Lexical Summary mutsaq: anguish, constraint, frozen Original Word: מוּצַק Strong's Exhaustive Concordance anguish, straitness Or muwtsaq {moo-tsawk'}; from yatsaq; narrowness; figuratively, distress -- anguish, is straitened, straitness. see HEBREW yatsaq NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom tsuq Definition constraint, distress NASB Translation anguish (1), constraint (1), frozen (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs II. מוּצָק, מוּצָק noun [masculine] constraint, distress; — absolute מוּצָק Isaiah 8:23 distress; absolute also מוּצָק Job 36:16, of distress as constraint (opposed to רַחַב); רֹחַב מַיִם בְּמוּצָ֑ק Job 37:10, literally in constraint (i.e. frozen). — 1. מוּצָק see יצק. Topical Lexicon OverviewThe noun מוּצַק appears only three times in Scripture and depicts a state that has been poured out and then hardened or compressed. Across its occurrences it conveys physical solidification (ice), spatial confinement, and psychological or national distress, while each context also anticipates God’s power to relieve the pressure. Job 36:16 – Confinement and Release Elihu tells Job, “Indeed, He lured you from the jaws of distress to a spacious place, unrestricted, to the comfort of your table laden with choice food” (Job 36:16). The “distress” is the mould-pressed condition signified by מוּצַק. God alone moves Job from claustrophobic hardship to a broad expanse of blessing, illustrating divine initiative in deliverance. Job 37:10 – Waters Frozen by Divine Breath “By the breath of God the ice is formed and the broad waters are frozen” (Job 37:10). Here the word describes vast waters suddenly locked into rigidity. Nature itself becomes an object lesson: the Almighty can bind or free the seas at will, reinforcing His sovereignty over creation and over every constricting circumstance. Isaiah 9:1 – National Distress and Messianic Hope The prophet announces, “Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those in distress” (Isaiah 9:1). The northern tribes had been crushed under Assyrian domination; מוּצַק captures their oppressive gloom. Yet the verse promises that the very region once compressed will be honored, a prophecy later fulfilled by Jesus’ ministry in Galilee (Matthew 4:13–16). Theological Threads 1. Sovereignty: Whether weather, personal suffering, or geopolitical turmoil, God presides over both the tightening and loosening of every circumstance. Historical Setting Isaiah spoke to eighth-century B.C. Israel, whose northern territories were repeatedly invaded by Assyria. The same vocabulary describing Job’s personal ordeal aptly captured national anguish, demonstrating that God’s dealings with individuals and nations follow parallel patterns. Ministry Implications Pastoral care: When believers feel “frozen” or “pressed,” these texts assure them that God plans an eventual broad place. Preaching: The shift from hardened confinement to spacious freedom offers vivid imagery for sermons on salvation and sanctification. Counseling: Isaiah 9:1 authorizes hope for communities ground down by oppression and for individuals burdened by despair. Worship and worldview: Job 37:10 grounds meteorological phenomena in God’s breath, inviting reverent awe rather than chance-driven explanations. Christological Fulfillment Matthew identifies Isaiah 9:1 as fulfilled in Jesus, who ministered in “Galilee of the nations.” The One who would later command literal storms first stepped into the region once pressed by gloom, proving Himself the ultimate Liberator who melts every frost of sin and sorrow. Together the three occurrences of מוּצַק proclaim that while God may permit seasons of immovable hardness, He also provides the breath, the word, and finally the incarnate Son to bring release. Forms and Transliterations בְּמוּצָֽק׃ במוצק׃ מוּצָ֣ק מוצק bə·mū·ṣāq bəmūṣāq bemuTzak mū·ṣāq mūṣāq muTzakLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Job 36:16 HEB: רַ֭חַב לֹא־ מוּצָ֣ק תַּחְתֶּ֑יהָ וְנַ֥חַת NAS: with no constraint; And that which was set KJV: where [there is] no straitness; and that which should be set INT: A broad no constraint Instead which Job 37:10 Isaiah 9:1 3 Occurrences |
    |