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רָצַץ

𐤓𐤑𐤑

râtsats

H7533 verb

SILEX Entry

Definition

To crush, break, or shatter something into pieces; to cause physical damage by force or pressure, or to subdue, overwhelm, or oppress persons figuratively. The verb is used for both literal crushing—of bones, objects, or bodies—and, in figurative contexts, for acts of subjugation, oppression, or severe discouragement. In reflexive or passive stems, refers to being broken, oppressed, or discouraged.

Semantic Range

to crush (physically), to break in pieces, to bruise, to shatter, to oppress, to subdue, to overwhelm, to discourage, to struggle together

Root / Etymology

Derived from the three-consonant root רצץ (resh-tsade-tsade), which conveys the core idea of forceful compression, breaking, or shattering. The root itself appears only in verb forms, and the noun forms related to this root are rare or secondary. The underlying sense is force or violence applied to shatter or fragment.

Historical & Contextual Notes

Throughout the Hebrew Bible, רָצַץ is most often used in contexts describing physical violence, such as crushing bones (e.g., Job 5:18) or oppressing peoples (e.g., Judges 10:8). In poetic passages, it may refer to discouragement or being overwhelmed (e.g., Isaiah 42:4). The word sometimes denotes oppressed individuals or groups (e.g., the 'oppressed' in Psalms). The nuances of this verb can shift depending on context: in narratives, it often describes tangible harm; in prophetic or poetic literature, it is more likely to express social or psychological oppression or the outcome of divine judgment. English translations occasionally limit the sense to 'bruised' or 'oppressed,' but the Hebrew root encompasses a broader field related to crushing force, both literally and metaphorically. Related terms include שָׁבַר (shavar, 'break, shatter'), though רָצַץ often emphasizes the destructive violence of the act.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a primitive root; to crack in pieces, literally or figuratively; break, bruise, crush, discourage, oppress, struggle together.

Bantu Hebrew

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

Root Family

רצץ (mᵉrutsâh) — to crush, to smash, to oppress, to break

Root רצץ to crush, to break, to shatter, to oppress
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H4835 מְרֻצָה the crushing oppression
H7518 רַץ in crushed fragments of

Word Forms

18 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H7533-01 הָ/רָצ֤וּץ haratsuts HTd/Vqsmsa broken the crushed one the crushed one 2
H7533-02 הָ/רֹצְצ֖וֹת harotsetsot HTd/Vqrfpa crush crushing ones the crushing ones 1
H7533-03 רַצּוֹתָ֑/נוּ ratsotanu HVqp2ms/Sp1cp oppressed us you crushed us you crushed us 1
H7533-04 רַצּ֔וֹתִי ratsoti HVqp1cs have I defrauded I crushed have I defrauded 1
H7533-05 רָצוּץ֙ ratsuts HVqsmsa bruised crushed one crushed one 1
H7533-06 רְצ֣וּץ retsuts HVqsmsc crushed crushed one crushed one 1
H7533-07 רְצוּצִים֙ retsutsim HVqsmpa the oppressed crushed ones crushed ones 1
H7533-08 רִ֭צַּץ ritsats HVpp3ms he has oppressed he has crushed he has oppressed 1
H7533-09 רִ֭צַּצְתָּ ritsatseta HVpp2ms crushed you crushed crushed 1
H7533-10 תֵּר֔וֹץ terots HVNi2ms you would tear you will be crushed you will be crushed 1

Occurrences in Scripture

19 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H7533-14 Genesis 25:22 וַ/יִּתְרֹֽצֲצ֤וּ vayiterotsatsu HC/Vrw3mp the children struggled together they crushed one another they struggled together
H7533-16 Deuteronomy 28:33 וְ/רָצ֖וּץ veratsuts HC/Vqsmsa and crushed and crushed one and crushed one
H7533-11 Judges 9:53 וַ/תָּ֖רִץ vatarits HC/Vhw3fs and crushed and she crushed down and she crushed down
H7533-13 Judges 10:8 וַ/יְרֹֽצְצוּ֙ vayerotsetsu HC/Vmw3mp and they crushed they violently crushed and they violently crushed
H7533-04 1 Samuel 12:3 רַצּ֔וֹתִי ratsoti HVqp1cs have I defrauded I crushed have I defrauded
H7533-03 1 Samuel 12:4 רַצּוֹתָ֑/נוּ ratsotanu HVqp2ms/Sp1cp oppressed us you crushed us you crushed us
H7533-01 2 Kings 18:21 הָ/רָצ֤וּץ haratsuts HTd/Vqsmsa bruised the crushed one the crushed one
H7533-01 Isaiah 36:6 הָ/רָצ֤וּץ haratsuts HTd/Vqsmsa broken the crushed one the crushed one
H7533-05 Isaiah 42:3 רָצוּץ֙ ratsuts HVqsmsa bruised crushed one crushed one
H7533-18 Isaiah 42:4 יָר֔וּץ yaruts HVqi3ms be discouraged he will crush he will be discouraged
H7533-07 Isaiah 58:6 רְצוּצִים֙ retsutsim HVqsmpa the oppressed crushed ones crushed ones
H7533-10 Ezekiel 29:7 תֵּר֔וֹץ terots HVNi2ms you would tear you will be crushed you will be crushed
H7533-06 Hosea 5:11 רְצ֣וּץ retsuts HVqsmsc crushed crushed one crushed one
H7533-02 Amos 4:1 הָ/רֹצְצ֖וֹת harotsetsot HTd/Vqrfpa crush crushing ones the crushing ones
H7533-09 Psalms 74:14 רִ֭צַּצְתָּ ritsatseta HVpp2ms crushed you crushed crushed
H7533-08 Job 20:19 רִ֭צַּץ ritsats HVpp3ms he has oppressed he has crushed he has oppressed
H7533-17 Ecclesiastes 12:6 וְ/תָרֻ֖ץ vetaruts HC/Vqi3fs and runs and she will crush and it is shattered
H7533-15 Ecclesiastes 12:6 וְ/נָרֹ֥ץ venarots HC/VNq3ms and is broken and he was crushed and it is shattered
H7533-12 2 Chronicles 16:10 וַ/יְרַצֵּ֥ץ vayeratsets HC/Vpw3ms and oppressed and he crushed and he oppressed
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