis:⁴⁸Baba Bathra 54a. “If one transfers dirt from a malya into malya or natza into natza, it does not constitute taking possession,⁴⁹In order to take legal possession of a field, the buyer must perform some constructive act indicating ownership, such as fixing a fence, etc. But this particular act, as explained further, contributes nothing to the field. but if he takes malya and throws it into natza, it does constitute an act of taking possession.” Now a high place in a field solidly filled with earth is called malya, and one in which there is an appreciable shortage of earth is called natza.⁵⁰Thus if the buyer took earth from one malya to another, or from one natza to another, he has not improved the land. Hence it does not constitute an act of taking possession. But if he took earth from a malya and filled in a natza, he has performed a constructive act, and it therefore constitutes an act of taking possession. Here likewise the opposite of “full ones” is tz’numoth, and (the singular) natzan is the opposite of malyan (a full one).
The situation described here in the verse is that the ears were not full of grain but that there were empty spots without grain in them, and in other places, higher up on the stalk, the ears were wind-beaten and empty. This was why Joseph used the word reikoth (empty ones),⁵¹Verse 27 here. Compare Verse 23. instead of tz’numoth as there were there places on the ears which contained no grain whatever.

וצנומות, its meaning is in accordance with the context in which the word appears. It is unique in Scriptures. One may suggest that the word means the same as in the Talmud Baba Batra 18 where it refers to something hard as stone, devoid of any moisture.