Lexical Summary tsarar: To bind, to be narrow, to be in distress, to be in trouble, to be an adversary Original Word: צָרַר Strong's Exhaustive Concordance adversary, be in affliction, besiege, bind up, be in, bring distress, narrower, A primitive root; to cramp, literally or figuratively, transitive or intransitive (as follows) -- adversary, (be in) afflict(-ion), beseige, bind (up), (be in, bring) distress, enemy, narrower, oppress, pangs, shut up, be in a strait (trouble), vex. Brown-Driver-Briggs [צָרַר] verb denominative Hiph`il suffer distress (specifically of travail, compare Jeremiah 4:31; Jeremiah 49:24); — Participle לֵב אִשָּׁה מְצֵרָה (in simile) Jeremiah 48:41; Jeremiah 49:22. II. צָרַר verb shew hostility toward, vex (Late Hebrew צַר foe; Arabic Qal Perfect3plural וְצָֽרֲרוּ Numbers 33:55 consecutive, suffix צְרָרוּנִי Psalm 129:1; Psalm 129:2; Imperfect3masculine singular יָצֹר Isaiah 11:13; Infinitive absolute צָרוֺר Numbers 25:17; Participle active צֹרֵר Numbers 10:9, plural suffix צֹרֲרי Psalm 31:12 +, etc.; — shew hostility toward, treat with enmity, vex, harass, with accusative of person Isaiah 11:13; Numbers 10:9; Numbers 25:17; once with ל person Numbers 25:18; also participle as substantive (construct or with suffix) vexer, harasser, Amos 5:12; Isaiah 11:13; Exodus 23:22 (E), Psalm 6:8; Psalm 7:5; Psalm 7:7; Psalm 8:3; Psalm 10:5; Psalm 23:5; Psalm 31:12; Psalm 42:11; Psalm 69:20; Psalm 74:4; Psalm 74:23; Psalm 143:12; Esther 3:10; Esther 8:1; Esther 9:10,24. — Leviticus 18:18 see [ צָרַר] below II. צָרָה, below [צָרַר] verb denominative make a rival-wife; — Qal Infinitive construct לִצְרֹר Leviticus 18:18 to make [her] a rival-wife (LagGGN, 1882, 406 Dr-WhLv Baenl. v). III. צרר (√ of following; compare Arabic Topical Lexicon Tsarar: Overview The verb צָרַר (tsarar) portrays the experience of being hemmed in by pressure or hostility. Its 52 occurrences span every major division of the Old Testament, linking physical confinement, social persecution, military siege, and spiritual anguish under a single image of tightening distress. The same root generates nouns for “enemy,” “trouble,” and “narrow place,” so the contexts regularly move from the constricting act itself to its hostile agents and painful consequences. Narrowed Spaces, Tight Bonds Several passages use tsarar for literal binding or enclosing, showing the concrete picture underlying the metaphor. Job 20:22 warns, “In the midst of his plenty, distress will overtake him; the full weight of misery will crush him,” while Lamentations 1:3 laments that Judah now dwells “among the nations; she finds no place of rest. All her pursuers have overtaken her in the midst of her distress.” The verb captures the moment when freedom collapses into a tightening vice. Personal Hostility Individual animosity often appears first. Genesis 49:23 remembers Joseph: “The archers attacked him; they shot at him and harassed him.” Peninnah’s cruelty toward Hannah is described the same way: “Her rival would provoke her bitterly to irritate her” (1 Samuel 1:6). The verb therefore embraces any deliberate squeezing of another person’s peace, dignity, or hope. Family and Domestic Strife Because the word ranges from emotional to physical pressure, it exposes sin even inside covenant households. A broken home can become a place of tsarar long before an enemy army arrives. Scriptural transparency about such wounds invites modern believers to bring hidden oppression into the open light of grace. National and Military Aggression When Israel faces foreign foes, tsarar depicts siege warfare. “When you go to war in your land against an enemy who oppresses you, sound a blast on the trumpets. Then you will be remembered by the LORD your God and will be saved from your enemies” (Numbers 10:9). If Canaanite occupants remained, “they will harass you in the land where you settle” (Numbers 33:55). The curses warn, “They will besiege all the cities throughout your land” (Deuteronomy 28:52). The same verb thus unites tribal skirmish, prolonged blockade, and guerilla harassment, all of which compress life beneath relentless outside pressure. Divine Affliction and Discipline Because the Lord governs history, He sometimes allows or even appoints tsarar as chastening. Deuteronomy 26:7 recalls Egypt: “We cried out to the LORD … and the LORD heard our voice and saw our affliction, toil, and oppression.” Isaiah 37:3 calls the Assyrian crisis “a day of distress, rebuke, and disgrace.” Yet the distress is never the last word; its divinely set limits preserve the covenant until repentance comes. Songs of Distress and Deliverance The Psalms turn tsarar into language for prayer. Repeated laments form a liturgy of hope: the believer may feel squeezed but is never finally crushed (compare 2 Corinthians 4:8-9). Prophets and the Day of Distress Prophetic books widen the horizon. Obadiah 12-14 indicts Edom for gloating “in the day of their distress.” Nahum 1:9 promises Nineveh permanent overthrow so that “distress will not rise up a second time.” Future “birth-pangs” imagery (for example, Jeremiah 30:7) grows from the same root: Israel’s narrow straits precede her ultimate enlargement under the Messiah. Foreshadowing Christ’s Suffering and Victory Psalm 118:5, proclaimed during the Triumphal Entry (Matthew 21:9), places tsarar on the lips of the coming King who is rejected and yet becomes “the cornerstone.” At Gethsemane and Golgotha the Savior entered humanity’s tightest confinement—sin, wrath, and death—so that everyone joined to Him might echo, “You have set me free.” Pastoral and Homiletical Applications 1. Diagnosing hidden oppression: Tsarar reminds ministers that pain caused by personal hostility, family dysfunction, or systemic injustice must be named and addressed. Tsarar traces a path from tightening pressure to spacious deliverance, weaving individual grief, national crisis, and messianic triumph into one consistent testimony to God’s righteous dealings and unfailing salvation. Forms and Transliterations הַצֹּרֵ֣ר הָצֵ֣ר הצר הצרר וְהֵצַ֤ר וְהֵצַ֨ר וְצַרְתָּ֤ וְצָרֲר֣וּ וַהֲצֵר֥וֹתִי וַהֲצֵרֹ֣תִי וַיָּצַר֩ וּכְהָצֵ֣ר וּמְצֹרָרִֽים׃ והצר והצרותי והצרתי ויצר וכהצר ומצררים׃ וצררו וצרת יָֽצַר־ יָצֹ֥ר יצר יצר־ כִּצְר֣וֹר כצרור לִצְרֹ֗ר לצרר מְצֵרָֽה׃ מצרה׃ צ֖וֹר צ֝וֹרְרָ֗יו צְרָר֣וּנִי צְרֻר֛וֹת צְרֻרֹ֥ת צְרוּרָ֣ה ׀ צַ֫ר־ צַר־ צָ֖רָה צָֽרַר־ צָר֖וֹר צָרַ֥ר צָרוּר֙ צֹ֭רְרֶיךָ צֹרְרִ֥ים צֹרְרֵ֤י צֹרְרֶ֑יךָ צֹרְרֶֽיךָ׃ צֹרְרַ֨י צֹרְרָ֑י צֹרֲרֵ֣י צֹרֵ֣ר צֹרֵ֥ר צֹרֵֽר־ צֹרֵר֙ צוֹרְרִ֣י צוֹרְרֶ֑יךָ צוֹרְרָ֑י צוֹרְרָֽי׃ צור צוררי צוררי׃ צורריו צורריך צר־ צרה צרור צרורה צרר צרר־ צררוני צררות צררי צרריך צרריך׃ צררים צררת hā·ṣêr haṣ·ṣō·rêr hāṣêr haṣṣōrêr haTzer hatztzoRer kiṣ·rō·wr kiṣrōwr kitzRor liṣ·rōr liṣrōr litzRor mə·ṣê·rāh məṣêrāh metzeRah ṣā·rāh ṣā·rar ṣā·rar- ṣā·rō·wr ṣā·rūr ṣar- ṣārāh ṣārar ṣārar- ṣārōwr ṣārūr ṣə·rā·rū·nî ṣə·rū·rāh ṣə·ru·rō·wṯ ṣə·ru·rōṯ ṣərārūnî ṣərūrāh ṣərurōṯ ṣərurōwṯ ṣō·ră·rê ṣō·rə·ray ṣō·rə·rāy ṣō·rə·rê ṣō·rə·re·ḵā ṣō·rə·rîm ṣō·rêr ṣō·rêr- ṣō·wr ṣō·wr·rāw ṣō·wr·rāy ṣō·wr·re·ḵā ṣō·wr·rî ṣōrărê ṣōrêr ṣōrêr- ṣōrəray ṣōrərāy ṣōrərê ṣōrəreḵā ṣōrərîm ṣōwr ṣōwrrāw ṣōwrrāy ṣōwrreḵā ṣōwrrî tzar Tzarah tzarar tzaRor tzaRur tzeraRuni tzeruRah tzeruRot Tzor tzoraRei tzoRer tzoreRai tzoreRei tzoreReicha tzoreRim tzorRai tzorRav tzorReicha tzorRi ū·ḵə·hā·ṣêr ū·mə·ṣō·rā·rîm uchehaTzer ūḵəhāṣêr ūməṣōrārîm umetzoraRim vahatzeRoti vaiyaTzar veheTzar vetzaraRu vetzarTa wa·hă·ṣê·rō·ṯî wa·hă·ṣê·rō·w·ṯî wahăṣêrōṯî wahăṣêrōwṯî way·yā·ṣar wayyāṣar wə·hê·ṣar wə·ṣā·ră·rū wə·ṣar·tā wəhêṣar wəṣārărū wəṣartā yā·ṣar- yā·ṣōr yāṣar- yāṣōr yatzar yaTzorLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Exodus 12:34 HEB: יֶחְמָ֑ץ מִשְׁאֲרֹתָ֛ם צְרֻרֹ֥ת בְּשִׂמְלֹתָ֖ם עַל־ NAS: [with] their kneading bowls bound up in the clothes KJV: their kneadingtroughs being bound up in their clothes INT: leavened their kneading bound the clothes on Exodus 23:22 Leviticus 18:18 Numbers 10:9 Numbers 25:17 Numbers 25:18 Numbers 33:55 Deuteronomy 14:25 Deuteronomy 28:52 Deuteronomy 28:52 Joshua 9:4 1 Samuel 25:29 1 Samuel 28:15 2 Samuel 1:26 2 Samuel 20:3 1 Kings 8:37 2 Kings 5:23 2 Chronicles 28:22 2 Chronicles 33:12 Esther 3:10 Esther 8:1 Esther 9:10 Esther 9:24 Job 26:8 Psalm 6:7 52 Occurrences |
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harm, damage, Sabean צֿר war, foe MordtmHim. Inschr. 60. 71 SabDenkm24 CISiv. 174, 1. 6 HomChrest. 125; Ethiopic 
be hostile, in derived species and derivatives; Assyrian ƒarâru, be hostile, ƒarru, foe; Arabic 
, Assyrian ƒirritu, Syriac 
, all = rival-wife, so (? Hebrew influence) ᵑ7 צָרָא 
be sharp (? denominative), 
, 
sharp-edged hard stone, Assyrian ƒurtu, apparently knife RJHarperBAS ii. 435; Syriac 
rock, stone, flint).