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עָצָר

𐤏𐤑𐤓

ʻâtsâr

H6113 verb

SILEX Entry

Root עצר to restrain, to hold back, to keep in, to shut up

Definition

To restrain, withhold, detain, or prevent movement. The verb עָצָר is primarily used for active restriction: to prevent passage (such as closing or shutting up), to hold something back (as in restraining or withholding), or to stop a process. By extension, it is used for the holding back of physical actions, emotions, persons, or natural elements (such as rain), and may also refer to periods of inactivity, suspension, or being kept in a certain state.

Semantic Range

to restrain, to hold back, to detain, to prevent, to refrain, to shut up, to stop, to withhold, to keep closed, to stay, to confine; of God: to withhold (rain, fertility); reflexively: to refrain from acting

Root / Etymology

Root is ע-צ-ר (עצר), which carries the base meaning 'to restrain, to hold back, to shut up.' This is a primary root in Hebrew, and the range of meanings for the verb derives from general connotations of restriction and prevention.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In biblical usage, עָצָר is employed both in literal and figurative senses. It can refer to physical restraint (such as shutting a door, holding back people or animals, or confining someone or something), as well as God causing restraint (e.g., restraining rain from falling—see Genesis 16:2, 20:18, 1 Kings 8:35). The word is also used for a person's self-restraint or refraining from certain actions. In later post-exilic or Second Temple contexts, its use mostly retains these meanings, though the focus shifts slightly with evolving social situations. It does not inherently contain the idea of 'ruling' in the political or kingly sense, despite some translation traditions (e.g., 'reigning'); rather, 'to rule' here relates to the act of restraining, controlling, or maintaining order. Other Hebrew terms for reigning or ruling, such as מָשַׁל (mashal) or מָלַךְ (malakh), more accurately denote political sovereignty. English translations sometimes render עָצָר with 'withhold,' 'restrain,' 'prevent,' or 'shut up,' but the associations of agency and context must be gleaned from the narrative.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a primitive root; to inclose; by analogy, to hold back; also to maintain, rule, assemble; [idiom] be able, close up, detain, fast, keep (self close, still), prevail, recover, refrain, [idiom] reign, restrain, retain, shut (up), slack, stay, stop, withhold (self).

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

עצר (ʿ-ṣ-r) — restrain, hold back, keep in, shut up

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H4622 מַעְצוֹר hindrance
H4623 מַעְצָר restraining control
H6114 עֶצֶר restraint
H6115 עֹצֶר from restraint
H6116 עֲצָרָה festival convocation

Word Forms

27 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H6113-06 עָצ֥וּר atsur HVqsmsa bound restrained one 9
H6113-19 וַ/תֵּעָצַ֖ר vateatsar HC/VNw3fs and was restrained and she was restrained 4
H6113-27 יַעְצֹ֥ר yaetsor HVqi3ms he withholds he restrains 3
H6113-24 וְ/תֵעָצַ֥ר veteatsar HC/VNi3fs and may be restrained and she will be restrained 2
H6113-01 עָצַר֙ atsar HVqp3ms had closed he restrained 2
H6113-08 בְּ/הֵעָצֵ֥ר beheatser HR/VNc when are shut up in being restrained 2
H6113-04 עָצְר֣וּ atseru HVqp3cp they were able they restrained 2
H6113-23 וְ/עָצ֥וּר veatsur HC/Vqsmsa and him who is shut up restrained one 2
H6113-03 עָצַ֖רְתִּי atsareti HVqp1cs I retained I restrained 2
H6113-12 נַעְצֹ֣ר naetsor HVqi1cp we should be able we will restrain 1

Occurrences in Scripture

46 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H6113-02 Genesis 16:2 עֲצָרַ֤/נִי atsarani HVqp3ms/Sp1cs has prevented/restrained me he restrained me
H6113-05 Genesis 20:18 עָצֹ֤ר atsor HVqa completely restraining
H6113-01 Genesis 20:18 עָצַר֙ atsar HVqp3ms had closed he restrained
H6113-19 Numbers 17:13 וַ/תֵּעָצַ֖ר vateatsar HC/VNw3fs and was restrained and she was restrained
H6113-14 Numbers 17:15 נֶעֱצָֽרָה neetsarah HVNp3fs had been restrained she was restrained
H6113-19 Numbers 25:8 וַ/תֵּֽעָצַר֙ vateatsar HC/VNw3fs and it was stopped and she was restrained
H6113-21 Deuteronomy 11:17 וְ/עָצַ֤ר veatsar HC/Vqq3ms and will shut up and he restrained
H6113-06 Deuteronomy 32:36 עָצ֥וּר atsur HVqsmsa bound restrained one
H6113-11 Judges 13:15 נַעְצְרָה naetserah HVqh1cp let us detain let us restrain
H6113-16 Judges 13:16 תַּעְצְרֵ֨/נִי֙ taetsereni HVqi2ms/Sp1cs you detain me you restrain me
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