Lexical Summary ratsats: To crush, to oppress, to break Original Word: רָצַץ Strong's Exhaustive Concordance break, bruise, crush, discourage, oppress, struggle together A primitive root; to crack in pieces, literally or figuratively -- break, bruise, crush, discourage, oppress, struggle together. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origina prim. root Definition to crush NASB Translation broke (1), bruised (1), crush (1), crushed (9), crushing (1), oppressed (5), struggled (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs [רָצַץ] verb crush (Late Hebrew = Biblical Hebrew; Arabic  bruise, bray, crush; Aramaic רְעַ,  crush, shatter); — Qal Perfect2masculine singular suffix רַצּוֺתָנוּ 1 Samuel 12:4; 1singular רַצּוֺתִי 1 Samuel 12:3; Imperfect3masculine singular יָּרוּץ (Ges§ 67q) Isaiah 42:4 (Babylonian Manuscript יֵרוֺץ, Niph`al, so SS here and Ecclesiastes 12:6a), 3feminine singular תָּרוּץ Ecclesiastes 12:6a, 1singular אָרֻץ Psalm 18:30 = אָרוּץ 2 Samuel 22:30 (see below); Participle active feminine plural רֹצְצוֺת Amos 4:1; passive רָצוּץ Isaiah 42:3 +, construct רְצוּץ Hosea 5:11; plural רְצוּצִים Isaiah 58:6; — crush: 1 literal, a. passive participle in (הַ)קָּנֶה (הָ)רָצוּץ 2 Kings 18:21 = Isaiah 36:6; Isaiah 42:3 (all metaphor of weak person). b. imperfect intransitive get crushed (read תֵּרוֺץ?), of bowl Ecclesiastes 12:6a (in metaphor). 2 figurative crush, oppress, accusative of person 1 Samuel 12:3,4; Amos 4:1; passive participle Deuteronomy 28:33, as substantive the oppressed Isaiah 58:6; רְצוּץ מִשְׁמָּט Hosea 5:11 (We Now רֹצֵץ, i.e. perverting judgment, but dubious); intransitive get crushed (read יֵרוֺץ?), of servant of ׳י, under figure of wick, Isaiah 42:4 (+ יִכְהֶה) he shall not grow dim or be crushed out. Niph`al be crushed, broken: Perfect3masculine singular consecutive נְרֹץ (Ges§ 67t) Ecclesiastes 12:6b (of wheel at cistern); Imperfect2masculine singular תֵּרוֺץ Ezekiel 29:7 (of Pharaoh as reed, compare Qal 1 a); Job 20:10 read perhaps יֵרֹצּוּ (for יְרַצּוּ, see רצה Pi`el), are crushed (as) poor men, Bu, compare Hoffm SS Gerber. — Isaiah 42:2; Ecclesiastes 12:6 a see Qal. Pi`el crush in pieces: 1 literal (in metaphor) Perfect2masculine singular רִצַּצְתָּ Psalm 74:14 with accusative of thing. 2 figurative = grievously oppress, 3 masculine singular רִצַּץ Job 20:19; Imperfect3masculine singular וַיְרַצֵּץ מִן הָעָם2Chronicles 16:10. Po`el Imperfect3masculine plural וַיְרֹצְצוּ Judges 10:8, accusative of person (= Pi`el 2; "" רעץ; רצץ here perhaps doublet, so GFMHpt, compare Bu Now). Hiph`il Imperfect3feminine singular וַתָּ֫רִץ (Köi. 352; BaZMG xliii (1889), 181 thinks Qal) Judges 9:53 she crushed his skull. Hithpo`el reciprocal, Imperfect3masculine plural וִיִּתְרֹצְצוּ הַבָּנִים בְּקִרְבָּהּ Genesis 25:22 (J) the children crushed (thurst, struck) one another within her. Topical Lexicon Term Overview רָצַץ (rāṣaṣ) gathers ideas of crushing, bruising, breaking in pieces, or oppressing. Whether describing prenatal turmoil, shattered skulls, the plight of the poor, or the fragility of a reed, the verb always conveys force sufficient to damage what is struck. Its nineteen Old-Testament occurrences trace a movement from literal fracture to moral and spiritual themes that culminate in prophetic hope. Literary and Semantic Range 1. Physical impact that smashes or shatters (Judges 9:53; Psalm 74:14). Key Thematic Clusters 1. Prenatal Striving and Divine Election (Genesis 25:22) “But the children inside her struggled together.” In Rebecca’s womb the future nations of Israel and Edom begin their conflict. רָצַץ highlights the intensity of the clash and foreshadows a lifetime of contention under the sovereign choice of God. 2. Covenant Curse and National Subjugation (Deuteronomy 28:33) The covenant warning states that a foreign people “will oppress and crush you continually.” Here crushing is protracted exploitation—economic, political, and psychological—underscoring that rebellion against the LORD leads to debilitating servitude. 3. Military Violence (Judges 9:53) “A woman dropped an upper millstone on Abimelech’s head and crushed his skull.” The verb records a decisive death-blow, reminding Israel that tyrannical leaders can be felled by the seemingly weak when God’s justice intervenes. 4. Judicial and Domestic Oppression (Judges 10:8; 1 Samuel 12:3-4; 2 Chronicles 16:10) The Ammonites “shattered and oppressed” Israel for eighteen years; corrupt leaders extract goods by force. רָצַץ exposes the moral bankruptcy of rulers who trample their own people, contrasting it with Samuel’s blameless record. 5. Economic Exploitation (Job 20:19; Amos 4:1) Job cites the wicked who “oppressed and abandoned the poor.” Amos calls the wealthy women of Samaria “cows of Bashan … who oppress the poor, crush the needy.” The verb denounces greed that grinds the vulnerable, proving that economic injustice is a moral offense to God. 6. False Alliances and Broken Reeds (2 Kings 18:21; Isaiah 36:6; Ezekiel 29:7) Egypt is “that splintered reed of a staff which will pierce the hand of anyone who leans on it.” The metaphor warns Judah against trusting human power. רָצַץ pictures a staff snapping under weight, then lacerating the one who relied on it. 7. Cosmic Triumph (Psalm 74:14) “You crushed the heads of Leviathan, You fed him to the creatures of the desert.” Here י-הוָה pulverizes mythic evil, assuring His people that the Creator also masters chaos. 8. Existential Fragility (Ecclesiastes 12:6) “Before the silver cord is snapped.” Life’s delicate cord is one blow from breaking. רָצַץ evokes the suddenness with which vitality can end, urging fear of God before the day of death. 9. Servant Compassion and Messianic Gentleness (Isaiah 42:3-4) “A bruised reed He will not break, a smoldering wick He will not extinguish; in faithfulness He will bring forth justice. He will not falter or be discouraged till He establishes justice on the earth.” The same verb that elsewhere crushes now describes the Servant’s refusal to do so. Instead of finishing off the damaged, He upholds them until justice is globally secured. Matthew 12:20 applies this to Jesus Christ, emphasizing His unwavering tenderness. 10. Liberation and Social Renewal (Isaiah 58:6) The fast God chooses is “to break every yoke.” רָצַץ becomes the hopeful shattering of bondage, calling God’s people to embody His deliverance. Historical Context In the Ancient Near East, crushing was associated with threshing grain, military conquest, and the punitive power of kings. Israel’s Scriptures reorient the image: Yahweh alone legitimately wields such force, and His covenant people are forbidden to emulate oppressive practices. When they do, prophets employ רָצַץ to indict them and foretell divine discipline. Ministry Significance • Justice: The repeated linkage with oppression challenges churches to defend the poor and resist systems that grind them down. Christological Implications Jesus fulfills the paradox of רָצַץ. At the cross He is Himself “crushed for our iniquities” (Isaiah 53:5) while simultaneously refusing to crush bruised sinners who come to Him. His resurrection vindicates the expectation that final justice will be established without extinguishing smoldering wicks. Devotional Reflection Where God must break, He breaks with purpose; where He preserves, no force on earth can crush. The believer therefore abhors every form of oppression, rests solely on the unbreakable faithfulness of Christ, and ministers to the bruised with the gentle strength of the Servant-King. Forms and Transliterations הָרָצ֤וּץ הָרֹצְצ֖וֹת הרצוץ הרצצות וְנָרֹ֥ץ וְרָצ֖וּץ וְתָרֻ֖ץ וַיְרַצֵּ֥ץ וַיְרֹֽצְצוּ֙ וַיִּתְרֹֽצֲצ֤וּ וַתָּ֖רִץ וירצץ וירצצו ויתרצצו ונרץ ורצוץ ותרץ יָר֔וּץ ירוץ רְצ֣וּץ רְצוּצִים֙ רִ֭צַּץ רִ֭צַּצְתָּ רַצּ֔וֹתִי רַצּוֹתָ֑נוּ רָצוּץ֙ רצוץ רצוצים רצותי רצותנו רצץ רצצת תֵּר֔וֹץ תרוץ hā·rā·ṣūṣ hā·rō·ṣə·ṣō·wṯ hārāṣūṣ haraTzutz hārōṣəṣōwṯ harotzeTzot rā·ṣūṣ raṣ·ṣō·w·ṯā·nū raṣ·ṣō·w·ṯî raṣṣōwṯānū raṣṣōwṯî rāṣūṣ ratztzoTanu ratzTzoti raTzutz rə·ṣū·ṣîm rə·ṣūṣ rəṣūṣ rəṣūṣîm reTzutz retzuTzim riṣ·ṣaṣ riṣ·ṣaṣ·tā riṣṣaṣ riṣṣaṣtā Ritztzatz Ritztzatzta tê·rō·wṣ teRotz têrōwṣ vaiyitrotzaTzu vatTaritz vayratzTzetz vayrotzeTzu venaRotz veraTzutz vetaRutz wat·tā·riṣ wattāriṣ way·raṣ·ṣêṣ way·rō·ṣə·ṣū way·yiṯ·rō·ṣă·ṣū wayraṣṣêṣ wayrōṣəṣū wayyiṯrōṣăṣū wə·nā·rōṣ wə·rā·ṣūṣ wə·ṯā·ruṣ wənārōṣ wərāṣūṣ wəṯāruṣ yā·rūṣ yārūṣ yaRutzLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Genesis 25:22 HEB: וַיִּתְרֹֽצֲצ֤וּ הַבָּנִים֙ בְּקִרְבָּ֔הּ NAS: But the children struggled together within KJV: And the children struggled together within her; INT: struggled the children within Deuteronomy 28:33 Judges 9:53 Judges 10:8 1 Samuel 12:3 1 Samuel 12:4 2 Kings 18:21 2 Chronicles 16:10 Job 20:19 Psalm 74:14 Ecclesiastes 12:6 Ecclesiastes 12:6 Isaiah 36:6 Isaiah 42:3 Isaiah 42:4 Isaiah 58:6 Ezekiel 29:7 Hosea 5:11 Amos 4:1 19 Occurrences |
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