Psalms 116:3 — Word Study
WLCאֲפָפ֤וּנִי׀ חֶבְלֵי־ מָ֗וֶת וּמְצָרֵ֣י שְׁא֣וֹל מְצָא֑וּנִי צָרָ֖ה וְיָג֣וֹן אֶמְצָֽא׃
BSAThe ropeschebel [cords, snares] of deathmâveth [the state of being dead, eternal separation] entangled meʼâphaph■ the anguishmêtsar [pains, terrors] of Sheolshᵉʼôwl [the underworld, the grave] overcame memâtsâʼ■ I was confrontedmâtsâʼ▸ by troubletsârâh [distress, sorrow] and sorrowyâgôwn [grief]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| אֲפָפ֤וּנִי׀ | they surrounded me | Verb qal perfect third person common plural, suffix |
| חֶבְלֵי־ | [the] cords of | Noun common, both plural construct |
| מָ֗וֶת | death | Noun common, masculine singular absolute |
| וּמְצָרֵ֣י | and [the] distresses of | Conjunction, noun common masculine plural construct |
| שְׁא֣וֹל | Sheol | Noun common, both singular absolute |
| מְצָא֑וּנִי | they found me | Verb qal perfect third person common plural, suffix |
| צָרָ֖ה | trouble | Noun common, feminine singular absolute |
| וְיָג֣וֹן | and sorrow | Conjunction, noun common masculine singular absolute |
| אֶמְצָֽא׃ | I found | Verb, Qal, imperfect first person common singular |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | The ropes of death entangled me; the anguish of Sheol overcame me; I was confronted by trouble and sorrow. |
| KJV | The sorrows of death compassed me, and the pains of hell gat hold upon me: I found trouble and sorrow. |
| ASV | The cords of death compassed me, And the pains of Sheol gat hold upon me: I found trouble and sorrow. |
| YLT | Compassed me have cords of death, And straits of Sheol have found me, Distress and sorrow I find. |
| WEB | The cords of death surrounded me, the pains of Sheol got a hold of me. I found trouble and sorrow. |
| BBE | The nets of death were round me, and the pains of the underworld had me in their grip; I was full of trouble and sorrow. |
Where they part company is חֶבְלֵי־ — see How Translations Differ.
The verse is structured around a main clause with additional phrases that elaborate on the psalmist's overwhelming experience.
8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
verbמָצָא
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Psalms 116:3
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — A Cry for Helpgenerated
Psalm 116:3 expresses the psalmist's deep distress, feeling ensnared by death and overwhelmed by the anguish of Sheol. This verse is part of a larger lament where the psalmist recounts their suffering and calls upon the LORD for deliverance, as seen in the surrounding verses, particularly Psalm 116:4 and Psalm 116:5.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psalm 18:4–6 | The cords of death encompassed me; the torrents of chaos overwhelmed me. |
| 2 | Psalm 88:6–7 | You have laid me in the lowest Pit, in the darkest of the depths. |
| 3 | Jonah 2:2–3 | saying: “In my distress I called to the LORD, and He answered me. From the belly of Sheol I called for help, and You heard my voice. |
| 4 | Mark 14:33–36 | He took with Him Peter, James, and John, and began to be deeply troubled and distressed. |
| 5 | Luke 22:44 | And in His anguish, He prayed more earnestly, and His sweat became like drops of blood falling to the ground. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 9 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — אֲפָפ֤וּנִי, 'a.fa.Fu.nigenerated
The word אֲפָף (aphaph) is a verb meaning to surround or encompass. In this verse, it is used in the perfect tense with a suffix, indicating that the action has been completed in the past. The psalmist conveys a sense of being completely surrounded by trouble, emphasizing the intensity of their distress.
This verb is often associated with both divine protection and the attacks of enemies, illustrating the dual nature of being surrounded — either by God’s care or by overwhelming circumstances.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The verse contains multiple clauses, with the main action centered around the verb אֲפָפ֤וּ, they surrounded. The structure highlights the psalmist's experience of being ensnared by death and distress, with additional phrases elaborating on the nature of this entrapment.
The order of the Hebrew words emphasizes the overwhelming nature of the psalmist's situation, starting with the entanglement of death and moving through the anguish of Sheol to the confrontation with trouble and sorrow.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates אֲפָפ֤וּנִי as με, which indicates a direct rendering of the Hebrew meaning of being surrounded. This choice aligns closely with the Hebrew intent, maintaining the sense of personal entrapment.
The Greek word ὠδῖνες for חֶבְלֵי־ suggests a focus on the pains and struggles associated with being bound, further amplifying the emotional weight of the verse.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Psalm 116:3 describes the psalmist's feeling of being trapped by death and distress. They express their anguish over Sheol and the troubles that have confronted them, emphasizing their deep sorrow.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
The 'ropes of death' symbolize the overwhelming forces that entrap and threaten the psalmist's life, representing a deep sense of despair.
Sheol is depicted as a place of anguish and separation from life, highlighting the psalmist's fear of death and the afterlife.
Calling upon the LORD signifies a plea for help and deliverance from the dire circumstances the psalmist faces, reflecting a deep faith in God's ability to save.
The surrounding verses provide context for the psalmist's distress and their ultimate hope in God's grace and compassion, illustrating a journey from despair to faith.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- In what ways have I felt surrounded by distress in my own life?
- How can I call upon God in my times of trouble, as the psalmist does?
- What does it mean to me that God hears my cries for help?
- How can I find hope in the midst of sorrow and trouble?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
The early Church Fathers, including Augustine of Hippo, have commented on this verse, often reflecting on the themes of distress and divine deliverance.
And what are your days, since you have said, "In my days I have called upon Him"? Are they those perchance, in which "the fullness of time came," and "God sent His Son," [Galatians…Early Church Fathers on Psalms 116 →
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Psalms 116:3 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleThe sorrows of death compassed me,.... Christ, of whom David was a type, was a man of sorrows all his days; and in the garden he was surrounded with sorrow; exceeding sorrowful even unto death, in a
Read John Gill on Psalms 116 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryThe sorrows of death compassed me, and the pains of hell gat hold upon me: I found trouble and sorrow. The sorrows of death compassed me - literally, 'the cords' or 'bands of death' (note, Psalms 18:5).
Read Robert Jamieson on Psalms 116 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleThe sorrows of death; dangerous and deadly calamities, as bitter as death. Or, the cords of death. Of hell; or, of the grave; or, of death; either killing pains, or such agonies and horrors as dying persons use to feel within themselves. Gat hold upon me, Heb. found me, i.e. surprised me. Having been long pursuing me, at last they overtook me, and seized upon me, and I gave up myself for lost.
Read Matthew Poole on Psalms 116 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsPsalms 116:3 The sorrows of death compassed me, and the pains of hell gat hold upon me: I found trouble and sorrow.Ver. 3. The sorrows of death compassed me] See Psalms 18:4-5, Pictura poetica ingentium periculorum. Sorrows, or pangs, and those deadly ones, and these compassed me as a bird in a snare, or a beast in a gin. The pains of hell (or the griefs of the grave) gat hold] Heb. found me, as Numbers 32:23. I found trouble and sorrow] Straits inextricable cause sorrows inexplicable. The word signifieth such sorrow as venteth itself by sighing, Isaiah 35:10; Isaiah 51:11.
Read John Trapp on Psalms 116 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(3) The pains of hell.—Or, oppressions of Sheôl, if we retain the text. But a very slight change in a single letter brings the clause into closer correspondence with Psalms 18:5-6, whence it is plainly borrowed, the nets of Sheôl. We may reproduce the original more exactly by using, as it does, the same verb in the last two clauses of the verse: Nets of Sheôl caught me, Trouble and sorrow I catch.
Read Charles John Ellicott on Psalms 116 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 3. The sorrows of death] חבלי מות chebley maveth, the cables or cords of death; alluding to their bonds and fetters during their captivity; or to the cords by which a criminal is bound who is about to be led out to execution; or to the bandages in which the dead were enveloped, when head, arms, body, and limbs were all laced down together. The pains of hell] מצרי שאול metsarey sheol, the straitnesses of the grave. So little expectation was there of life, that he speaks as if he were condemned, executed, and closed up in the tomb. Or, he may refer here to the small niches in cemeteries, where the coffins of the dead were placed. Because this Psalm has been used in the thanksgiving of…
Read AdamClarke on Psalms 116 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges3, 4. The Psalmist’s prayer in peril. Cp. Psalms 18:4-6.
Read Cambridge on Psalms 116 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleThe sorrows of death - What an expression! We know of no intenser sorrows pertaining to this world than those which we associate with the dying struggle - whether our views in regard to the reality
Read Albert Barnes on Psalms 116 →The verse in English, compared — 16 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
The ropes of death entangled me; the anguish of Sheol overcame me; I was confronted by trouble and sorrow.
The cords of death surrounded me, the pains of Sheol got a hold of me. I found trouble and sorrow.
The ropes of death entangled me; the anguish of Sheol overcame me; I was confronted by trouble and sorrow.
The ropes of death tightened around me, the snares of Sheol confronted me. I was confronted with trouble and sorrow.
Tyndale line
The sorrows of death compassed me, and the pains of hell gat hold upon me: I found trouble and sorrow.
The cords of death compassed me, And the pains of Sheol gat hold upon me: I found trouble and sorrow.
The cords of death compassed me, and the pains of Sheol gat hold upon me: I found trouble and sorrow.
The sorrows of death encompassed me, and the pains of hell came upon me: I found trouble and sorrow.
When the snares of death copassed me, and the griefes of the graue caught me: when I founde trouble and sorowe.
Strictly literal
The bands of death encompassed me, and the anguish of Sheol took hold of me; I found trouble and sorrow:
Compassed me have cords of death, And straits of Sheol have found me, Distress and sorrow I find.
Cords of death have surrounded me, || And straits of Sheol have found me, || I find distress and sorrow.
The bands of death had compassed me, and the pangs of the nether world had overtaken me; I had met with distress and sorrow:
The cords of death surrounded me, and the snares of Sheol confronted me; I felt anguish and sorrow.
Simplified
I was caught in the snares of death; I was trapped by terrors of the grave. All I experienced was suffering and grief.
The nets of death were round me, and the pains of the underworld had me in their grip; I was full of trouble and sorrow.
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text is consistent in its wording, and the Septuagint matches the Hebrew closely, indicating no significant variations. The Dead Sea Scrolls also support the text, with some words partially restored but largely agreeing with the Masoretic Text.
אֲפָפ֤וּנִי׀ חֶבְלֵי־ מָ֗וֶת וּמְצָרֵ֣י שְׁא֣וֹל מְצָא֑וּנִי צָרָ֖ה וְיָג֣וֹן אֶמְצָֽא׃
9 of the 9 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
[אפפו׳ני] [חבלי] [מות] [ומצרי] שאול מצאו׳ני צרה [ויגון] [אמצא]
2 words on the leather — 1 partly restored, 6 supplied entire by an editor.
[ויגון] [אמצא]
2 words of the verse are on this fragment — 2 supplied entire by an editor.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Psalms 116:3
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
אָפַף (aphaph) is a primitive root meaning to surround or encompass. The entries consistently define it as a verb that conveys the action of surrounding, particularly in the Qal stem. There are no significant disagreements among the lexicons regarding its meaning.
[אָפַף] vb. surround, encompass
base
H661 אָפַף
661 'aphaph aw-faf'
a primitive root; to surround:--compass.
אָפַף (a.phaph) — to surround.
1) to surround, encompass
1a) (Qal) to encompass
V-Qal-Perf-3cp | Suff — Verb qal perfect third person common plural · suffixHVqp3cp/Sp1bs
The Hebrew word חֶ֫בֶל (*chevel*) encompasses meanings related to a cord or rope, territory, and pain or pangs. It can refer to a measuring line, a company or band, and even destruction. The entries indicate a range of uses, from physical objects like cords to abstract concepts like sorrow. Notably, it is associated with both physical and emotional contexts.
חֶ֫בֶל n.m. f. cord, territory, band
cord, rope
measuring-cord, line
measured portion, lot, part, region
band, company of prophets
base
חֵ֫בֶל n.m. pain, pang
pains of travail
of other than birth-pangs
base
חֹבְלִים n.[m.]pl. union (lit. binders) name of Zec.’s second symbolic staff
base
חֶ֫בֶל n.m. destruction—Mi 2:10
ref
H2256a חֶ֫בֶל cord, territory, band H2256b חֵ֫בֶל pain, pang H2256c חֹבְלִים union H2256d חֶ֫בֶל destruction
2256 chebel kheh'-bel
or chebel {khay'-bel}; from 2254; a rope (as twisted),
especially a measuring line; by implication, a district or
inheritance (as measured); or a noose (as of cords);
figuratively, a company (as if tied together); also a throe
(especially of parturition); also ruin:--band, coast, company,
cord, country, destruction, line, lot, pain, pang, portion,
region, rope, snare, sorrow, tackling.
see HEBREW for 02254
חֶ֫בֶל (che.vel) — Mahalab.
This name means a cord, territory, region
Another name of ach.lav (אַחְלָב "Ahlab" H0303)
חֵ֫בֶל (che.vel) — pain.
1) pain, sorrow, travail, pang
1a) pains of travail
1b) pains, pangs, sorrows
חֹבְלִים (chov.lim) — union.
union
חֶ֫בֶל (che.vel) — destruction.
destruction
חֶ֫בֶל (che.vel) — cord.
1) a cord, rope, territory, band, company
1a) a rope, cord
1b) a measuring-cord or line
1c) a measured portion, lot, part, region
1d) a band or company
§ destruction
N-cp — Noun common · both plural constructHNcbpc
ov:
(1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning "from," "away from" (as the strengthened form "off" has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, "of" was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of "of" were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of "of" that are no longer familiar--most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities.
OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]
1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.
I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.
For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.
It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.
Lamentations 3:1.
The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.
Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.
That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.
Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…
מָ֫וֶת (maveth) means 'death' and encompasses various aspects such as natural or violent death, the state of being dead, and the realm of the dead (hades). It can also refer to pestilence or ruin. The word is derived from a root meaning 'to die' and has an Aramaic equivalent, מוֹת (mot).
מָ֫וֶת 161 n.m. death
death, opp. life
death by violence
state of death or place of death
base
H4194 מָ֫וֶת death
4194 maveth maw'-veth
from 4191; death (natural or violent); concretely, the dead,
their place or state (hades); figuratively, pestilence,
ruin:--(be) dead((-ly)), death, die(-d).
see HEBREW for 04191
מָ֫וֶת (ma.vet) — death.
1) death, dying, Death (personified), realm of the dead
1a) death
1b) death by violence (as a penalty)
1c) state of death, place of death
Aramaic equivalent: mot (מוֹת "death" H4193)
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular absoluteHNcmsa
(maweth; thanatos):
PHYSIOLOGICAL AND FIGURATIVE VIEW
The word "Death" is used in the sense of
(1) the process of dying (Ge 21:16);
(2) the period of decease (Ge 27:7);
(3) as a possible synonym for poison (2Ki 4:40);
(4) as descriptive of person in danger of perishing (Jud 15:18; "in deaths oft" 2Co 11:23). In this sense the shadow of death is a familiar expression in Job, the Psalms and the Prophets;
Death
May be simply defined as the termination of life. It is represented under a variety of aspects in Scripture: (1.) “The dust shall return to the earth as it was” (Eccl. 12:7).
(2.) “Thou takest away their breath, they die” (Ps. 104:29).
(3.) It is the dissolution of “our earthly house of this tabernacle” (2 Cor. 5:1); the “putting off this tabernacle” (2 Pet. 1:13, 14).
(4.) Being “unclothed” (2 Cor. 5:3, 4).
(5.) “Falling on sleep” (Ps. 76:5; Jer. 51:39;
Is taken in Scripture, first, for the separation of body and soul, the first death, Ge 25:11; secondly, for alienation from God, and exposure to his wrath, 1Jo 3:14, etc.; thirdly, for the second death, that of eternal damnation. Death was the penalty affixed to Adam’s transgression, Ge 2:17 3:19; and all his posterity are transgressors, and share the curse inflicted upon him. CHRIST is "our life." All believers share his life, spiritually and eternally; and though sin and bodily is taken away, and in the resurrection the last enemy shall be trampled under foot, Ro 5:12-21 1Co 15:1-58.
מֵצַר (metsar) refers to something tight or constricted, often used figuratively to denote trouble, distress, or pain. The entries highlight its meanings related to straits and distress, indicating a sense of being trapped or in a difficult situation.
מֵצַר n.[m.] straits, distress;—abs.
base
H4712 מֵצַר
4712 metsar may-tsar'
from 6896; something tight, i.e. (figuratively)
trouble:--distress, pain, strait.
see HEBREW for 06896
מֵצַר (me.tsar) — terror.
straits, distress
Conj | N-mp — Conjunction · noun common masculine plural constructHC/Ncmpc
ov:
(1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning "from," "away from" (as the strengthened form "off" has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, "of" was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of "of" were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of "of" that are no longer familiar--most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities.
OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]
1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.
I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.
For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.
It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.
Lamentations 3:1.
The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.
Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.
That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.
Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…
שְׁאוֹל (sh'owl) refers to the underworld or the realm of the dead in Hebrew. It encompasses concepts such as hell, the grave, and a pit, often associated with punishment for the wicked and a place from which the righteous are not abandoned. The term implies a location of extreme degradation and is noted for its lack of praise for God.
שְׁאוֹל, שְׁאֹל n.f. Shᵉ’ōl, underworld (√ dub.; i.e. place of inquiry)
base
H7585 שְׁאוֹל, שְׁאֹל Shᵉ’ōl, underworld (√ dub.; i.e. place of inquiry)
7585 sh'owl sheh-ole'
or shol {sheh-ole'}; from 7592; Hades or the world of the
dead (as if a subterranean retreat), including its accessories
and inmates:--grave, hell, pit.
see HEBREW for 07592
שְׁאוֹל (she.ol) — hell: Sheol.
Sheol, underworld, grave, hell, pit
1a) the underworld
1b) Sheol-the OT designation for the abode of the dead
1b1) place of no return
1b2) without praise of God
1b3) wicked sent there for punishment
1b4) righteous not abandoned to it
1b5) of the place of exile (fig)
1b6) of extreme degradation in sin
N-proper — Noun common · both singular absoluteHNcbsa
she'-ol (she'ol):
1. The Name
2. The Abode of the Dead
(1) Not a State of Unconsciousness
(2) Not Removed from God's Jurisdiction
(3) Relation to Immortality
3. Post-canonical Period
1. The Name:
Sheol
(Heb., “the all-demanding world” = Gr. Hades, “the unknown region”), the invisible world of departed souls. (See HELL.)
→ See HELL (Hades)
מָצָא (matsa') is a Hebrew verb meaning to find or attain. It encompasses a range of actions, including discovering something lost, encountering someone, or coming upon a situation. The word can also imply being present or sufficient. Lexicons note various forms and uses, including Qal, Niphal, and Hiphil, which indicate different nuances of finding and encountering.
מָצָא 452 vb. attain to, find
Qal
find
find out
= come upon, light upon
noteworthy phrases
Niph. pass. of Qal, be found
Hiph.
cause to find, attain
cause to light upon, come upon, come
cause to encounter
present unto
base
H4672 מָצָא attain to, find
4672 matsa' maw-tsaw'
a primitive root; properly, to come forth to, i.e. appear or
exist; transitively, to attain, i.e. find or acquire;
figuratively, to occur, meet or be present:--+ be able,
befall, being, catch, X certainly, (cause to) come (on, to, to
hand), deliver, be enough (cause to) find(-ing, occasion,
out), get (hold upon), X have (here), be here, hit, be left,
light (up-)on, meet (with), X occasion serve, (be) present,
ready, speed, suffice, take hold on.
מָצָא (ma.tsa) — to find.
1) to find, attain to
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to find
1a1a) to find, secure, acquire, get (thing sought)
1a1b) to find (what is lost)
1a1c) to meet, encounter
1a1d) to find (a condition)
1a1e) to learn, devise
1a2) to find out
1a2a) to find out
1a2b) to detect
1a2c) to guess
1a3) to come upon, light upon
1a3a) to happen upon, meet, fall in with
1a3b) to hit
1a3c) to befall
1b) (Niphal)
1b1) to be found
1b1a) to be encountered, be lighted upon, be discovered
1b1b) to appear, be recognised
1b1c) to be discovered, be detected
1b1d) to be gained, be secured
1b2) to be, be found
1b2a) to be found in
1b2b) to be in the possession of
1b2c) to be found in (a place), happen to be
1b2d) to be left (after war)
1b2e) to be present
1b2f) to prove to be
1b2g) to be found sufficient, be enough
1c) (Hiphil)
1c1) to cause to find, attain
1c2) to cause to light upon, come upon, come
1c3) to cause to encounter
V-Qal-Perf-3cp | Suff — Verb qal perfect third person common plural · suffixHVqp3cp/Sp1bs
The Hebrew word צָרָה (*tsarah*) is built from the root meaning tightness or trouble. It covers a range of meanings including dearth, distress, and adversary, as well as specifically referring to a rival wife. The entries note its use in contexts of adversity and anguish, with a specific reference to 1 Samuel 1:6.
בַּצָּרָה n.f. dearth, destitution
base
צָרָה 72 n.f. id. [r.dz.ac] straits, distress
base
[צָרָה] n.f. vexer, rival-wife;—sf. 1 S 1:6.
ref
H6869a בַּצָּרָה dearth, destitution H6869b צָרָה id. [6862b] H6869c צָרָה vexer, rival-wife
6869 tsarah tsaw-raw'
feminine of 6862; tightness (i.e. figuratively, trouble);
transitively, a female rival:--adversary, adversity,
affliction, anguish, distress, tribulation, trouble.
see HEBREW for 06862
בַּצָּרָה (bats.tsa.rah) — dearth.
death, destitution
צָרָה (tsa.rah) — distress.
straits, distress, trouble
צָרָה (tsa.rah) — vexer.
vexer, rival wife
N-fs — Noun common · feminine singular absoluteHNcfsa
→ BORROWING Mt 6:25-34; Mr 5:35,36; Joh 14:1; 16:6,7; Php 4:6; 1Pe 5:7
See AFFLICTION
See SUFFERING
→ INSTANCES OF
Israelites at the Red Sea Ex 14:10-12
About water Ex 15:23-25; 17:2,3; Nu 20:1-13
Food Ex 16:2,3; Nu 11:4-33
When Moses waited upon the mountain Ex 32:1
יָגוֹן (yagown) refers to grief or sorrow, encompassing feelings of anguish and affliction. It is derived from the root word for affliction, יָגוֹן is used in contexts related to emotional pain and distress.
יָגוֹן n.[m.] grief, sorrow
base
H3015 יָגוֹן grief, sorrow
3015 yagown yaw-gohn'
from 3013; affliction:--grief, sorrow.
see HEBREW for 03013
יָגוֹן (ya.gon) — sorrow.
grief, sorrow, anguish
Conj | N-ms — Conjunction · noun common masculine singular absoluteHC/Ncmsa
sor'-o (chebhel, yaghon, makh'obh, etc.; lupe): The Old Testament has very many words translated "sorrow," those named being the most frequent; in the New Testament "sorrow" is usually the translation of lupe (Lu 22:45; Joh 16:6; 2Co 2:3,7, etc.). Penthos, translated "sorrow" in Re 18:7; 21:4, is in the Revised Version (British and American) "mourning." Odune, of pain-and distress, is thus rendered in Ro 9:2; 1Ti 6:10 (compare the verb in Lu 2:48; Ac 20:38). the…
→ God takes notice
Of Hagar' s Ge 21:17-20
Of the Israelites Ex 3:7-10
→ For sin 2Co 7:10,11
→ See REPENTANCE
→ See SIN, CONFESSION OF
→ No sorrow in heaven Re 21:4
→ “Sorrow and sighing will flee away,” Isa 35:10
→ Of Hannah 1Sa 1:15
→ Of David for Absalom 2Sa 18:33; 19:1-8
→ Of Mary and Martha Joh 11:19-40
→ Of Jeremiah La 1:12
מָצָא (matsa') is a Hebrew verb meaning to find or attain. It encompasses a range of actions, including discovering something lost, encountering someone, or coming upon a situation. The word can also imply being present or sufficient. Lexicons note various forms and uses, including Qal, Niphal, and Hiphil, which indicate different nuances of finding and encountering.
מָצָא 452 vb. attain to, find
Qal
find
find out
= come upon, light upon
noteworthy phrases
Niph. pass. of Qal, be found
Hiph.
cause to find, attain
cause to light upon, come upon, come
cause to encounter
present unto
base
H4672 מָצָא attain to, find
4672 matsa' maw-tsaw'
a primitive root; properly, to come forth to, i.e. appear or
exist; transitively, to attain, i.e. find or acquire;
figuratively, to occur, meet or be present:--+ be able,
befall, being, catch, X certainly, (cause to) come (on, to, to
hand), deliver, be enough (cause to) find(-ing, occasion,
out), get (hold upon), X have (here), be here, hit, be left,
light (up-)on, meet (with), X occasion serve, (be) present,
ready, speed, suffice, take hold on.
מָצָא (ma.tsa) — to find.
1) to find, attain to
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to find
1a1a) to find, secure, acquire, get (thing sought)
1a1b) to find (what is lost)
1a1c) to meet, encounter
1a1d) to find (a condition)
1a1e) to learn, devise
1a2) to find out
1a2a) to find out
1a2b) to detect
1a2c) to guess
1a3) to come upon, light upon
1a3a) to happen upon, meet, fall in with
1a3b) to hit
1a3c) to befall
1b) (Niphal)
1b1) to be found
1b1a) to be encountered, be lighted upon, be discovered
1b1b) to appear, be recognised
1b1c) to be discovered, be detected
1b1d) to be gained, be secured
1b2) to be, be found
1b2a) to be found in
1b2b) to be in the possession of
1b2c) to be found in (a place), happen to be
1b2d) to be left (after war)
1b2e) to be present
1b2f) to prove to be
1b2g) to be found sufficient, be enough
1c) (Hiphil)
1c1) to cause to find, attain
1c2) to cause to light upon, come upon, come
1c3) to cause to encounter
V-Qal-Imperf-1cs — Verb · Qal · imperfect first person common singularHVqi1cs