מְרֻצָה
𐤌𐤓𐤑𐤄
mᵉrutsâh
H4835 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
State or act of being crushed or oppressed, generally referring to severe pressure, hardship, or violence inflicted upon individuals or groups. Used to connote both physical violence and social or legal oppression imposed by the powerful upon the vulnerable.
Semantic Range
oppression, crushing, violence, ruthless exploitation, severe hardship, abusive treatment, being shattered under pressure
Root / Etymology
Derived from the root רָצַץ (r-ts-ts), meaning 'to crush, smash, oppress,' with the mem prefix indicating a noun of result or state. Thus מְרֻצָה denotes the condition that results from acts of crushing or oppression.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In the Hebrew Bible, מְרֻצָה appears notably in Proverbs 30:14 to describe the ruthless behaviors of the wicked who 'devour the poor from the earth.' Its usage underscores both the literal violence and the social exploitation of marginalized persons. The term conveys more than general violence; it primarily focuses on crushing forms of exploitation or abusive exercise of power, especially where the vulnerable are victims. This nuance is narrower than broader Hebrew terms for violence (e.g., חָמָס chamas), which can have a wider semantic field. Later English translations often render the term as 'oppression' or 'violence,' but the original Hebrew context emphasizes the imagery of being physically or socially broken by relentless force—thus combining both legal and physical senses of oppression. The term is rare and restricted to contexts highlighting social injustice or moral depravity. There is no evidence for use of the word in Second Temple or post-biblical Hebrew.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from רָצַץ; oppression; violence. See also מְרוּצָה.
Bantu Hebrew
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+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
רצץ (r-ts-ts) — to crush, to smash, to oppress, to break
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H4835-01 |
הַ/מְּרוּצָ֖ה | hamerutsah | HTd/Ncfsa |
the extortion | the crushing oppression | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 total occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H4835-01 |
Jeremiah 22:17 | הַ/מְּרוּצָ֖ה | hamerutsah | HTd/Ncfsa |
the extortion | the crushing oppression |