עָצַב (H6087) — Hebrew Lexicon

עָצַב

𐤏𐤑𐤁

ʻâtsab

H6087 verb

SILEX Entry

Root עצב to hurt, to cause pain, to grieve, to fashion

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

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Root Family

עצב (ʿ-ṣ-b) — 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
H6092	עָצֵב	your craftsmen
H6093	עִצָּבוֹן	in painful toil
H6094	עַצֶּבֶת	fashioned idol

Word Forms

13 distinct forms

SIDANCE	Surface	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	Occurrences
`H6087-06`	תֵּעָ֣צְב֗וּ	teatsevu	`HVNj2mp`	be grieved	may you be distressed	3
`H6087-05`	נֶעְצַב֙	neetsav	`HVNp3ms`	he was grieved	he was distressed	2
`H6087-12`	יֵֽעָצֵ֑ב	yeatsev	`HVNi3ms`	he be grieved	he will be distressed	2
`H6087-07`	וַ/עֲצ֥וּבַת	vaatsuvat	`HC/Vqsfsc`	and-grieved	grieved one of	1
`H6087-08`	וַ/יִּתְעַצֵּ֖ב	vayiteatsev	`HC/Vtw3ms`	and it grieved him	and he distressed himself	1
`H6087-10`	וְ/עִצְּב֖וּ	veitsevu	`HC/Vpq3cp`	and grieved	and they caused pain	1
`H6087-13`	יְעַצֵּ֑בוּ	yeatsevu	`HVpi3mp`	they distort	they cause pain	1
`H6087-04`	לְ/הַ֣עֲצִבָ֔/ה	lehaatsivah	`HR/Vhc/Sp3fs`	to worship her	to cause her pain	1
`H6087-02`	עָצְבִּ֑/י	atsebi	`HVqc/Sp1cs`	grieve me	my pain	1
`H6087-09`	וַ/יִּֽתְעַצְּבוּ֙	vayiteatsevu	`HC/Vtw3mp`	and they were grieved	and they distressed themselves	1
`H6087-11`	יַ֝עֲצִיב֗וּ/הוּ	yaatsivuhu	`HVhi3mp/Sp3ms`	they grieved Him	they cause him pain	1
`H6087-01`	עֲצָב֨/וֹ	atsavo	`HVqp3ms/Sp3ms`	grieved-him	he pained him	1
`H6087-03`	עִ֭צְּבוּ/נִי	itsevuni	`HVpp3cp/Sp1cs`	fashioned me	they pained me	1

Occurrences in Scripture

17 total occurrences

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

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