What does עָכַר (oker) mean in the Bible?
עָכַר (oker): To disturb or trouble, moving from stirring turbid water to creating chaos in relationships and circumstances
Hebrew · H5916
עָכַר
Properly, to roil water ; figuratively, to disturb or affict
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עָכַר H5916
Pronunciation oker
What does עָכַר (oker) mean in the Bible?
עָכַר (oker): To disturb or trouble, moving from stirring turbid water to creating chaos in relationships and circumstances
Full entry for עָכַר (H5916) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H5916?
The BSB source-word alignment has 14 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include brings trouble (2), and bring disaster upon it (1), has brought trouble (1), have brought great misery upon me (1), have you brought this trouble upon us (1).
Where does עָכַר (oker) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Genesis 34:30. Its strongest book concentrations include Proverbs (4), Joshua (3), 1 Kings (2), 1 Chronicles (1).
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders It brings trouble 2× Proverbs 11:17, Proverbs 15:27
and bring disaster upon it 1× Joshua 6:18
has brought trouble 1× 1 Samuel 14:29
have brought great misery upon me 1× Judges 11:35
have you brought this trouble upon us 1× Joshua 7:25
He who brings trouble 1× Proverbs 11:29
is trouble 1× Proverbs 15:6
O troubler 1× 1 Kings 18:17
troubled 1× 1 Kings 18:18
was stirred 1× Psalms 39:2
who brought trouble 1× 1 Chronicles 2:7
will bring trouble upon you 1× Joshua 7:25
You have brought trouble 1× Genesis 34:30
Show sample aligned rows
Genesis 34:30 עֲכַרְתֶּ֣ם to You have brought trouble Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine plural Joshua 6:18 וַעֲכַרְתֶּ֖ם to and bring disaster upon it Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine plural Joshua 7:25 עֲכַרְתָּ֔נוּ to have you brought this trouble upon us Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine singular | first person common plural Joshua 7:25 יַעְכֳּרְךָ֥ to will bring trouble upon you Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular | second person masculine singular Judges 11:35 בְּעֹֽכְרָ֑י to have brought great misery upon me Preposition-b | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural construct | first person common singular 1 Samuel 14:29 עָכַ֥ר to has brought trouble Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular 1 Kings 18:17 עֹכֵ֥ר to O troubler Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular 1 Kings 18:18 עָכַ֙רְתִּי֙ to troubled Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular 1 Chronicles 2:7 עוֹכֵ֣ר to who brought trouble Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular Psalms 39:2 נֶעְכָּֽר׃ to was stirred Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Genesis 34:30
Aligned rows 14
Books represented 8
Genesis 1 Joshua 3 Judges 1 1 Samuel 1 1 Kings 2 1 Chronicles 1 Psalms 1 Proverbs 4
Source forms
עוֹכֵ֣ר 2x ‘ō·w·ḵêr 1 Chronicles 2:7, Proverbs 11:29
בְּעֹֽכְרָ֑י 1x bə·‘ō·ḵə·rāy Judges 11:35
וְעֹכֵ֥ר 1x wə·‘ō·ḵêr Proverbs 11:17
וַעֲכַרְתֶּ֖ם 1x wa·‘ă·ḵar·tem Joshua 6:18
יַעְכֳּרְךָ֥ 1x ya‘·kor·ḵā Joshua 7:25
נֶעְכָּֽר׃ 1x ne‘·kār Psalms 39:2
נֶעְכָּֽרֶת׃ 1x ne‘·kā·reṯ Proverbs 15:6
עָכַ֥ר 1x ‘ā·ḵar 1 Samuel 14:29
Parsing patterns
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular 4x 1 Kings 18:17, 1 Chronicles 2:7, Proverbs 11:29, Proverbs 15:27
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine plural 1x Joshua 6:18
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular 1x Proverbs 11:17
Preposition-b | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural construct | first person common singular 1x Judges 11:35
Verb - Nifal - Participle - feminine singular 1x Proverbs 15:6
Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person masculine singular 1x Psalms 39:2
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular | second person masculine singular 1x Joshua 7:25
Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular 1x 1 Kings 18:18
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. To disturb or trouble, moving from stirring turbid water to creating chaos in relationships and circumstances
Strong's H5916
Lexical occurrences 14 verses Word forms 2 forms 9 references Verse guides 0 guides
Study link Proverbs 11:17 Source Gloss
properly, to roil water ; figuratively, to disturb or affict
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
To disturb or trouble, moving from stirring turbid water to creating chaos in relationships and circumstances
properly, to roil water; figuratively, to disturb or affict BDB: stir up Usage: trouble, stir.
Grammatical Forms
How the stem changes the meaning of this verb across the biblical text.
This verb appears through different tense, voice, mood, or stem patterns. Those forms help readers see how the action is presented in context.
Form groups 2 Aligned forms 9
Qal basic active stem — the word in its most common, direct sense 7×
Participle active 1Chr 2:7 · 1Kgs 18:17 · Prov 11:29 · Prov 15:27 4×
Perfect 1Kgs 18:18 · 1Sam 14:29 · Gen 34:30 3×
Niphal passive or reflexive — the subject receives or experiences the action 2×
Participle active Prov 15:6 1×
Perfect Ps 39:3 1×
Selected Scripture Witness
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Old Testament Witnesses
to bring trouble, disturb, or ruin
Showing 1 selected witness from 14 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
עָכַר is a primitive root - no further derivation.
Why This Word Matters
Cruel behavior ultimately disturbs one's own life and relationships. Proverbs 11:17
Part of These Phrases
Compound and idiomatic phrases that include this word. Follow a link to study the phrase and how its parts work together.
Sources
MorphGNT Strong's Dictionary XML — CC0 1.0 Public Domain
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (morphhb/OSHB) — CC BY 4.0
Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon — CC BY 4.0
Berean Standard Bible (BSB) source-word alignment - CC0 Public Domain