2959. tarach

Lexical Summary

tarach: To burden, to trouble, to weary

Original Word: טָרַח
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: tarach
Pronunciation: tah-RAKH
Phonetic Spelling: (taw-rakh')
KJV: weary
NASB: loads
Word Origin: [a primitive root]

1. to overburden

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

weary

A primitive root; to overburden -- weary.

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
a prim. root
Definition
to toil, be burdened
NASB Translation
loads (1).

Brown-Driver-Briggs

[טָרַח] verb toil, be burdened (Late Hebrew id., toil, Hiph`il weary, importune; Aramaic טְרַח toil, etc.; Arabic is cast, throw, remove) —

Hiph`il Imperfect אַףבְּֿרִי יַטְרִיחַ עָ֑ב Job 37:11 he burdeneth with moisture the cloud(s).

Topical Lexicon

Textual Setting

The solitary occurrence of טָרַח in Scripture appears in Job 37:11: “He loads the clouds with moisture; the clouds scatter His lightning”. Spoken by Elihu, the verb draws attention to the sovereign activity of God in the natural world at the climax of the book’s nature hymns. The picture is vivid—clouds are not merely atmospheric phenomena but vessels deliberately “loaded” by the Creator for His purposes.

Imagery of Clouds and Burdens

1. Deliberate Action: The term evokes the idea of a purposeful weighing-down, not an accidental accumulation. In Job’s setting of suffering and questioning, even the swelling of thunderheads witnesses to divine intentionality.
2. Hidden Provision: Moisture stored within the cloud eventually descends as rain, nourishing the earth (Job 36:27–28). What first seems a heavy burden becomes life-giving sustenance, mirroring how trials can yield blessing (James 1:2–4).
3. Controlled Power: The same cloud that carries refreshment also scatters lightning—unpredictable to humanity yet governed by God (Job 37:13). The verb therefore holds together mercy and might, comfort and awe.

Theological Themes

• Divine Sovereignty: The passage reinforces that every force of nature operates under God’s command. Nothing is random; He “loads” and He “scatters” (Psalm 135:6).
• Providence in Suffering: Job longs for answers; Elihu’s image implies that what feels oppressive may be preparation for a future blessing (Romans 8:28).
• Revelation Through Creation: The loaded cloud serves as a living parable. As Paul later states, “His eternal power and divine nature have been clearly seen” (Romans 1:20). טָרַח participates in that revelation by portraying God as the One who makes and manages burdens for His glory.

Links to the Wider Canon

Though the Hebrew verb itself is rare, the motif of divine burdening or carrying recurs:
• Psalm 68:19, “Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears our burdens.” The God who places weight upon clouds also lifts weight from His people.
• Isaiah 46:4, “Even to your old age…I will bear you.” Humanity’s loads are borne by the very One who loads creation.
• Matthew 11:28: Christ’s invitation, “Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened,” echoes the Old Testament assurance that God both assigns and relieves weight.

Historical Reception

Early Jewish commentators saw in Job 37:11 a lesson on seasonal cycles and divine wisdom. Patristic writers, including Gregory the Great, applied the image to the ministry of preaching: God fills the “clouds” (teachers) with doctrine that later showers upon the church. Reformers emphasized providence: the same God who formed the thunderstorm guides history and individual lives.

Practical and Pastoral Reflections

• Trust amid Mystery: When circumstances feel heavy, believers can recall that the clouds are “loaded” with purpose.
• Patience for Harvest: Just as moisture must gather before rain falls, spiritual fruit often requires unseen preparation (Galatians 6:9).
• Balanced View of God: Job 37:11 calls for reverence and hope—He is both fearsome in lightning and faithful in rain.
• Ministry Analogy: Those who teach or counsel bear a God-given load of truth meant to bless others. Pray for the Spirit’s timing so that “showers of blessing” (Ezekiel 34:26) reach the right hearts.

Conclusion

טָרַח in Job 37:11, though a single occurrence, enriches biblical theology by portraying God as the One who purposefully loads creation—and, by extension, our lives—with weights that serve His redemptive designs. Recognizing His hand in every burden fosters reverence, patience, and confident hope.

Forms and Transliterations

יַטְרִ֣יחַ יטריח yaṭ·rî·aḥ yatRiach yaṭrîaḥ

Englishman's Concordance

Job 37:11
HEB: אַף־ בְּ֭רִי יַטְרִ֣יחַ עָ֑ב יָ֝פִ֗יץ
NAS: with moisture He loads the thick cloud;
KJV: Also by watering he wearieth the thick cloud:
INT: Also moisture loads the thick disperses

1 Occurrence

Strong's Hebrew 2959
1 Occurrence

yaṭ·rî·aḥ — 1 Occ.