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עָצָר

𐤏𐤑𐤓

ʻâtsâr

H6113 verb

SILEX Entry

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.

Translation Consistency

primary "restrain" 38 occurrences

“Restrain” is the most natural single-word verb that covers the primary semantic range of עָצָר: to hold back, detain, withhold, stop, or shut up. It matches the majority of existing renderings, is suitable for both active restriction (detaining, shutting) and passive/withholding senses (e.g. God withholding rain), and can also cover reflexive senses (refraining) without introducing a different base verb. Using “restrain” gives a consistent, natural English rendering across all forms.

Alternatives (8 occurrences):
"shut up" (1x) "detain" (1x) "detained" (1x) "stop" (1x) "retained" (1x) "retain" (1x) "prevail" (1x) "able" (1x)

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

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

Root Family

עצר (maʻtsôwr) — to restrain, to hold back, to shut in

Root עצר to restrain, to hold back, to keep in, to 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 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H6113-06 עָצ֔וּר atsur HVqsmsa bound restrained one restrained one 9
H6113-19 וַ/תֵּעָצַ֥ר vateatsar HC/VNw3fs and was restrained and she was restrained and it was restrained 4
H6113-27 יַעְצֹ֥ר yaetsor HVqi3ms he withholds he restrains he will restrain 3
H6113-01 עָצַ֧ר atsar HVqp3ms had closed he restrained he restrained 2
H6113-03 עָצַ֖רְתִּי atsareti HVqp1cs I retained I restrained I restrained 2
H6113-04 עָצְר֖וּ atseru HVqp3cp they were able they restrained they restrained 2
H6113-08 בְּ/הֵעָצֵ֥ר beheatser HR/VNc when are shut up in being restrained in being restrained 2
H6113-23 וְ/עָצ֥וּר veatsur HC/Vqsmsa and him who is shut up restrained one and the restrained one 2
H6113-24 וְ/תֵעָצַ֥ר veteatsar HC/VNj3fs and may be restrained and she will be restrained and it will be restrained 2
H6113-02 עֲצָרַ֤/נִי atsarani HVqp3ms/Sp1cs has prevented/restrained me he restrained me he has restrained me 1

Occurrences in Scripture

46 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H6113-02 Genesis 16:2 עֲצָרַ֤/נִי atsarani HVqp3ms/Sp1cs has prevented/restrained me he restrained me he has restrained me
H6113-05 Genesis 20:18 עָצֹ֤ר atsor HVqa completely restraining restraining
H6113-01 Genesis 20:18 עָצַר֙ atsar HVqp3ms had closed he restrained he restrained
H6113-19 Numbers 17:13 וַ/תֵּעָצַ֖ר vateatsar HC/VNw3fs and was restrained and she was restrained and it was restrained
H6113-14 Numbers 17:15 נֶעֱצָֽרָה neetsarah HVNp3fs had been restrained she was restrained had been restrained
H6113-19 Numbers 25:8 וַ/תֵּֽעָצַר֙ vateatsar HC/VNw3fs and it was stopped and she was restrained and she was restrained
H6113-21 Deuteronomy 11:17 וְ/עָצַ֤ר veatsar HC/Vqq3ms and will shut up and he restrained and will shut up
H6113-06 Deuteronomy 32:36 עָצ֥וּר atsur HVqsmsa bound restrained one restrained one
H6113-11 Judges 13:15 נַעְצְרָה naetserah HVqh1cp let us detain let us restrain let us restrain
H6113-16 Judges 13:16 תַּעְצְרֵ֨/נִי֙ taetsereni HVqi2ms/Sp1cs you detain me you restrain me you detain me
H6113-27 1 Samuel 9:17 יַעְצֹ֥ר yaetsor HVqi3ms shall restrain he restrains he will restrain
H6113-07 1 Samuel 21:6 עֲצֻֽרָה atsurah HVqsfsa is kept from restrained restrained
H6113-13 1 Samuel 21:8 נֶעְצָר֙ neetsar HVNrmsa was detained restrained one was detained
H6113-24 2 Samuel 24:21 וְ/תֵעָצַ֥ר veteatsar HC/VNi3fs and may be restrained and she will be restrained and it will be restrained
H6113-19 2 Samuel 24:25 וַ/תֵּעָצַ֥ר vateatsar HC/VNw3fs and was restrained and she was restrained and it was restrained
H6113-08 1 Kings 8:35 בְּ/הֵעָצֵ֥ר beheatser HR/VNc when the heavens are shut up in being restrained in being restrained
H6113-06 1 Kings 14:10 עָצ֥וּר atsur HVqsmsa both bond restrained one restrained one
H6113-26 1 Kings 18:44 יַעַצָרְ/כָ֖ה yaatsarekhah HVqi3ms/Sp2ms stops you he will restrain you it will stop you
H6113-23 1 Kings 21:21 וְ/עָצ֥וּר veatsur HC/Vqsmsa both bond restrained one and the restrained one
H6113-15 2 Kings 4:24 תַּעֲצָר taatsar HVqj2ms slow down may you restrain restrain
H6113-23 2 Kings 9:8 וְ/עָצ֥וּר veatsur HC/Vqsmsa and him who is shut up restrained one and the restrained one
H6113-06 2 Kings 14:26 עָצוּר֙ atsur HVqsmsa bound restrained one restrained one
H6113-20 2 Kings 17:4 וַֽ/יַּעַצְרֵ֨/הוּ֙ vayaatserehu HC/Vqw3ms/Sp3ms and shut him up and he restrained him and he restrained him
H6113-22 Isaiah 66:9 וְ/עָצַ֖רְתִּי veatsareti HC/Vqq1cs and shut and I restrained and I restrained
H6113-06 Jeremiah 20:9 עָצֻ֖ר atsur HVqsmsa shut up restrained one restrained
H6113-06 Jeremiah 33:1 עָצ֔וּר atsur HVqsmsa was confined restrained one restrained one
H6113-06 Jeremiah 36:5 עָצ֔וּר atsur HVqsmsa am restricted restrained one restrained one
H6113-06 Jeremiah 39:15 עָצ֔וּר atsur HVqsmsa confined restrained one restrained one
H6113-19 Psalms 106:30 וַ֝/תֵּעָצַ֗ר vateatsar HC/VNw3fs was restrained and she was restrained and it was restrained
H6113-18 Job 4:2 וַ/עְצֹ֥ר vaetsor HC/Vqc and restrain and to restrain and restrain
H6113-27 Job 12:15 יַעְצֹ֣ר yaetsor HVqi3ms he withholds he restrains it will restrain
H6113-04 Job 29:9 עָצְר֣וּ atseru HVqp3cp refrained they restrained they restrained
H6113-03 Daniel 10:8 עָצַ֖רְתִּי atsareti HVqp1cs I retained I restrained I retained
H6113-03 Daniel 10:16 עָצַ֖רְתִּי atsareti HVqp1cs I retained I restrained I restrained
H6113-17 Daniel 11:6 תַעְצֹ֞ר taetsor HVqi3fs shall she retain she will restrain shall she retain
H6113-06 Nehemiah 6:10 עָצ֑וּר atsur HVqsmsa was confined restrained one restrained one
H6113-06 1 Chronicles 12:1 עָצ֔וּר atsur HVqsmsa he was restrained restrained one restrained
H6113-24 1 Chronicles 21:22 וְ/תֵעָצַ֥ר veteatsar HC/VNj3fs and may be stayed and she will be restrained and it will be restrained
H6113-12 1 Chronicles 29:14 נַעְצֹ֣ר naetsor HVqi1cp we should be able we will restrain we should restrain
H6113-25 2 Chronicles 2:5 יַעֲצָר yaatsar HVqi3ms can restrain he restrains can restrain
H6113-08 2 Chronicles 6:26 בְּ/הֵעָצֵ֧ר beheatser HR/VNc when are shut up in being restrained in being restrained
H6113-09 2 Chronicles 7:13 אֶֽעֱצֹ֤ר eetsor HVqi1cs I shut up I will restrain I restrain
H6113-01 2 Chronicles 13:20 עָצַ֧ר atsar HVqp3ms retained he restrained he restrained
H6113-27 2 Chronicles 14:10 יַעְצֹ֥ר yaetsor HVqj3ms prevail he restrains let prevail
H6113-04 2 Chronicles 20:37 עָצְר֖וּ atseru HVqp3cp they were able they restrained they were able
H6113-10 2 Chronicles 22:9 לַ/עְצֹ֥ר laetsor HR/Vqc to hold to restrain to restrain
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