מֵצַר
me.tsar
terror
Lexicon Entry
Lexicon data from STEPBible TIPNR, Tyndale House, Cambridge. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.
What Original Readers Understood
ExploredThe Hebrew word "מֵצַר" (me.tsar) is defined as "terror". This term is used only three times in the Bible, indicating its relatively limited scope. Despite its rarity, "me.tsar" conveys a powerful and intense emotion, suggesting a state of extreme fear or anxiety. The significance of "me.tsar" lies in its capacity to evoke a sense of dread or alarm. It is a word that can be used to describe a person's emotional state in response to a perceived threat or danger. In a broader sense, "me.tsar" may also imply a sense of being trapped or confined, which can exacerbate feelings of fear and anxiety. Given its limited usage, "me.tsar" is a word that is likely to be used in specific contexts to convey a strong emotional response. Its rarity and intensity suggest that it is a word that is reserved for situations where a powerful emotional reaction is necessary to convey the gravity of a situation.
Source data & methodology
Occurrences in Scripture
3 total occurrences across the text
The cords of death surrounded me, the pains of Sheol got a hold of me. I found trouble and sorrow.
Psalms 118:5Out of my distress, I called on Yah. Yah answered me with freedom.
Lamentations 1:3Judah has gone into captivity because of affliction, and because of great servitude. She dwells among the nations. She finds no rest. All her persecutors overtook her within the straits.