Skip to content
mannafest.faith

Hebrew verb · H6887

צָרַר

tsarartsaw-rar'

to confine; to constrain; to distress; to vex; to rival

54 uses in the Hebrew text, one for each word STEP Bible has tagged with this key

Concordance spelling: tsârar

Word page · Part of the concordance, one page for every word of the Hebrew and Greek text. Strong's H6887is this word's number in James Strong's 1890 index of the King James Bible.

  • 18 of 39
    Old Testament books
  • 47
    spellings
  • 5
    meanings

The definition in full

Strong's key (1890) · H6887

to cramp, literally or figuratively, transitive or intransitive

The King James renders it: adversary, (be in) afflict(-ion), beseige, bind (up), (be in, bring) distress, enemy, narrower, oppress, pangs, shut up, be in a strait (trouble), vex.

James Strong, The Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890), public domain. Strong indexed the King James text, and this site quotes his entry as that index.

Summary

tsarar is rendered "to confine; to constrain; to distress; to vex; to rival". It stands 54 times in the Hebrew text, across eighteen books.

  • Eighteen of the uses stand in Psalms, more than in any other book.
  • The lexicon lists five meanings for it, beginning with "to confine".
  • Its first use in canonical order opens the ledger below.Exodus 12:34So the people took their dough before it was leavened, carrying it on their shoulders in kneading bowls wrapped in clothing.
  • The Greek text spells it forty-seven different ways.

The first use

So the people took their dough before it was leavened, carrying it on their shoulders in kneading bowls wrapped in clothing.

Exodus 12:34צְרֻרֹ֥ת

The first use, in the order of the Old Testament's books.

Where the word stands

Eighteen of the word's fifty-four uses are in Psalms.

The other 21 Old Testament books never use the word.

What the word means

The word carries five meanings: to confine, and to constrain, and to distress, and to vex, and to rival.

Each meaning, and the words it is translated by

The English STEP Bible gives each use, word by word, and how many times.
to confineStrong's entry ATagged aslisted under the tableWhereExodus 12:34So the people took their dough before it was leavened…
to constrainStrong's entry BTagged aslisted under the tableWherein the ledger below
to distressStrong's entry CTagged aslisted under the tableWherein the ledger below
to vexStrong's entry DTagged aslisted under the tableWherein the ledger below
to rivalStrong's entry ETagged aslisted under the tableWherein the ledger below

How the Greek text is glossed, word by word

  • it is distress6
  • opposers my6
  • opposers your4
  • bound up3
  • opposer of3
  • and I will cause distress2
  • and it will lay siege2
  • in labor2
  • people have opposed me2
  • and he harassed1
  • and just as harassed1
  • and opposing of1

and 21 more, 54 uses in all

The words built on the same word-part

Each word below begins with the same letters this one begins with. A shared word-part shows a family. It does not settle what any one of them means, so each word carries its own uses on its own page. Scholars call that shared part the stem.

צָרַעַתtsaraathleprosyUses35
צָרַףtsaraphto refineUses33
צָרַעtsarabe leprousUses20
צָרַחtsarachto cryUses2
צָרַבtsarabto burnUses1

The words it stands beside

All 54, in canonical order

Every use, in order

Every use, grouped by book, with its verse.

47 spellings and their grammar

STEP Bible tags every word of the Hebrew and Greek text with its spelling and its grammar. Both lists below count the rows printed underneath, written out in English, with the code beside each one as it was tagged.

How it is spelled

  • צַר־4
  • צוֹרְרָ֑י2
  • צוֹרְרָֽי׃2
  • צֹרֵ֥ר2
  • צְרָר֣וּנִי2
  • הָצֵ֣ר1
  • הַצֹּרֵ֣ר1
  • וְהֵצַ֨ר1
  • וְהֵצַ֤ר1
  • וַהֲצֵר֥וֹתִי1
  • וַהֲצֵרֹ֣תִי1
  • וַיָּ֥צַר1

and 35 more spellings in the ledger below.

The grammar of each form

  • verb · simple (qal), qatal (perfect) · 3rd person masculine singular8HVqp3ms
  • verb · simple (qal), participle · masculine plural · in construct (“…of”) + pronoun suffix · 1st person masculine or feminine singular6HVqrmpc/Sp1bs
  • verb · simple (qal), participle · masculine plural · in construct (“…of”) + pronoun suffix · 2nd person masculine singular4HVqrmpc/Sp2ms
  • verb · simple (qal), participle · masculine singular · in construct (“…of”)3HVqrmsc
  • Hc/Vhq1cs2Hc/Vhq1cs
  • Hc/Vhq3ms2Hc/Vhq3ms
  • preposition + verb · simple (qal), infinitive (“to…”)2HR/Vqcc
  • verb · causative (hiphil), participle · feminine singular2HVhrfsa
  • verb · simple (qal), qatal (perfect) · 3rd person common plural + pronoun suffix · 1st person masculine or feminine singular2HVqp3cp/Sp1bs
  • verb · simple (qal), participle · masculine plural · in construct (“…of”)2HVqrmpc
  • verb · simple (qal), participle · masculine singular2HVqrmsa
  • verb · simple (qal), passive participle · feminine plural2HVqsfpa

Exodus

two uses
  • So the people took their dough before it was leavened, carrying it on their shoulders in kneading bowls wrapped in clothing.

    Exodus 12:34

    • צְרֻרֹ֥תtzerurotverb · simple (qal), passive participle · feminine pluraltagged: bound up
  • But if you will listen carefully to his voice and do everything I say, I will be an enemy to your enemies and a foe to your foes.

    Exodus 23:22

    • צֹרְרֶֽיךָ׃tzorereikhaverb · simple (qal), participle · masculine plural · in construct (“…of”) + pronoun suffix · 2nd person masculine singulartagged: opposers your

Leviticus

one use
  • You must not take your wife’s sister as a rival wife and have sexual relations with her while your wife is still alive.

    Leviticus 18:18

    • לִצְרֹ֗רlitzrorpreposition + verb · simple (qal), infinitive (“to…”)tagged: to make a rival wife

Numbers

four uses
  • When you enter into battle in your land against an adversary who attacks you, sound short blasts on the trumpets, and you will be remembered before the LORD your God and saved from your enemies.

    Numbers 10:9

    • הַצֹּרֵ֣רhatzorerthe definite article (“the”) + verb · simple (qal), participle · masculine singulartagged: who opposes
  • “Attack the Midianites and strike them dead.

    Numbers 25:17

    • צָר֖וֹרtzarorverb · simple (qal), infinitive absolutetagged: to oppose
  • For they assailed you deceitfully when they seduced you in the matter of Peor and their sister Cozbi, the daughter of the Midianite leader, the woman who was killed on the day the plague came because of Peor.”

    Numbers 25:18

    • צֹרְרִ֥יםtzorerimverb · simple (qal), participle · masculine pluraltagged: opposers
  • But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land before you, those you allow to remain will become barbs in your eyes and thorns in your sides; they will harass you in the land where you settle.

    Numbers 33:55

    • וְצָרֲר֣וּvetzararuHc/Vqq3cptagged: and they will oppose

Deuteronomy

two uses
  • They will besiege all the cities throughout your land, until the high and fortified walls in which you trust have fallen. They will besiege all your cities throughout the land that the LORD your God has given you.

    Deuteronomy 28:52

    • וְהֵצַ֨רvehetzarHc/Vhq3mstagged: and it will lay siege
    • וְהֵצַ֤רvehetzarHc/Vhq3mstagged: and it will lay siege

Joshua

one use
  • acted deceptively and set out as envoys, carrying on their donkeys worn-out sacks and old wineskins, cracked and mended.

    Joshua 9:4

    • וּמְצֹרָרִֽים׃umetzorarimconjunction (“and”) + verb · intensive passive (pual), passive participle · masculine pluraltagged: and tied up

1 Samuel

two uses
  • And should someone pursue you and seek your life, then the life of my lord will be bound securely by the LORD your God in the bundle of the living. But He shall fling away the lives of your enemies like stones from a sling.

    1 Samuel 25:29

    • צְרוּרָ֣ה׀tzerurahverb · simple (qal), passive participle · feminine singulartagged: bound up
  • Then Samuel said to Saul, “Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?” “I am deeply distressed,” replied Saul. “The Philistines are fighting against me, and God has turned away from me. He no longer answers me, either by prophets or by dreams. So I have called on you to tell me what to do.”

    1 Samuel 28:15

    • צַר־tzar-verb · simple (qal), qatal (perfect) · 3rd person masculine singulartagged: it is distress

2 Samuel

two uses
  • I grieve for you, Jonathan, my brother. You were delightful to me; your love to me was extraordinary, surpassing the love of women.

    2 Samuel 1:26

    • צַר־tzar-verb · simple (qal), qatal (perfect) · 3rd person masculine singulartagged: it is distress
  • When David returned to his palace in Jerusalem, he took the ten concubines he had left to care for the palace, and he placed them in a house under guard. He provided for them, but he no longer slept with them. They were confined until the day of their death, living as widows.

    2 Samuel 20:3

    • צְרֻר֛וֹתtzerurotverb · simple (qal), passive participle · feminine pluraltagged: locked up

1 Kings

one use
  • When famine or plague comes upon the land, or blight or mildew or locusts or grasshoppers, or when their enemy besieges them in their cities, whatever plague or sickness may come,

    1 Kings 8:37

    • יָֽצַר־yatzar-verb · causative (hiphil), yiqtol (imperfect) · 3rd person masculine singulartagged: he will lay siege

2 Chronicles

three uses
  • Then Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria came to Ahaz but afflicted him rather than strengthening him.

    2 Chronicles 28:20

    • וַיָּ֥צַרvaiyatzarHc/Vhw3mstagged: and he harassed
  • In the time of his distress, King Ahaz became even more unfaithful to the LORD.

    2 Chronicles 28:22

    • הָצֵ֣רhatzerverb · causative (hiphil), infinitive (“to…”)tagged: harassed
  • And in his distress, Manasseh sought the favor of the LORD his God and earnestly humbled himself before the God of his fathers.

    2 Chronicles 33:12

    • וּכְהָצֵ֣רukhehatzerconjunction (“and”) + preposition + verb · causative (hiphil), infinitive (“to…”)tagged: and just as harassed

Esther

four uses
  • So the king removed the signet ring from his finger and gave it to Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the enemy of the Jews.

    Esther 3:10

    • צֹרֵ֥רtzorerverb · simple (qal), participle · masculine singular · in construct (“…of”)tagged: opposer of
  • That same day King Xerxes awarded Queen Esther the estate of Haman, the enemy of the Jews. And Mordecai entered the king’s presence because Esther had revealed his relation to her.

    Esther 8:1

    • צֹרֵ֣רtzorerverb · simple (qal), participle · masculine singulartagged: opposer
  • They killed these ten sons of Haman son of Hammedatha, the enemy of the Jews, but they did not lay a hand on the plunder.

    Esther 9:10

    • צֹרֵ֥רtzorerverb · simple (qal), participle · masculine singular · in construct (“…of”)tagged: opposer of
  • For Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the enemy of all the Jews, had plotted against the Jews to destroy them and had cast the Pur (that is, the lot) to crush and destroy them.

    Esther 9:24

    • צֹרֵר֙tzorerverb · simple (qal), participle · masculine singular · in construct (“…of”)tagged: opposer of

Job

one use
  • He wraps up the waters in His clouds, yet the clouds do not burst under their own weight.

    Job 26:8

    • צֹרֵֽר־tzorer-verb · simple (qal), participle · masculine singulartagged: binds up

Psalms

eighteen uses
  • My eyes fail from grief; they grow dim because of all my foes.

    Psalms 6:7

    • צוֹרְרָֽי׃tzoraiverb · simple (qal), participle · masculine plural · in construct (“…of”) + pronoun suffix · 1st person masculine or feminine singulartagged: opposers my
  • if I have rewarded my ally with evil, if I have plundered my foe without cause,

    Psalms 7:4

    • צוֹרְרִ֣יtzoriverb · simple (qal), participle · masculine singular · in construct (“…of”) + pronoun suffix · 1st person masculine or feminine singulartagged: opposer my
  • Arise, O LORD, in Your anger; rise up against the fury of my enemies. Awake, my God, and ordain judgment.

    Psalms 7:6

    • צוֹרְרָ֑יtzoraiverb · simple (qal), participle · masculine plural · in construct (“…of”) + pronoun suffix · 1st person masculine or feminine singulartagged: opposers my
  • From the mouths of children and infants You have ordained praise on account of Your adversaries, to silence the enemy and avenger.

    Psalms 8:2

    • צוֹרְרֶ֑יךָtzoreikhaverb · simple (qal), participle · masculine plural · in construct (“…of”) + pronoun suffix · 2nd person masculine singulartagged: opposers your
  • He is secure in his ways at all times; Your lofty judgments are far from him; he sneers at all his foes.

    Psalms 10:5

    • צ֝וֹרְרָ֗יוtzoravverb · simple (qal), participle · masculine plural · in construct (“…of”) + pronoun suffix · 3rd person masculine singulartagged: opposers his
  • You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.

    Psalms 23:5

    • צֹרְרָ֑יtzoreraiverb · simple (qal), participle · masculine plural · in construct (“…of”) + pronoun suffix · 1st person masculine or feminine singulartagged: opposers my
  • Be merciful to me, O LORD, for I am in distress; my eyes fail from sorrow, my soul and body as well.

    Psalms 31:9

    • צַ֫ר־tzar-verb · simple (qal), qatal (perfect) · 3rd person masculine singulartagged: it is distress
  • Among all my enemies I am a disgrace, and among my neighbors even more. I am dreaded by my friends— they flee when they see me on the street.

    Psalms 31:11

    • צֹרְרַ֨יtzoreraiverb · simple (qal), participle · masculine plural · in construct (“…of”) + pronoun suffix · 1st person masculine or feminine singulartagged: opposers my
  • Like the crushing of my bones, my enemies taunt me, while they say to me all day long, “Where is your God?”

    Psalms 42:10

    • צוֹרְרָ֑יtzoraiverb · simple (qal), participle · masculine plural · in construct (“…of”) + pronoun suffix · 1st person masculine or feminine singulartagged: opposers my
  • But I will sing of Your strength and proclaim Your loving devotion in the morning. For You are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble.

    Psalms 59:16

    • צַר־tzar-verb · simple (qal), qatal (perfect) · 3rd person masculine singulartagged: it is distress
  • Hide not Your face from Your servant, for I am in distress. Answer me quickly!

    Psalms 69:17

    • צַר־tzar-verb · simple (qal), qatal (perfect) · 3rd person masculine singulartagged: it is distress
  • You know my reproach, my shame and disgrace. All my adversaries are before You.

    Psalms 69:19

    • צוֹרְרָֽי׃tzoraiverb · simple (qal), participle · masculine plural · in construct (“…of”) + pronoun suffix · 1st person masculine or feminine singulartagged: opposers my
  • Your foes have roared within Your meeting place; they have unfurled their banners as signs,

    Psalms 74:4

    • צֹ֭רְרֶיךָtzorereikhaverb · simple (qal), participle · masculine plural · in construct (“…of”) + pronoun suffix · 2nd person masculine singulartagged: opposers your
  • Do not disregard the clamor of Your adversaries, the uproar of Your enemies that ascends continually.

    Psalms 74:23

    • צֹרְרֶ֑יךָtzorereikhaverb · simple (qal), participle · masculine plural · in construct (“…of”) + pronoun suffix · 2nd person masculine singulartagged: opposers your
  • Do not hide Your face from me in my day of distress. Incline Your ear to me; answer me quickly when I call.

    Psalms 102:2

    • צַ֫רtzarverb · simple (qal), qatal (perfect) · 3rd person masculine singulartagged: it is distress
  • Many a time they have persecuted me from my youth— let Israel now declare—

    Psalms 129:1

    • צְרָר֣וּנִיtzeraruniverb · simple (qal), qatal (perfect) · 3rd person common plural + pronoun suffix · 1st person masculine or feminine singulartagged: people have opposed me
  • many a time they have persecuted me from my youth, but they have not prevailed against me.

    Psalms 129:2

    • צְרָר֣וּנִיtzeraruniverb · simple (qal), qatal (perfect) · 3rd person common plural + pronoun suffix · 1st person masculine or feminine singulartagged: people have opposed me
  • And in Your loving devotion, cut off my enemies. Destroy all who afflict me, for I am Your servant.

    Psalms 143:12

    • צֹרֲרֵ֣יtzorareiverb · simple (qal), participle · masculine plural · in construct (“…of”)tagged: opposers of

Proverbs

two uses
  • Like binding a stone into a sling is the giving of honor to a fool.

    Proverbs 26:8

    • כִּצְר֣וֹרkitzrorpreposition + verb · simple (qal), infinitive (“to…”)tagged: as ties
  • Who has ascended to heaven and come down? Who has gathered the wind in His hands? Who has bound up the waters in His cloak? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is His name, and what is the name of His Son—surely you know!

    Proverbs 30:4

    • צָֽרַר־tzarar-verb · simple (qal), qatal (perfect) · 3rd person masculine singulartagged: has he wrapped

Isaiah

four uses
  • Bind up the testimony and seal the law among my disciples.

    Isaiah 8:16

    • צ֖וֹרtzorverb · simple (qal), command · 2nd person masculine singulartagged: bind up
  • Then the jealousy of Ephraim will depart, and the adversaries of Judah will be cut off. Ephraim will no longer envy Judah, nor will Judah harass Ephraim.

    Isaiah 11:13

    • וְצֹרְרֵ֥יvetzorereiconjunction (“and”) + verb · simple (qal), participle · masculine plural · in construct (“…of”)tagged: and opposing of
    • יָצֹ֥רyatzorverb · simple (qal), yiqtol (imperfect) · 3rd person masculine singulartagged: it will be opposed to
  • Indeed, the bed is too short to stretch out on, and the blanket too small to wrap around you.

    Isaiah 28:20

    • צָ֖רָהtzarahverb · simple (qal), qatal (perfect) · 3rd person feminine singulartagged: it is narrow

Jeremiah

three uses
  • For this is what the LORD says: “Behold, at this time I will sling out the inhabitants of the land and bring distress upon them so that they may be captured.”

    Jeremiah 10:18

    • וַהֲצֵר֥וֹתִיvahatzerotiHc/Vhq1cstagged: and I will cause distress
  • Kirioth has been taken, and the strongholds seized. In that day the heart of Moab’s warriors will be like the heart of a woman in labor.

    Jeremiah 48:41

    • מְצֵרָֽה׃metzerahverb · causative (hiphil), participle · feminine singulartagged: in labor
  • Look! An eagle will soar and swoop down, spreading its wings over Bozrah. In that day the hearts of Edom’s mighty men will be like the heart of a woman in labor.

    Jeremiah 49:22

    • מְצֵרָֽה׃ סmetzerahverb · causative (hiphil), participle · feminine singulartagged: in labor

Hosea

two uses
  • The whirlwind has wrapped them in its wings, and their sacrifices will bring them shame.

    Hosea 4:19

    • צָרַ֥רtzararverb · simple (qal), qatal (perfect) · 3rd person masculine singulartagged: it has wrapped
  • The iniquity of Ephraim is bound up; his sin is stored up.

    Hosea 13:12

    • צָרוּר֙tzarurverb · simple (qal), passive participle · masculine singulartagged: bound up

Amos

one use
  • For I know that your transgressions are many and your sins are numerous. You oppress the righteous by taking bribes; you deprive the poor of justice in the gate.

    Amos 5:12

    • צֹרְרֵ֤יtzorereiverb · simple (qal), participle · masculine plural · in construct (“…of”)tagged: O opposers of

Zephaniah

one use
  • I will bring such distress on mankind that they will walk like the blind, because they have sinned against the LORD. Their blood will be poured out like dust and their flesh like dung.

    Zephaniah 1:17

    • וַהֲצֵרֹ֣תִיvahatzerotiHc/Vhq1cstagged: and I will cause distress

The letters

Where it leads

How the numbers are counted

Every count on this page comes from STEP Bible's tagged Hebrew and Greek text, the same text the ledger prints. A use is counted once each time the tagging marks a word with this key.

Spellings are counted as the Greek text spells them, with the sentence's own punctuation taken off the word first, so a form that ends a clause is not counted as a second spelling.

The words it stands beside are the nouns, verbs and adjectives immediately before or after it, counted in every verse where the word stands. The article, the conjunctions and the prepositions are left out, because they stand beside every word.

The family is read from the lexicon by the stem the two words share, with the accents off, and a person or a place named on the stem is left out.

Hebrew and Greek text, word tagging and grammar: STEP Bible (www.STEPBible.org), Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0. Their grammar codes are written out in English here and shown as tagged beside each one.

Meaning and senses: STEP Bible TBESH gloss (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Dictionary key: Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890, public domain). English verse text: Berean Standard Bible (public domain, 2023).

Revised 2026-09-05. Every cited work, the sources registry →