אַכְזָר
akh.zar
cruel
Lexicon Entry
Lexicon data from STEPBible TIPNR, Tyndale House, Cambridge. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.
What Original Readers Understood
ExploredThe Hebrew word אַכְזָר (akh.zar) is primarily defined as "cruel." This semantic domain suggests that the word is associated with harsh or inhumane treatment of others. The word occurs four times in the Bible, indicating its limited but specific usage. This scarcity suggests that the word is not a general term for describing people, but rather a specific characteristic of certain individuals. Given its definition and limited occurrences, the word אַכְזָר likely holds significant meaning in the contexts where it appears, possibly highlighting the inhumane actions or attitudes of specific individuals.
Source data & methodology
Occurrences in Scripture
4 total occurrences across the text
You have turned to be cruel to me. With the might of your hand you persecute me.
Job 41:10None is so fierce that he dare stir him up. Who then is he who can stand before me?
Lamentations 4:3Even the jackals offer their breast. They nurse their young ones. But the daughter of my people has become cruel, like the ostriches in the wilderness.
Deuteronomy 32:33Their wine is the poison of serpents, the cruel venom of asps.