צָרָה
𐤑𐤓𐤄
tsârâh
H6869 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A state of distress, affliction, or hardship; used to describe situations of acute difficulty, suffering, or trouble, whether due to external threat, emotional turmoil, or social adversity. The word may also refer more specifically to dire circumstances requiring urgent response, including military threat, personal crisis, or national calamity.
Semantic Range
distress, affliction, adversity, trouble, hardship, dire circumstances, calamity, anguish, constrained situation
Root / Etymology
From the root צ־ר־ר (צָרַר), which fundamentally conveys the sense of being narrow, constrained, or limited. The noun צָרָה (tsârâh) is a feminine abstract formation expressing the state or condition of being in a narrow place, i.e., metaphorically under pressure or distress. The shift from the physical sense (narrowness, confinement) to the experiential (trouble, affliction) is established in usage.
Historical & Contextual Notes
צָרָה often depicts both personal and collective crises in biblical texts, used for circumstances ranging from oppression by enemies (Judg 10:14) to individual suffering (Ps 9:10, 107:6). In poetic and prophetic literature, its metaphor of 'narrowness' contrasts with words signifying spaciousness and deliverance (e.g., רֶוַח, רחב). The English 'trouble' often renders the term, but this can understate its association with severe, constraining hardship. In later Hebrew, and especially after the exile, the term also acquires associations with periods of persecution or national disaster. The word has no intrinsic connection to female rivalry—occasional translation as 'rival' (influenced by adjacent words like צָרָה for 'rival wife') is context-dependent and not its primary lexical sense. The KJV’s range “tribulation, affliction, adversity” covers much of the word’s field, but 'distress'—capturing the root constriction—is often most literal. It is distinct from other terms like עָנִי ('poverty, affliction') or רָעָה ('evil, calamity') in emphasizing the experiential pressure and constriction of hardship.
Translation Consistency
Most common rendering in existing P2 data (47 of 73) and naturally captures the full SILEX range — physical/emotional suffering, acute trouble, and dire circumstances. "Distress" is idiomatic in English (e.g., "in distress," "times of distress") and will provide consistent, natural-sounding translations across all forms of H6869.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
feminine of צַר; tightness (i.e. figuratively, trouble); transitively, a female rival:; adversary, adversity, affliction, anguish, distress, tribulation, trouble.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been recorded for this word yet.
Root Family
צ־ר־ר (tsârâh) — to be narrow, to be in distress, to bind tightly
Word Forms
23 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H6869-11 |
צָרָֽה | tsarah | HNcfsa |
of distress | constraining distress | constraining distress | 36 |
H6869-07 |
מִ/צָּ֥רָה | mitsarah | HR/Ncfsa |
from trouble | from constraining distress | from distress | 4 |
H6869-16 |
צָֽרָתִ֔/י | tsarati | HNcfsc/Sp1cs |
of my distress | my constricted distress | my distress | 4 |
H6869-01 |
בַּצָּרָֽה | batsarah | HNcfsa |
trouble | in the constraining distress | in the constraining distress | 3 |
H6869-17 |
צָ֭רוֹת | tsarot | HNcfpa |
troubles | distresses of | distresses of | 3 |
H6869-22 |
וְ/צָר֑וֹת | vetsarot | HC/Ncfpa |
and-distresses | distresses | and distresses | 3 |
H6869-14 |
צָרָתָ֣/ם | tsaratam | HNcfsc/Sp3mp |
of their distress | their distress | their distress | 2 |
H6869-19 |
צָֽרוֹתָי/ו | tsarotayv | HNcfpc/Sp3ms |
his troubles | his distresses | his distresses | 2 |
H6869-21 |
וְ/צָרָ֑ה | vetsarah | HC/Ncfsa |
and trouble | distress | and distress | 2 |
H6869-02 |
בַּ/צָּרָ֣תָ/ה | batsaratah | HRd/Ncfsa/Sh |
in the distress | in her distress | in my distress | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
73 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H6869-16 |
Genesis 35:3 | צָֽרָתִ֔/י | tsarati | HNcfsc/Sp1cs |
of my distress | my constricted distress | my distress |
H6869-12 |
Genesis 42:21 | צָרַ֥ת | tsarat | HNcfsc |
distress | distress of | the distress of |
H6869-04 |
Genesis 42:21 | הַ/צָּרָ֖ה | hatsarah | HTd/Ncfsa |
this distress | the constricted-distress | the distress |
H6869-22 |
Deuteronomy 31:17 | וְ/צָר֑וֹת | vetsarot | HC/Ncfpa |
and-distresses | distresses | and distresses |
H6869-22 |
Deuteronomy 31:21 | וְ/צָרוֹת֒ | vetsarot | HC/Ncfpa |
and troubles | distresses | and distresses |
H6869-15 |
Judges 10:14 | צָרַתְ/כֶֽם | tsaratekhem | HNcfsc/Sp2mp |
your-distress | your distress | your distress |
H6869-13 |
1 Samuel 1:6 | צָֽרָתָ/הּ֙ | tsaratah | HNcfsc/Sp3fs |
her rival | her distress | her rival |
H6869-23 |
1 Samuel 10:19 | וְ/צָרֹֽתֵי/כֶם֒ | vetsaroteykhem | HC/Ncfpc/Sp2mp |
and-your-distresses | your distresses | and your distresses |
H6869-11 |
1 Samuel 26:24 | צָרָֽה | tsarah | HNcfsa |
trouble | constraining distress | constraining distress |
H6869-11 |
2 Samuel 4:9 | צָרָֽה | tsarah | HNcfsa |
distress | constraining distress | constraining distress |
H6869-11 |
1 Kings 1:29 | צָרָֽה | tsarah | HNcfsa |
adversity | constraining distress | constraining distress |
H6869-11 |
2 Kings 19:3 | צָרָ֧ה | tsarah | HNcfsa |
of distress | constraining distress | constraining distress |
H6869-11 |
Isaiah 8:22 | צָרָ֤ה | tsarah | HNcfsa |
distress | constraining distress | constraining distress |
H6869-11 |
Isaiah 30:6 | צָרָ֨ה | tsarah | HNcfsa |
of distress | constraining distress | constraining distress |
H6869-11 |
Isaiah 33:2 | צָרָֽה | tsarah | HNcfsa |
of distress | constraining distress | constraining distress |
H6869-11 |
Isaiah 37:3 | צָרָ֧ה | tsarah | HNcfsa |
of distress | constraining distress | constraining distress |
H6869-09 |
Isaiah 46:7 | מִ/צָּרָת֖/וֹ | mitsarato | HR/Ncfsc/Sp3ms |
from his distress | his distress | from his distress |
H6869-14 |
Isaiah 63:9 | צָרָתָ֣/ם | tsaratam | HNcfsc/Sp3mp |
their affliction | their distress | their distress |
H6869-05 |
Isaiah 65:16 | הַ/צָּרוֹת֙ | hatsarot | HTd/Ncfpa |
the troubles | the distresses | the distresses |
H6869-11 |
Jeremiah 4:31 | צָרָה֙ | tsarah | HNcfsa |
anguish | constraining distress | constraining distress |
H6869-11 |
Jeremiah 6:24 | צָרָה֙ | tsarah | HNcfsa |
Anguish | constraining distress | constraining distress |
H6869-11 |
Jeremiah 14:8 | צָרָ֑ה | tsarah | HNcfsa |
of trouble | constraining distress | constraining distress |
H6869-11 |
Jeremiah 15:11 | צָרָ֖ה | tsarah | HNcfsa |
of distress | constraining distress | constraining distress |
H6869-11 |
Jeremiah 16:19 | צָרָ֑ה | tsarah | HNcfsa |
of-distress | constraining distress | constraining distress |
H6869-11 |
Jeremiah 30:7 | צָרָ֥ה | tsarah | HNcfsa |
of distress | constraining distress | constraining distress |
H6869-11 |
Jeremiah 49:24 | צָרָ֧ה | tsarah | HNcfsa |
distress | constraining distress | constraining distress |
H6869-11 |
Jeremiah 50:43 | צָרָה֙ | tsarah | HNcfsa |
anguish | constraining distress | constraining distress |
H6869-11 |
Obadiah 1:12 | צָרָֽה | tsarah | HNcfsa |
of distress | constraining distress | constraining distress |
H6869-11 |
Obadiah 1:14 | צָרָֽה | tsarah | HNcfsa |
of distress | constraining distress | constraining distress |
H6869-07 |
Jonah 2:3 | מִ/צָּ֥רָה | mitsarah | HR/Ncfsa |
out of distress | from constraining distress | from distress |
H6869-11 |
Nahum 1:7 | צָרָ֑ה | tsarah | HNcfsa |
of trouble | constraining distress | constraining distress |
H6869-11 |
Nahum 1:9 | צָרָֽה | tsarah | HNcfsa |
trouble | constraining distress | constraining distress |
H6869-11 |
Habakkuk 3:16 | צָרָ֔ה | tsarah | HNcfsa |
of trouble | constraining distress | constraining distress |
H6869-11 |
Zephaniah 1:15 | צָרָ֣ה | tsarah | HNcfsa |
of trouble | constraining distress | constraining distress |
H6869-11 |
Zechariah 10:11 | צָרָ֗ה | tsarah | HNcfsa |
of distress | constraining distress | constraining distress |
H6869-01 |
Psalms 9:10 | בַּצָּרָֽה | batsarah | HNcfsa |
trouble | in the constraining distress | in the constraining distress |
H6869-01 |
Psalms 10:1 | בַּצָּרָֽה | batsarah | HNcfsa |
trouble | in the constraining distress | in the constraining distress |
H6869-11 |
Psalms 20:2 | צָרָ֑ה | tsarah | HNcfsa |
of trouble | constraining distress | constraining distress |
H6869-11 |
Psalms 22:12 | צָרָ֣ה | tsarah | HNcfsa |
trouble | constraining distress | constraining distress |
H6869-17 |
Psalms 25:17 | צָר֣וֹת | tsarot | HNcfpc |
troubles | distresses of | distresses of |
H6869-19 |
Psalms 25:22 | צָֽרוֹתָי/ו | tsarotayv | HNcfpc/Sp3ms |
his troubles | his distresses | his distresses |
H6869-03 |
Psalms 31:8 | בְּ/צָר֥וֹת | betsarot | HR/Ncfpc |
in my distresses | in constricted distresses of | in constricted distresses of |
H6869-19 |
Psalms 34:7 | צָ֝רוֹתָ֗י/ו | tsarotayv | HNcfpc/Sp3ms |
his-troubles | his distresses | his distresses |
H6869-18 |
Psalms 34:18 | צָ֝רוֹתָ֗/ם | tsarotam | HNcfpc/Sp3mp |
their-troubles | their distresses | their distresses |
H6869-11 |
Psalms 37:39 | צָרָֽה | tsarah | HNcfsa |
of trouble | constraining distress | constraining distress |
H6869-22 |
Psalms 46:2 | בְ֝/צָר֗וֹת | vetsarot | HR/Ncfpa |
in-troubles | distresses | in distresses |
H6869-11 |
Psalms 50:15 | צָרָ֑ה | tsarah | HNcfsa |
of-trouble | constraining distress | constraining distress |
H6869-11 |
Psalms 54:9 | צָ֭רָה | tsarah | HNcfsa |
trouble | constraining distress | constraining distress |
H6869-17 |
Psalms 71:20 | צָר֥וֹת | tsarot | HNcfpa |
troubles | distresses of | distresses of |
H6869-16 |
Psalms 77:3 | צָרָתִ/י֮ | tsarati | HNcfsc/Sp1cs |
of my distress | my constricted distress | my distress |