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Abarim Publications' Biblical Dictionary: The Old Testament Hebrew word: עצב

Source: https://www.abarim-publications.com/Dictionary/ay/ay-ts-b.html

עצב

Abarim Publications' online Biblical Hebrew Dictionary

עצב

There are two verbs עצב ('asab), which mean different things. However, their meanings are clearly attuned to each other, and either explains a lot about the other:


עצב I

The verb עצב ('asab I) means to grieve or vex, both physically (Ecclesiastes 10:9) and emotionally (Genesis 45:5, 1 Kings 1:6, Isaiah 54:6). Once it's used to describe a twisting (literally: hurting) of one's words (Psalm 56:5), and in several instances this verb is employed to describe God's sentiments concerning the doings of mankind (Genesis 6:6, Isaiah 63:10).

This verb's derivatives are:

  • The masculine noun עצב ('eseb), meaning sorrow, pain or great trouble or toil (Genesis 3:16, Proverbs 15:1, 14:23).
  • The masculine noun עצב ('oseb), meaning pain (1 Chronicles 4:9, Isaiah 14:3).
  • The masculine noun עצב ('aseb) or עצב ('assab), meaning toiler (Isaiah 58:3 only).
  • The feminine noun עצבת ('assebet), meaning injury, wound or pain (Proverbs 10:10, Job 9:28).
  • The masculine noun עצבון ('issabon), meaning sorrow or toil (Genesis 3:16-17, Genesis 5:29 only).
  • The feminine noun מעצבה (ma'aseba), literally meaning place of pain or terror (Isaiah 50:11 only).
עצב

The verb עצב ('asab II) means to form or fashion. It's used only twice in the Bible. Job declares YHWH formed him (Job 10:8), and Jeremiah writes about women making images of a goddess (Jeremiah 44:19). In both cases, something is fashioned in the image of something else, with the intent of forging an emotional bond with that creation.

The derivatives of this verb are:

  • The masculine noun עצב ('eseb), literally meaning something fashioned. It's used only once, in Jeremiah 22:28, where the prophet speaks of king Coniah (=Jehoiachin) as a despised vessel.
  • The masculine noun עצב ('oseb), meaning idol (Isaiah 48:5 only).
  • The masculine noun עצב ('asab), also meaning idol (Isaiah 10:11, Jeremiah 50:2, Hosea 4:17). This word occurs always in plural.

Associated Biblical names