θλῐβ-ω G2346
Press, squeeze; afflict, cause distress; suffer tribulation; be narrow or constricted
From a root meaning 'to press' or 'to squeeze,' this verb spans the physical act of crowding to the deep theological concept of tribulation. Mark 3:9 uses it literally: the crowd presses against Jesus so tightly he asks for a boat. Paul transforms it into a hallmark of apostolic existence: 'afflicted in every way but not crushed' (2 Cor 4:8), and 'when we came to Macedonia, our bodies had no rest, but we were afflicted at every turn' (2 Cor 7:5). Spanish 'afligir' and French 'presser' preserve the physical pressure behind the metaphor, while German 'bedraengen' conveys the sense of being hemmed in. Most memorably, Jesus uses the perfect passive participle in Matthew 7:14 to describe the way that leads to life as 'narrow' -- literally, pressed in on both sides.
Senses
1. suffer affliction / be afflicted (passive) — To suffer affliction, tribulation, or distress, the dominant New Testament sense appearing in passive and middle voice forms that describe the experience of being pressed upon by persecution, hardship, or inner anguish. Paul writes, 'We are afflicted in every way' (2 Cor 4:8), 'our bodies had no rest, but we were afflicted at every turn' (2 Cor 7:5), and 'it is not that others should be eased and you afflicted' (2 Cor 1:6). The Thessalonian letters describe both present suffering (1 Thess 3:4) and future relief 'when the Lord Jesus is revealed' (2 Thess 1:7). Spanish 'afligidos' and French 'affliger' capture the experiential weight of this condition, rooted in the physical metaphor of being squeezed. 7×
AR["أنْ-نَتَضايَقَ", "المُتَضايِقينَ", "مُتَضايِقينَ", "مُضَايَقِينَ", "نَتَضايَقُ"]·ben["আমরা-ক্লেশ-পাই,", "কষ্ট-পেতে", "কষ্টিতদের", "ক্লেশিত", "ক্লেশিত,", "ক্লেশিত;", "যারা-ক্লেশিত"]·DE["bedraengen"]·EN["being-afflicted", "being-pressed", "to-be-afflicted", "to-the-afflicted", "we-are-afflicted"]·FR["affliger", "presser"]·heb["לְ-נִלְחָצִים", "לְהֵצַר", "מֵצֵרִים", "נִלְחָצִים"]·HI["क्लेश-सहते-हुए", "दुख-पअने-वअलोन", "दुखियारे-हुए,", "सनकत-मेइन-पदन", "सनकत-मेइन-पदोन-कि", "हम-क्लेश-पाते-हैं"]·ID["ditekan", "ditekan,", "kami-didesak", "kami-ditekan", "menderita", "menderita,", "orang-yang-menderita"]·IT["affliggere"]·jav["dipun-aniaya,", "kadesek,", "kasangsaran", "kasusahan", "kita-dipun-susahaken,", "nandhang-sangsara,", "tiyang-sangsara"]·KO["괴롭힘-받는-자들에게", "환난-당하는-자들을", "환난-받을-것이라고", "환난받고", "환난받는", "환난받는다", "환난받으나"]·PT["a-atribulados", "afligidos", "atribulados", "sendo-atribulados", "ser-atribulados", "somos-afligidos"]·RU["скорбеть", "скорбим", "скорбящие", "скорбящим", "угнетаемые", "угнетаемым"]·ES["a-afligidos", "afligidos", "ser-afligidos", "siendo-atribulados", "somos-atribulados"]·SW["kudhikika", "mnaodhikika", "tukiteswa,", "tuliteswa;", "tunateswa,", "wakiteswa", "wanaoteseka"]·TR["sıkıntı", "sıkıntı çekiyorsak", "sıkıntı-çekenlere", "sıkıntı-çekmek", "sıkıntılı", "sıkıştırılıyoruz"]·urd["دبائے-جاتے-ہوئے", "دبائے-جاتے-ہیں", "دُکھ-اُٹھاتے-ہیں", "دکھ-میں", "دکھ-پانے-والوں", "مصیبت-اٹھانے", "مصیبت-زدوں-کی"]
2. afflict / cause distress (active) — To afflict or cause distress actively, with a human agent as the subject who brings tribulation upon others. In 2 Thessalonians 1:6 Paul declares it is 'just for God to repay with affliction those who afflict you,' using the active participle to identify the persecutors. Spanish 'los que afligen' and German 'bedraengen' pinpoint the oppressors as active agents of pressure, forming a neat contrast with the passive victims in sense 1. The verse frames divine justice as a reversal: the pressure the afflicters apply will return upon them. 1×
AR["المُضايقينَ"]·ben["যারা-ক্লেশ-দেয়"]·DE["bedraengen"]·EN["afflicting"]·FR["presser"]·heb["מְצֵרִים"]·HI["क्लेश-देने-वअलोन"]·ID["menekan"]·IT["affliggere"]·jav["nganiaya"]·KO["괴롭히는-자들에게"]·PT["que-vos-atribulam"]·RU["угнетающим"]·ES["que-afligen"]·SW["wanaowadhiki"]·TR["sıkıntı-verenlere"]·urd["دکھ-دینے-والوں"]
3. press / crowd against (physical) — To press or crowd against someone physically, as when a throng presses so tightly that bodily harm becomes a real danger. In Mark 3:9 Jesus asks his disciples to keep a small boat ready 'because of the crowd, lest they crush him,' where the pressing is literal spatial compression rather than emotional or spiritual tribulation. Spanish 'apretar' and French 'presser' here retain the root physical meaning most purely, before any metaphorical extension. This sense lies closest to the classical Greek usage of squeezing or chafing. 1×
AR["يَزْحَموهُ"]·ben["চাপতে-পারে"]·DE["bedraengen"]·EN["they-might-press"]·FR["presser"]·heb["יִלְחֲצוּ"]·HI["उसे"]·ID["mereka-menghimpit"]·IT["thlibosin"]·jav["njejel"]·KO["밀치지"]·PT["o-apertassem"]·RU["теснили"]·ES["aprieten"]·SW["wakamsonga"]·TR["sıkıştırsınlar"]·urd["دبائیں"]
4. narrow / constricted (metaphorical) — Narrow or constricted, used as a perfect passive participle functioning adjectivally to describe the compressed dimensions of a path. In Matthew 7:14 Jesus declares, 'How narrow is the gate and compressed is the way that leads to life, and few find it.' The participle tethlimmene pictures a road squeezed between walls or cliffs, admitting passage only with difficulty. Spanish 'angosto' and the metaphorical contrast with the 'broad way' of destruction (7:13) make this one of the most vivid spatial metaphors in the Sermon on the Mount, capturing the moral cost of discipleship in a single physical image. 1×
AR["كَربٌ"]·ben["কষ্টকর"]·DE["τεθλιμμένη"]·EN["constricted"]·FR["presser"]·heb["מוּצָקָה"]·HI["दबी-हुई"]·ID["sulit"]·IT["tethlimmene"]·jav["sesak"]·KO["협소하다"]·PT["apertado"]·RU["тесный"]·ES["angosto"]·SW["dhiki"]·TR["sıkıntılı"]·urd["سخت"]
Related Senses
H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)G1537 1. from, out of (source/origin) (886×)H8034 1. Name (designation / identifier) (856×)G3361 1. subjective negation (not) (834×)G1909 1. on, upon (spatial surface) (757×)H0369 1. existential negation: there is not (738×)H5869a 1. in the eyes/sight of (evaluative) (734×)H5650 1. Servant, attendant, subject (723×)H0408 1. prohibitive negation do-not (712×)G2443 1. so that, in order that (purpose/result) (665×)G0575 1. from (649×)G1223 1. through, by means of (582×)H3541 1. thus, so, in this manner (569×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
θλῐβ-ω [ῑ], Refs 5th c.BC+future θλίψω (ἀπο-) Refs 5th c.BC+: aorist ἔθλιψα Refs 5th c.BC+: perfect τέθλῐφα Refs 4th c.BC+ —middle, future θλίψομαι (see. below):—passive, future θλῐβήσομαι variant in Refs 2nd c.AD+: aorist 1 ἐθλίφθην Refs 5th c.BC+aorist 2 participle θλῐβείςRefs 1st c.AD+ (compare subjunctive ἐκφλῐβῇ Refs 5th c.BC+: perfect τέθλιμμαι Refs 4th c.BC+:— squeeze, chafe, θλίβει τὸν…