H0394 H0394
Cruel, fierce, merciless — describing persons or forces that act with savage harshness
This adjective paints a vivid picture of ruthless severity. Proverbs warns that even the mercies of the wicked are cruel (12:10) and that a cruel messenger will be sent against the rebel (17:11). Jeremiah describes enemy armies as cruel and without compassion (6:23; 50:42). Isaiah uses it of the terrible day of the LORD (13:9). The Spanish 'cruel,' French 'cruel,' and English 'cruel' all converge on the same stark meaning, while the German 'grausam' (grim, gruesome) adds a visceral overtone.
Senses
1. cruel, fierce (adjective) — The adjective אַכְזָרִי describing a person, force, or quality as cruel, fierce, or merciless. In wisdom literature it characterizes harsh taskmasters (Prov 5:9 'the cruel one'), the false compassion of the wicked (Prov 12:10), and the merciless messenger sent against rebels (Prov 17:11). Prophetically, Jeremiah applies it to the invading Babylonians — a people 'cruel and without mercy' (Jer 6:23; 50:42) — while Isaiah deploys it eschatologically for the day of the LORD (Isa 13:9). Cross-linguistic evidence is strikingly uniform: Spanish, French, and English all render 'cruel,' German 'grausam,' confirming the core semantic of savage, pitiless harshness. 8×
AR["قاسٍ", "قاسِيَةٌ", "قَاسٍ", "قَاسِيَةٌ", "قُسَاةٌ", "لِلْقَاسِي"]·ben["এক-নির্দয়ের-কাছে", "নির্দয়", "নিষ্ঠুর", "নিষ্ঠুর-এর"]·DE["[אכזרי]", "[לאכזרי]", "grausam"]·EN["cruel", "cruel-one", "is-cruel", "to-the-cruel-one"]·FR["cruel", "à-cruel"]·heb["אכזרי", "ל-אכזרי"]·HI["क्रूर", "क्रूर-का", "क्रूर-को", "निर्दयी"]·ID["Kejam", "adalah-kejam", "kejam", "kepada-yang-kejam", "yang-kejam"]·IT["crudele", "cruel", "per-a-il-cruel-one", "è-cruel"]·jav["bengis", "dhateng-tiyang-keras", "galak", "kejam", "sangar", "sengit", "wengis"]·KO["잔인하고", "잔인하다", "잔인한", "잔인한-자-에게", "잔인한-자-이다"]·PT["Cruel", "Cruéis", "ao-cruel", "cruel", "cruéis"]·RU["Жестоки", "жестокий", "жестоким", "жестокое", "жестокому."]·ES["Crueles", "al-cruel", "cruel", "crueles"]·SW["katili", "kwa-mkatili", "mkatili", "ni-mkatili", "ni-ukatili", "wakatili", "ya-ukatili"]·TR["acımasız", "acımasıza", "acımasızdır", "acımasızın", "zalim"]·urd["بے-رحم", "ظالم", "ظالم-کو", "ظالم-کی", "ظالم-ہے", "ظالمانہ"]
Related Senses
H4421 1. war, battle, armed conflict (319×)H0341 1. enemy, adversary, foe (284×)H3898a 1. Nifal: to fight, wage war (167×)H2026 1. kill, slay (active) (146×)H2451 1. wisdom, discernment (146×)H5483b 1. horse (the animal) (138×)H0006 1. to perish, be destroyed (105×)H7843 1. Hifil: destroy, annihilate (83×)H2491a 1. slain, fatally pierced (74×)H6862c 1. adversary, enemy, foe (69×)H8045 1. destroy, exterminate (69×)G0615 1. kill, put to death (60×)H6571b 1. horseman, cavalryman (52×)H8077a 1. desolation, waste (abstract state) (52×)G4678 1. of wisdom (51×)G4717 1. crucify, fasten to a cross (46×)H2763a 1. utterly destroy (Hifil active) (44×)G0622 1. perish, be destroyed (intransitive) (41×)H0006 2. to destroy, annihilate (Piel) (38×)H8074 1. be desolate, lie waste (36×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† אַכְזָרִי adj. cruel, always in this form;—Pr 12:10; 17:11 Je 6:23; 50:42, also 30:14 (read מוּסָר א׳, for MT מוּסַר, Gf Gie); as subst. Pr 5:9; 11:17, perhaps also, in appos. with יוֹם י׳, Is 13:9.