מוּצַק
𐤌𐤅𐤑𐤒
mûwtsaq
H4164 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Abstract noun denoting a state or condition of being pressed, confined, or constricted, both physically (narrowness, restricted space) and, by extension, metaphorically (distress, hardship, adversity). The term describes situations where individuals experience constraint or limitation, either geographically or emotionally.
Semantic Range
narrowness, constriction, straitness, hardship, distress, adversity, a state of being pressed or constrained
Root / Etymology
From the root יָצַק (יצק), primarily meaning 'to pour, cast, flow.' The noun form מוּצַק is a passive participial formation—'that which is poured/formed/cast'—and by semantic development, it comes to depict something that is 'compressed' or made solid by pouring into a mold, hence 'constrained, pressed,' and abstractly, 'distress.'
Historical & Contextual Notes
מוּצַק appears rarely in the Hebrew Bible and is usually employed in poetic or figurative language to denote hardship or adversity, using the imagery of physical constriction to symbolize emotional or situational distress. This type of abstraction based on physical experience (being confined or pressed) is common in biblical Hebrew. The word derives nuance from its context: it can refer to literal spatial narrowness (such as a tight place) but more often to figurative distress or trouble. Related terms such as צָרָה (distress, trouble) or מְצוּקָה (dire straits, anguish) are sometimes used interchangeably but may carry slightly different connotations—צוּק emphasizing pressing in, מְצוּקָה more intense dire distress, and מוּצַק being more focused on the state of constraint. Later translations sometimes used 'straitness' or 'anguish,' but these can obscure the nuanced, process-oriented nature reflected in the root. The meaning did not significantly shift across historical periods, but the abstract, metaphorical usage is most at home in wisdom and poetic literature, less so in the narrative texts where conveyance of concrete events predominates.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
or מוּצָק; from יָצַק; narrowness; figuratively, distress; anguish, is straitened, straitness.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
יצק (y-ṣ-q) — to pour, to cast, to flow
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H3332 | יָצַק | in pouring |
| H3333 | יְצֻקָה | in his cast-metal mass |
| H4165 | מוּצָק | to the cast mass |
| H4166 | מוּצָקָה | in his cast-metal object |
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H4164-02 |
מוּצָ֣ק | mutsaq | HNcmsa |
distressed | one caused to be cast | 2 |
H4164-01 |
בְּ/מוּצָֽק | bemutsaq | HR/Ncmsa |
is frozen | in constriction | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
3 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H4164-02 |
Isaiah 8:23 | מוּצָ֣ק | mutsaq | HNcmsa |
distressed | one caused to be cast |
H4164-02 |
Job 36:16 | מוּצָ֣ק | mutsaq | HNcmsa |
straitness | one caused to be cast |
H4164-01 |
Job 37:10 | בְּ/מוּצָֽק | bemutsaq | HR/Ncmsa |
is frozen | in constriction |