← H6086 H6088 →

עָצַב

𐤏𐤑𐤁

ʻâtsab

H6087 verb

SILEX Entry

Definition

To hurt, wound, cause pain (physical or emotional); to be troubled or distressed (emotionally); to fashion or shape (especially with the hands, as a craftsman). In physical contexts, used for causing injury or discomfort; in emotional contexts, denotes grief, anxiety, vexation, or sorrow. Less commonly, refers to the process of creating or shaping objects, particularly in the making of idols.

Semantic Range

to hurt, to wound, to cause pain, to distress, to vex, to grieve, to be troubled, to fashion, to shape, to create (especially idols), to be sorry

Root / Etymology

Root עצב (ע-צ-ב), which fundamentally means 'to hurt, to grieve, to shape.' The root conveys both physical and emotional forms of pain or distress, as well as the act of forming or fashioning, especially by hand. The semantic development appears to move from physical shaping (carving, forming) to abstract meanings of mental or emotional distress, possibly due to the sense of being affected or 'impressed upon.'

Historical & Contextual Notes

The root ע-צ-ב is attested in both verbal and nominal forms across the Hebrew Bible. As a verb, it is frequently used to describe being grieved or distressed, as in Genesis 6:6 ('it grieved him at his heart'), and it can also denote causing pain or offense. In some contexts (notably Isaiah 54:6), it appears with the meaning of experiencing neglect or abandonment. The sense of 'to fashion' is especially seen in contexts of idol-making (e.g., Isaiah 44:12), where it refers to the craftsman's work in shaping wood or metal. The emotional sense is more prominent in later biblical writings. Modern translations often render the word with 'hurt,' 'grieve,' 'vex,' or 'distress,' but the underlying Hebrew expresses a broader range of both emotional and physical pain. The nominal derivative עֶצֶב (ʿéṣev) likewise refers to pain or laborious toil. The idol-fabrication sense is less common but deeply rooted in contexts relating to artisan work. There is sometimes confusion in earlier English translations, which narrow the emotional range or over-associate the word with moral guilt or contrition, whereas the primary focus in Hebrew is distress or injury, not exclusively remorse. The root is distinct from other Hebrew terms for sorrow (e.g., יָגוֹן yāgôn 'sorrow, deep grief') or idol-making (e.g., פָּסַל pāsal 'to hew, carve').

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a primitive root; properly, to carve, i.e. fabricate or fashion; hence (in a bad sense) to worry, pain or anger; displease, grieve, hurt, make, be sorry, vex, worship, wrest.

Bantu Hebrew

No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been recorded for this word yet.

Root Family

עצב (Otsem) — to shape, to form, to grieve, to cause pain

Root עצב to hurt, to cause pain, to grieve, to fashion
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H4620 מַעֲצֵבָה to a carved idol
H6088 עֲצַב pain-stricken
H6089 עֶצֶב in pain
H6090 עֹצֶב my formed-idol
H6091 עָצָב carved idols of

Word Forms

13 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H6087-06 תֵּעָ֣צְב֗וּ teatsevu HVNj2mp be grieved may you be distressed be grieved 3
H6087-05 נֶעְצַב֙ neetsav HVNp3ms he was grieved he was distressed he was distressed 2
H6087-12 יֵֽעָצֵ֑ב yeatsev HVNi3ms he be grieved he will be distressed he will be distressed 2
H6087-01 עֲצָב֨/וֹ atsavo HVqp3ms/Sp3ms grieved-him he pained him he pained him 1
H6087-02 עָצְבִּ֑/י atsebi HVqc/Sp1cs grieve me my pain I would be grieved 1
H6087-03 עִ֭צְּבוּ/נִי itsevuni HVpp3cp/Sp1cs fashioned me they pained me fashioned me 1
H6087-04 לְ/הַ֣עֲצִבָ֔/ה lehaatsivah HR/Vhc/Sp3fs to worship her to cause her pain to form her image 1
H6087-07 וַ/עֲצ֥וּבַת vaatsuvat HC/Vqsfsc and-grieved grieved one of and grieved 1
H6087-08 וַ/יִּתְעַצֵּ֖ב vayiteatsev HC/Vtw3ms and it grieved him and he distressed himself and he was grieved 1
H6087-09 וַ/יִּֽתְעַצְּבוּ֙ vayiteatsevu HC/Vtw3mp and they were grieved and they distressed themselves and they were grieved 1

Occurrences in Scripture

17 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H6087-08 Genesis 6:6 וַ/יִּתְעַצֵּ֖ב vayiteatsev HC/Vtw3ms and it grieved him and he distressed himself and he was grieved
H6087-09 Genesis 34:7 וַ/יִּֽתְעַצְּבוּ֙ vayiteatsevu HC/Vtw3mp and they were grieved and they distressed themselves and they were grieved
H6087-06 Genesis 45:5 תֵּעָ֣צְב֗וּ teatsevu HVNj2mp be grieved may you be distressed be distressed
H6087-12 1 Samuel 20:3 יֵֽעָצֵ֑ב yeatsev HVNi3ms he be grieved he will be distressed he will be distressed
H6087-05 1 Samuel 20:34 נֶעְצַב֙ neetsav HVNp3ms he was grieved he was distressed he was distressed
H6087-05 2 Samuel 19:3 נֶעֱצַ֥ב neetsav HVNp3ms is grieved he was distressed he was distressed
H6087-01 1 Kings 1:6 עֲצָב֨/וֹ atsavo HVqp3ms/Sp3ms grieved-him he pained him he pained him
H6087-07 Isaiah 54:6 וַ/עֲצ֥וּבַת vaatsuvat HC/Vqsfsc and-grieved grieved one of and grieved
H6087-10 Isaiah 63:10 וְ/עִצְּב֖וּ veitsevu HC/Vpq3cp and grieved and they caused pain and they grieved
H6087-04 Jeremiah 44:19 לְ/הַ֣עֲצִבָ֔/ה lehaatsivah HR/Vhc/Sp3fs to worship her to cause her pain to form her image
H6087-13 Psalms 56:6 יְעַצֵּ֑בוּ yeatsevu HVpi3mp they distort they cause pain they cause pain
H6087-11 Psalms 78:40 יַ֝עֲצִיב֗וּ/הוּ yaatsivuhu HVhi3mp/Sp3ms they grieved Him they cause him pain they grieved him
H6087-03 Job 10:8 עִ֭צְּבוּ/נִי itsevuni HVpp3cp/Sp1cs fashioned me they pained me fashioned me
H6087-12 Ecclesiastes 10:9 יֵעָצֵ֖ב yeatsev HVNi3ms is hurt he will be distressed he will be hurt
H6087-06 Nehemiah 8:10 תֵּ֣עָצֵ֔בוּ teatsevu HVNj2mp be grieved may you be distressed be grieved
H6087-06 Nehemiah 8:11 תֵּעָצֵֽבוּ teatsevu HVNj2mp be grieved may you be distressed be grieved
H6087-02 1 Chronicles 4:10 עָצְבִּ֑/י atsebi HVqc/Sp1cs grieve me my pain I would be grieved
← H6086 Hebrew Lexicon H6088 →