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Hebrew · H6087, G3077 · unreviewed

עֶצֶב

Properly, to carve , i.e. fabricate or fashion ; hence (in a bad sense) to worry , pain or anger · sadness

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Words in this compound — expand to study each participant

עָצַב H6087 properly, to carve , i.e. fabricate or fashion ; hence (in a bad sense) to worry , pain or anger
Pronunciation ʿāṣab
Carving/shaping transitions to causing pain; fundamental sense of imposing form generates emotional distress meaning.
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λύπη G3077 sadness
Pronunciation lýpē
Grief that can be either worldly despair or redemptive sorrow leading to repentance and transformation.
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What does עֶצֶב (etsev) mean in the Bible?

עָצַב · λύπη is a Hebrew word meaning "pain, grief, or trouble".

Full entry for עֶצֶב (H6087, G3077) · Browse the biblical lexicon

Meaning

pain, grief, or trouble
Grammatical Forms

How the stem changes the meaning of this verb across the biblical text.

Niphal passive or reflexive — the subject receives or experiences the action 7×
Jussive Gen 45:5 · Neh 8:10 · Neh 8:11 3×
Imperfect 1Sam 20:3 · Eccl 10:9 2×
Perfect 1Sam 20:34 · 2Sam 19:3 2×
Piel intensive active — emphasizes thoroughness or repeated action 1×
Imperfect Ps 56:6 1×
8 total occurrences across all forms in the biblical text Morphology: OSHB — CC BY 4.0
Hebrew Verb Forms

How this verb appears across 8 occurrences in the Hebrew OT (OSHB Leningrad Codex).

Aspect / Form
Imperfect 6 Perfect 2
Stem
Niphal 7 Piel 1
Mood
Indicative/jussive 3 Jussive 3 Indicative 2
OT Occurrences
Gen 45:5 Niphal · Imperfect · Jussive 1 Sam 20:3 Niphal · Imperfect · Indicative/jussive 1 Sam 20:34 Niphal · Perfect · Indicative 2 Sam 19:3 Niphal · Perfect · Indicative Neh 8:10 Niphal · Imperfect · Jussive Neh 8:11 Niphal · Imperfect · Jussive Ps 56:6 Piel · Imperfect · Indicative/jussive Eccl 10:9 Niphal · Imperfect · Indicative/jussive

Aspect in Hebrew reflects grammatical form, not tense. "Perfect" (Perfective) typically denotes completed action; "Imperfect" (Imperfective) denotes incomplete or ongoing action. Stem modifies the action type (Qal=simple, Niphal=passive, Piel=intensive, etc.).

Morphology: OSHB WLC (Open Scriptures, CC BY 4.0) · STEPBible TEHMC (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0)

Word Pictures (Robertson)

A.T. Robertson's Word Pictures in the New Testament (1930–31) discusses this term in the following chapters. Open any chapter and go to the Word Pictures tab to read his verse-by-verse commentary.

John 16 — The Spirit’s Convicting Witness, the Disciples’ Sorrow Turned to Joy, and Christ’s Victory over the World Romans 9 — God’s Faithfulness, Sovereign Mercy, and Israel’s Stumbling Over Christ

A.T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament (1930–31) — public domain

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

STEPBible Data — CC BY 4.0

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