2960. torach
Lexical Summary
torach: Burden, hardship

Original Word: טֹרַח
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: torach
Pronunciation: toh'-rakh
Phonetic Spelling: (to'-rakh)
KJV: cumbrance, trouble
NASB: burden, load
Word Origin: [from H2959 (טָּרַח - loads)]

1. a burden

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
cumbrance, trouble

From tarach; a burden -- cumbrance, trouble.

see HEBREW tarach

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
from tarach
Definition
a burden
NASB Translation
burden (1), load (1).

Brown-Driver-Briggs
טֹ֫רַח noun masculine budren, figurative הָיוּ עָלַי לָטֹ֑רַח נִלְאֵיתִי נְ˜שׂא׃ Isaiah 1:14 they are become a burden on me, I am weary of bearing; אֵיכָה אֶשָּׂא טָרְחֲכֶם Deuteronomy 1:12 (+ מַשַּׂאֲכֶם וְרֵיבְכֶם) how can I bear the burden of you?

Topical Lexicon
Meaning and Scope of the Term

The noun טֹרַח speaks of a load that presses down upon the bearer. It can describe the felt weight of tangible responsibilities placed on human leaders, as well as the moral weight that persistent rebellion places on the heart of God. Though sparsely used, the word captures a vivid picture of strain, toil, and heaviness.

Occurrences in Scripture

1. Deuteronomy 1:12 – Moses confesses the impossibility of shouldering Israel’s “troubles, burdens, and disputes” alone; the word portrays the crushing nature of solitary leadership over a large, frequently discontented nation.
2. Isaiah 1:14 – The LORD declares that Israel’s ritual calendar, divorced from obedience, “has become a burden to Me; I am weary of bearing them.” Here the term shifts from human experience to divine perception, revealing that even sacred activities become unwelcome loads when emptied of covenant faithfulness.

Literary and Theological Observations

• Reciprocal Burden-Bearing: The same word applied to Moses and to the LORD creates a deliberate parallel. Leadership among God’s people can become a strain when covenant obligations are ignored, but heaven itself is also portrayed as bearing weight when the people persist in sin.
• Covenant Accountability: In Deuteronomy, the burden arises from Israel’s internal conflicts; in Isaiah, from formal worship devoid of righteousness. Both contexts highlight that covenant life cannot survive on formality or complaint—it flourishes only when justice, humility, and obedience are present (see Isaiah 1:17).
• Foreshadowing of Divine Provision: Moses’ cry for help anticipates the appointment of elders (Deuteronomy 1:13-15) and, ultimately, the fuller answer in the Messiah who bids, “My yoke is easy and My burden is light” (Matthew 11:30).

Historical Context

Deuteronomy records Israel on the plains of Moab, generations removed from Egypt yet still wrestling with self-centered expectations. The weight Moses describes is administrative, judicial, and pastoral. Isaiah prophesies more than six centuries later, confronting Judah’s hypocrisy under kings who maintained religious ceremony while tolerating injustice. In both eras, טֹרַח surfaces when covenant structure exists without corresponding heart devotion.

Ministry Implications

• Shared Leadership: Moses’ solution—qualified, Spirit-filled leaders—remains instructive for churches and ministries (Acts 6:1-7; Titus 1:5). Proper delegation protects servants from burnout and promotes healthy accountability.
• Authentic Worship: Isaiah warns that ritual can burden God when detached from repentance and mercy. Corporate worship today must couple liturgy with lives reflecting God’s character (James 1:27).
• Intercession: Recognizing that sin becomes a “burden” to God should stir heartfelt prayer for revival. Believers share Christ’s compassion when they feel the weight of a community’s estrangement from the Lord (Romans 9:1-3).

Christological Perspective

The Servant-Redeemer carries humanity’s ultimate load: “Surely He took on our infirmities and carried our sorrows” (Isaiah 53:4). By lifting the intolerable burden of guilt, He exemplifies and fulfills the principle embedded in טֹרַח—what is crushing for mankind is borne perfectly by the Savior. Consequently, believers are summoned to “bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2).

Related Concepts and Passages

• Masá (burden, Numbers 4:15) – emphasizes cargo or assigned duty.
• Səbal (load, Isaiah 46:4) – often figurative for hardship.
Psalm 55:22 – “Cast your burden upon the LORD and He will sustain you.” Together, these terms reveal a consistent biblical call: recognize the heaviness of life, refuse to carry it alone, and entrust it to the One who never wearies.

Forms and Transliterations
טָרְחֲכֶ֥ם טרחכם לָטֹ֑רַח לטרח lā·ṭō·raḥ laTorach lāṭōraḥ ṭā·rə·ḥă·ḵem tarechaChem ṭārəḥăḵem
Links
Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman's Concordance
Deuteronomy 1:12
HEB: אֶשָּׂ֖א לְבַדִּ֑י טָרְחֲכֶ֥ם וּמַֽשַּׂאֲכֶ֖ם וְרִֽיבְכֶֽם׃
NAS: bear the load and burden
KJV: can I myself alone bear your cumbrance, and your burden,
INT: bear alone the load and burden adversary

Isaiah 1:14
HEB: הָי֥וּ עָלַ֖י לָטֹ֑רַח נִלְאֵ֖יתִי נְשֹֽׂא׃
NAS: They have become a burden to Me; I am weary
KJV: hateth: they are a trouble unto me; I am weary
INT: have become and A burden I am weary of bearing

2 Occurrences

Strong's Hebrew 2960
2 Occurrences


lā·ṭō·raḥ — 1 Occ.
ṭā·rə·ḥă·ḵem — 1 Occ.

2959
Top of Page
Top of Page