Lexical Summary metsar: Distress, straits, trouble Original Word: מֵצַר Strong's Exhaustive Concordance distress, pain, strait From qebah; something tight, i.e. (figuratively) trouble -- distress, pain, strait. see HEBREW qebah NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom tsarar Definition straits, distress NASB Translation distress (2), terrors (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs מֵצַר noun [masculine] straits, distress; — absolute מִןֿ הַמֵּצַר קָרָאתִי Psalm 118:5; plural הַמְּצָרִים Lamentations 1:3 the distresses, of conquered Judah; construct מְצָרֵי שְׁאוֺל Psalm 116:3 the straits of Sheol, i.e. the worst possible ("" חֶבְלֵימָֿוֶת). Topical Lexicon Concept of Narrowness and Distress מֵצַר repeatedly conveys the experience of being hemmed in—whether by hostile terrain, relentless enemies, or overwhelming sorrow. The image of a “narrow place” presses the reader to feel the suffocation that arises when every route of escape appears blocked. Yet in each passage the term is paired with God’s power to widen the path, turning constriction into freedom. Occurrences in Scripture • Psalm 116:3 places the psalmist in life-threatening crisis: “The ropes of death entangled me; the anguish of Sheol overcame me; I was confronted by distress and sorrow.” The distress is existential; only divine intervention can untie such cords. Historical Background The Hebrew imagination associated “narrow places” with mountain passes and wadis where armies could be ambushed and travelers cornered. Such locales became metaphors for any circumstance that crushes hope. In the exilic period the phrase crystallized the experience of siege, deportation, and diaspora life. Theological Implications 1. Divine Deliverance: Every use of מֵצַר implies that God alone creates breadth. Salvation is not self-generated; it is bestowed when the afflicted cry out (Psalm 34:6; Jonah 2:2). New Testament Resonance Though the Greek New Testament does not employ a direct equivalent, its themes parallel מֵצַר. Paul speaks of being “hard pressed on every side, but not crushed” (2 Corinthians 4:8), and Jesus contrasts the “narrow gate” that leads to life with the broad road to destruction (Matthew 7:13-14). The gospel announces that Christ has endured the ultimate constriction—death—so that believers may enter the liberty of sons and daughters of God (Galatians 5:1). Pastoral Applications • Prayer in Crisis: Psalm 118:5 models candid petition followed by confident expectation. Believers may translate their own mêtsar moments into specific cries for help. Summary מֵצַר captures both the reality of human confinement and the certainty of divine liberation. Scripture situates the believer’s narrow place within God’s expansive plan, ensuring that every cry from the depths finds an answer in the One who brings His people out into a broad place of lasting peace. Forms and Transliterations הַ֭מֵּצַ֥ר הַמְּצָרִֽים׃ המצר המצרים׃ וּמְצָרֵ֣י ומצרי ham·mə·ṣā·rîm ham·mê·ṣar hammêṣar hamməṣārîm hammeTzar hammetzaRim ū·mə·ṣā·rê ūməṣārê umetzaReiLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Psalm 116:3 HEB: חֶבְלֵי־ מָ֗וֶת וּמְצָרֵ֣י שְׁא֣וֹל מְצָא֑וּנִי NAS: encompassed me And the terrors of Sheol KJV: compassed me, and the pains of hell INT: the cords of death and the terrors of Sheol came Psalm 118:5 Lamentations 1:3 3 Occurrences |
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