394. akzari
Lexical Summary
akzari: cruel, cruel man, cruel one

Original Word: אַכְזָרִי
Part of Speech: Adjective
Transliteration: akzariy
Pronunciation: ahk-zah-REE
Phonetic Spelling: (ak-zawr-ree')
KJV: cruel (one)
NASB: cruel, cruel man, cruel one
Word Origin: [from H393 (אַכזָר - cruel)]

1. terrible

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
cruel one

From 'akzar; terrible -- cruel (one).

see HEBREW 'akzar

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
from akzar
Definition
cruel
NASB Translation
cruel (5), cruel man (1), cruel one (1), cruel one (1).

Brown-Driver-Briggs
אַכְזָרִי adjective cruel, always in this form; — Proverbs 12:10; Proverbs 17:11; Jeremiah 6:23; Jeremiah 50:42, also Jeremiah 30:14 (read ׳מוּסָר א, for ᵑ0 מוּסַר, Gf Gie); as substantive Proverbs 5:9; Proverbs 11:17, perhaps also, in apposition with ׳יוֺם י, Isaiah 13:9.

Topical Lexicon
Overview of the Theme

Strong’s Hebrew 394, ʼak͟zārî, portrays a harsh, pitiless disposition that delights in the suffering or exploitation of others. The term threads through Wisdom literature and prophetic oracles, exposing both the human heart’s capacity for ruthless behavior and the Lord’s righteous use of severe instruments when judging persistent rebellion.

Contexts of Human Cruelty in Proverbs

1. Personal Exploitation (Proverbs 5:9) – Immorality can waste a person’s “years to one who is cruel,” showing how sin hands life-energy to those intent on destruction.
2. Self-Harm Through Hardheartedness (Proverbs 11:17) – “A kind man benefits himself, but a cruel man brings trouble on his own flesh.” Unkindness rebounds on the perpetrator, making cruelty self-destructive.
3. Ethical Treatment of Creatures (Proverbs 12:10) – Even the most “tender mercies of the wicked are cruel,” contrasting genuine righteousness, which shows compassion down to the animal kingdom.
4. Divine Retribution Against Rebellion (Proverbs 17:11) – An incorrigible rebel will meet “a cruel messenger,” affirming that obstinate sin invites severe consequences.

Cruelty as a Divine Instrument of Judgment

Isaiah 13:9 describes “the Day of the LORD…cruel, with rage and burning anger.” The adjective heightens the terror of eschatological judgment; sinners experience the Day as merciless even though God’s actions remain perfectly just. In Jeremiah 6:23 and Jeremiah 50:42 Babylon’s invaders are “cruel and show no mercy,” while Jeremiah 30:14 notes “the discipline of one most cruel.” The prophets present ruthless armies as rods in the Lord’s hand (compare Isaiah 10:5), reminding Israel—and later Babylon—that unchecked evil will ultimately be repaid in kind.

Interplay between Cruelty and Mercy

Scripture juxtaposes ʼak͟zārî with divine hesed (steadfast love). Where humanity embraces mercilessness, covenant faithfulness shines brighter. The moral antithesis underpins the call to “do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly” (Micah 6:8). Cruel conduct obscures the image of God; compassion displays it.

Literary and Prophetic Imagery

The term often appears amid military metaphors: archers, horsemen, roaring seas (Jeremiah 6:23; 50:42). Such language conveys total panic and irresistibility when judgment falls. In Wisdom passages, the imagery turns domestic—family honor, bodily welfare, care of livestock—making the warning personal and everyday.

Practical and Ministry Applications

• Pastoral Oversight: Leaders guard against institutional or relational harshness, mirroring Christ’s gentleness (Matthew 11:29).
• Social Witness: Believers oppose oppression and cruelty wherever found, whether toward people or animals, modeling Proverbs 12:10 compassion.
• Discipleship: Teaching on ʼak͟zārî helps expose subtle forms of cruelty—sarcasm, neglect, economic exploitation—calling the church to “be kind and compassionate to one another” (Ephesians 4:32).
• Evangelism and Judgment: The prophetic texts motivate gospel urgency; if unrepentant hearts face a “cruel” Day, proclaiming the cross—where ultimate justice and mercy meet—becomes paramount.

Eschatological Echoes and Hope

While Isaiah 13:9 paints the Day of the LORD as dreadfully severe, later revelation points to a new creation where “there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain” (Revelation 21:4). The temporary, though terrifying, experience of ʼak͟zārî serves God’s larger purpose of purging wickedness so that eternal kindness may prevail. The believer, rescued from wrath through Christ, is liberated to live a life diametrically opposed to cruelty, anticipating a kingdom where mercy triumphs forever.

Forms and Transliterations
אַ֝כְזָרִ֗י אַכְזָרִ֔י אַכְזָרִ֥י אַכְזָרִֽי׃ אכזרי אכזרי׃ לְאַכְזָרִֽי׃ לאכזרי׃ ’aḵ·zā·rî ’aḵzārî achzaRi lə’aḵzārî lə·’aḵ·zā·rî leachzaRi
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Englishman's Concordance
Proverbs 5:9
HEB: הוֹדֶ֑ךָ וּ֝שְׁנֹתֶ֗יךָ לְאַכְזָרִֽי׃
NAS: And your years to the cruel one;
KJV: and thy years unto the cruel:
INT: your vigor and your years to the cruel

Proverbs 11:17
HEB: וְעֹכֵ֥ר שְׁ֝אֵר֗וֹ אַכְזָרִֽי׃
NAS: good, But the cruel man does
KJV: to his own soul: but [he that is] cruel troubleth
INT: does himself the cruel

Proverbs 12:10
HEB: וְֽרַחֲמֵ֥י רְ֝שָׁעִ֗ים אַכְזָרִֽי׃
NAS: of the wicked is cruel.
KJV: of the wicked [are] cruel.
INT: But the compassion of the wicked is cruel

Proverbs 17:11
HEB: רָ֑ע וּמַלְאָ֥ךְ אַ֝כְזָרִ֗י יְשֻׁלַּח־ בּֽוֹ׃
NAS: evil, So a cruel messenger
KJV: only rebellion: therefore a cruel messenger
INT: evil messenger A cruel will be sent

Isaiah 13:9
HEB: יְהוָה֙ בָּ֔א אַכְזָרִ֥י וְעֶבְרָ֖ה וַחֲר֣וֹן
NAS: is coming, Cruel, with fury
KJV: cometh, cruel both with wrath
INT: of the LORD is coming Cruel fury and burning

Jeremiah 6:23
HEB: וְכִיד֞וֹן יַחֲזִ֗יקוּ אַכְזָרִ֥י הוּא֙ וְלֹ֣א
NAS: and spear; They are cruel and have
KJV: and spear; they [are] cruel, and have no mercy;
INT: and spear seize are cruel he no

Jeremiah 30:14
HEB: הִכִּיתִיךְ֙ מוּסַ֣ר אַכְזָרִ֔י עַ֚ל רֹ֣ב
NAS: With the punishment of a cruel one, Because
KJV: with the chastisement of a cruel one, for the multitude
INT: have wounded the punishment of a cruel Because is great

Jeremiah 50:42
HEB: וְכִידֹ֞ן יַחֲזִ֗יקוּ אַכְזָרִ֥י הֵ֙מָּה֙ וְלֹ֣א
NAS: and javelin; They are cruel and have
KJV: and the lance: they [are] cruel, and will not shew mercy:
INT: and javelin seize are cruel like no

8 Occurrences

Strong's Hebrew 394
8 Occurrences


’aḵ·zā·rî — 7 Occ.
lə·’aḵ·zā·rî — 1 Occ.

393
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