Lexical Summary atseb or atstsab: Idol, image, pain, sorrow Original Word: עָצֵב Strong's Exhaustive Concordance labor From atsab; a (hired) workman -- labour. see HEBREW atsab NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom atsab Definition toiler NASB Translation workers (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs [עָצֵב, > עַצָּב] noun [masculine] toiler (properly sufferer; less well עֶצֶב toil Thes Köii. 1, 29 and others); — plural suffix עַצְּבֵיכֶם תִּנְנּ֑שֹׁוּ Isaiah 58:3 (dagesh forte dirimens Ges§ 20h) your toilers ye drive on; Klo Che עֲבֹט בְּיֶדְכֶם (compare Vrss in part) money lent on pledge ye exact. Topical Lexicon Overview עָצֵב depicts the heavy, painful toil imposed on others. While the noun appears only once, it stands at the center of a prophetic rebuke that exposes the disconnect between outward piety and ethical obedience. Biblical Occurrence Isaiah 58:3 records Israel’s complaint that God seems indifferent to their fasting. The Lord replies: “On the day of your fast you do as you please, and you drive all your laborers”. The term translated “laborers” refers to burdensome work exacted by those who are fasting, betraying the hypocrisy of seeking God’s favor while exploiting the vulnerable. Context in Isaiah 58 1. True and false fasting (Isaiah 58:1-5). Within this structure, עָצֵב exposes the core issue: religious activity divorced from justice is offensive to God. Historical Setting Isaiah 58 addresses a post-exilic community eager for divine intervention yet spiritually indifferent to covenantal ethics. Forced labor, wage withholding, and class oppression were common in Persian-period Judea. The prophet’s use of עָצֵב evokes memories of Egyptian bondage (Exodus 1:11-14) and the curse of painful toil pronounced in Genesis 3:17-19, reminding the hearers that to inflict such toil on others is to reenact the conditions from which God had redeemed them. Theological Themes • Integrity of Worship: God demands congruence between ritual devotion and social righteousness (Micah 6:6-8; Amos 5:21-24). Christological Perspective Jesus confronted religious leaders who “tie up heavy burdens” but “are unwilling to lift a finger to move them” (Matthew 23:4). He invites the weary: “Come to Me... and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28-30). In Him, the oppressive עָצֵב is replaced by the easy yoke of grace. Ministry Application 1. Personal Fasting: Examine motives; true fasting must overflow in mercy, generosity, and advocacy. Related Scriptural Parallels • Burdensome toil under the Fall: Genesis 3:16-19. Conclusion Though appearing only once, עָצֵב serves as a prophetic spotlight on the sin of exploiting others under the guise of spiritual devotion. It summons God’s people in every age to integrate worship with justice, echoing the heartbeat of the gospel that liberates from burdens and ushers believers into the rest secured by the finished work of Jesus Christ. Forms and Transliterations עַצְּבֵיכֶ֖ם עצביכם ‘aṣ·ṣə·ḇê·ḵem ‘aṣṣəḇêḵem atztzeveiChemLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Isaiah 58:3 HEB: חֵ֔פֶץ וְכָל־ עַצְּבֵיכֶ֖ם תִּנְגֹּֽשׂוּ׃ NAS: And drive hard all your workers. KJV: pleasure, and exact all your labours. INT: desire all your workers and drive 1 Occurrence |
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