What does עָצַב (ʿāṣab) mean in the Bible?
עָצַב (ʿāṣab): Carving/shaping transitions to causing pain; fundamental sense of imposing form generates emotional distress meaning.
Hebrew · H6087
עָצַב
Properly, to carve , i.e. fabricate or fashion ; hence (in a bad sense) to worry , pain or anger
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עָצַבH6087
Pronunciationʿāṣab
What does עָצַב (ʿāṣab) mean in the Bible?
עָצַב (ʿāṣab): Carving/shaping transitions to causing pain; fundamental sense of imposing form generates emotional distress meaning.
Full entry for עָצַב (H6087) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H6087?
The BSB source-word alignment has 17 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include grieve (2), and grieved (1), and grieved Him (1), and He was grieved (1), and wounded (1).
Where does עָצַב (ʿāṣab) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Genesis 6:6. Its strongest book concentrations include Genesis (3), 1 Samuel (2), Isaiah (2), Nehemiah (2).
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders Itgrieve2×Nehemiah 8:10, Nehemiah 8:11
and grieved1×Isaiah 63:10
and grieved Him1×Psalms 78:40
and He was grieved1×Genesis 6:6
and wounded1×Isaiah 54:6
be distressed1×Genesis 45:5
from pain1×1 Chronicles 4:10
grief1×Genesis 34:7
he was grieved1×1 Samuel 20:34
he will be grieved1×1 Samuel 20:3
in her image1×Jeremiah 44:19
is grieving1×2 Samuel 19:2
may be injured1×Ecclesiastes 10:9
once reprimanded him1×1 Kings 1:6
shaped me1×Job 10:8
they twist1×Psalms 56:5
Show sample aligned rows
Genesis 6:6וַיִּתְעַצֵּ֖בtoand He was grievedConjunctive waw | Verb - Hitpael - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singularGenesis 34:7וַיִּֽתְעַצְּבוּ֙togriefConjunctive waw | Verb - Hitpael - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine pluralGenesis 45:5תֵּעָ֣צְב֗וּtobe distressedVerb - Nifal - Imperfect - second person masculine plural1 Samuel 20:3יֵֽעָצֵ֑בtohe will be grievedVerb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular1 Samuel 20:34נֶעְצַב֙tohe was grievedVerb - Nifal - Perfect - third person masculine singular2 Samuel 19:2נֶעֱצַ֥בtois grievingVerb - Nifal - Perfect - third person masculine singular1 Kings 1:6עֲצָב֨וֹtoonce reprimanded himVerb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular | third person masculine singular1 Chronicles 4:10עָצְבִּ֑יtofrom painVerb - Qal - Infinitive construct | first person common singularNehemiah 8:10תֵּ֣עָצֵ֔בוּtogrieveVerb - Nifal - Imperfect - second person masculine pluralNehemiah 8:11תֵּעָצֵֽבוּ׃togrieveVerb - Nifal - Imperfect - second person masculine plural
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned rowGenesis 6:6
Aligned rows17
Books represented11
Genesis31 Samuel22 Samuel11 Kings11 Chronicles1Nehemiah2Job1Psalms2Ecclesiastes1Isaiah2Jeremiah1
Source forms
וַיִּתְעַצֵּ֖ב1xway·yiṯ·‘aṣ·ṣêḇGenesis 6:6
וַיִּֽתְעַצְּבוּ֙1xway·yiṯ·‘aṣ·ṣə·ḇūGenesis 34:7
וְעִצְּב֖וּ1xwə·‘iṣ·ṣə·ḇūIsaiah 63:10
וַעֲצ֥וּבַת1xwa·‘ă·ṣū·ḇaṯIsaiah 54:6
יֵֽעָצֵ֑ב1xyê·‘ā·ṣêḇ1 Samuel 20:3
יֵעָצֵ֖ב1xyê·‘ā·ṣêḇEcclesiastes 10:9
יְעַצֵּ֑בוּ1xyə·‘aṣ·ṣê·ḇūPsalms 56:5
יַ֝עֲצִיב֗וּהוּ1xya·‘ă·ṣî·ḇū·hūPsalms 78:40
Parsing patterns
Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - second person masculine plural3xGenesis 45:5, Nehemiah 8:10, Nehemiah 8:11
Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular2x1 Samuel 20:3, Ecclesiastes 10:9
Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person masculine singular2x1 Samuel 20:34, 2 Samuel 19:2
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hitpael - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural1xGenesis 34:7
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hitpael - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular1xGenesis 6:6
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural1xIsaiah 63:10
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - feminine singular construct1xIsaiah 54:6
Preposition-l | Verb - Hifil - Infinitive construct | third person feminine singular1xJeremiah 44:19
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Carving/shaping transitions to causing pain; fundamental sense of imposing form generates emotional distress meaning.
Strong'sH6087
Lexical occurrences17 versesWord forms2 forms8 referencesVerse guides0 guides
Study linkGenesis 6:5-8Source Gloss
properly, to carve , i.e. fabricate or fashion ; hence (in a bad sense) to worry , pain or anger
Extended definitionSource: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Carving/shaping transitions to causing pain; fundamental sense of imposing form generates emotional distress meaning.
properly, to carve, i.e. fabricate or fashion; hence (in a bad sense) to worry, pain or anger BDB: shape Usage: displease, grieve, hurt, make, be sorry, vex, worship, wrest.
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 groups2Aligned forms8
Niphalpassive or reflexive — the subject receives or experiences the action7×
JussiveGen 45:5 · Neh 8:10 · Neh 8:113×
Imperfect1Sam 20:3 · Eccl 10:92×
Perfect1Sam 20:34 · 2Sam 19:32×
Pielintensive active — emphasizes thoroughness or repeated action1×
ImperfectPs 56:61×
Selected Scripture Witnesses
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Biblical Witnesses
God's emotional pain and displeasure at human wickedness and corruption
Winking or deceiving causes emotional hurt and distress to others
Wine and excess produce multiple forms of pain, sorrow, and suffering
Showing 3 selected witnesses from 17 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
עָצַב is a primitive root - no further derivation.
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.