The Hebrew noun tsurah means form, shape, or appearance — the visible contours of a person or object. Related to tsur (rock/form), it describes the outward configuration of something. The word appears in Ezekiel's vision of the Temple (chapters 40–43), where it is used repeatedly to describe the forms and measurements of the sanctuary.
In Ezekiel 43:11, God tells the prophet to describe the tsurot (forms/designs) of the Temple to the house of Israel so they may be ashamed of their iniquities and follow the pattern precisely. The theology of tsurah is that God's design matters — worship must conform to His revealed pattern, not human invention. This principle runs from the Tabernacle ('make it according to the pattern shown you,' Exodus 25:40) through Ezekiel's temple vision to Hebrews 8:5. The form of true worship is not arbitrary; it reflects heavenly reality.