Lexical Summary yatsa: To go out, to come out, to bring forth Original Word: יַצַע Strong's Exhaustive Concordance make one's bed, lie, spread A primitive root; to strew as a surface -- make (one's) bed, X lie, spread. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origina prim. root Definition to lay, spread NASB Translation lay (1), make my bed (1), spread (1), spreading (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs [יָצַע] verb Hiph`il lay, spread, late (Ges§ 71; Aramaic יְצַע Pa`el, Aph`el id., also expound, 'auslegen;' Arabic  is put or lay (down, on a place, etc.), but  = Aramaic ע) — Hiph`il Imperfect יַצִּיעַ Isaiah 58:5; אַצִּ֫יעָה Psalm 139:8; lay, spread out, followed by accusative שׂק ואפר Isaiah 58:5; שׁאול Psalm 139:8 if I spread out Sh®°ôl (as my couch). Hoph`al Imperfect יֻצַּע ( Pu`al Perfect De Di and others) be laid, spread; subject שׂק ואפר Esther 4:3; subject רִמָּה worm, as couch for king of Babylon Isaiah 14:11. Topical Lexicon Semantic Field and Imagery יַצַע depicts the act of spreading out a surface for lying down—normally a bed, blanket, or coarse cloth. By extension it describes the posture itself: a person stretched out on something deliberately prepared. The word can therefore convey rest, humiliation, mourning, or judgment, depending on context. Canonical Distribution The term appears four times in the Old Testament: Esther 4:3; Psalm 139:8; Isaiah 14:11; Isaiah 58:5. Each occurrence retains the basic sense of “spreading out as a bed,” yet every passage colors the image with a distinct theological emphasis. Contexts of Usage • Corporate Mourning – Esther 4:3 “With fasting, weeping, and wailing … many lay in sackcloth and ashes.” Here יַצַע pictures an entire people flattening themselves on rough sackcloth. The physical posture dramatizes total dependence on God when threatened with annihilation. • Personal Contrition – Isaiah 58:5 “Is this the fast I have chosen … to bow his head like a reed, and to spread out sackcloth and ashes?” False piety imitates the outward gesture of lying on sackcloth without the inward repentance God requires. יַצַע exposes the emptiness of ritual that lacks obedience. • Divine Omnipresence – Psalm 139:8 “If I make my bed in Sheol, You are there.” Even the deepest grave prepared by human hands cannot place the psalmist beyond the reach of God. יַצַע becomes a metaphor for death’s final resting place, yet the Lord’s presence penetrates it. • Judgment on Pride – Isaiah 14:11 “Your pomp has been brought down to Sheol … maggots are spread out beneath you, and worms cover you.” The once-exalted king now lies on a grisly bed prepared by God Himself. יַצַע underscores how far human arrogance can fall. Historical and Cultural Background Ancient Near-Eastern custom often expressed mourning by lying prostrate on the ground or on coarse cloth. Ashes and sackcloth intensified the symbolism, turning the human body into a living lament. In royal courts, a sumptuous couch symbolized power; to lose that couch and lie on the earth signified disgrace. Scripture draws on these cultural cues to reinforce spiritual truths. Theological Significance 1. God’s Nearness in Every Condition Whether the bed is Sheol’s pit (Psalm 139:8) or royal luxury turned to rot (Isaiah 14:11), God remains present and sovereign. יַצַע highlights that no circumstance—exaltation, despair, or death itself—escapes His oversight. 2. True vs. False Humility Isaiah 58:5 contrasts genuine repentance with theatrical religion. The outward act of spreading sackcloth is worthless unless accompanied by justice, mercy, and obedience (Isaiah 58:6–7). יַצַע therefore warns against externalism. 3. Collective Dependence Esther shows a community stretched out in unified petition. יַצַע here portrays corporate solidarity before God, encouraging believers to join together in crisis rather than isolate in fear. 4. Reversal of the Proud Isaiah 14:11 turns the royal bedchamber into a place of decay, proving that earthly status cannot shield anyone from divine judgment. Christological Echoes The Gospels record Jesus laid in a borrowed tomb—another form of יַצַע—yet He rose, conquering the very Sheol the psalmist envisioned. He identified with the humbled, fulfilled the righteous fast (Isaiah 58), and triumphed over the proud powers symbolized in Isaiah 14. Practical Ministry Reflections • Pastoral Care: Encourage believers that God is present in hospital beds, prison bunks, or graveside grief just as in sanctuaries. • Worship Planning: Corporate times of prayer and fasting should stress heart-level repentance, avoiding mere ritual display. • Preaching and Teaching: Use יַצַע to illustrate both extremes of human experience—lofty pride and abject sorrow—and God’s unchanging authority over each. • Discipleship: Invite believers to “spread out” their lives before the Lord, trusting His presence whether they lie in comfort or in affliction. Forms and Transliterations וְאַצִּ֖יעָה ואציעה יַצִּ֔יעַ יֻצַּ֖ע יֻצַּ֣ע יציע יצע veatzTziah wə’aṣṣî‘āh wə·’aṣ·ṣî·‘āh yaṣ·ṣî·a‘ yaṣṣîa‘ yatzTzia yuṣ·ṣa‘ yuṣṣa‘ yutzTzaLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Esther 4:3 HEB: שַׂ֣ק וָאֵ֔פֶר יֻצַּ֖ע לָֽרַבִּֽים׃ NAS: and many lay on sackcloth KJV: and many lay in sackcloth INT: sackcloth and ashes lay and many Psalm 139:8 Isaiah 14:11 Isaiah 58:5 4 Occurrences |
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