H2976 H2976
despair, be hopeless (Nifal); cause despair (Piel causative)
Senses
1. despair, be hopeless (Nifal) — Nifal participle and perfect of יָאַשׁ expressing the state of despair, hopelessness, or giving up. Used intransitively to describe a person or situation that is beyond hope or remedy. The Nifal participle נוֹאָשׁ functions adjectivally as 'hopeless' or 'desperate.' Attested in prophetic declarations of hopelessness (Isa 57:10; Jer 2:25; 18:12), where Israel refuses to repent claiming 'it is hopeless' (נוֹאָשׁ), and in the description of a desperate person (Job 6:26). Also used as a finite verb for Saul's anticipated despair over David (1 Sam 27:1). Multilingual glosses consistently render the concept of lost hope: Arabic يَئِسَ/لا فائدة (despair, no use), Korean 절망 (despair), Spanish desesperado/sin esperanza (desperate/without hope). 5×
AR["لَا-فَائِدَةَ","وَيَيأسُ","يائِسٍ","يَئِسَ","يَئِسْتُ"]·ben["এবং-হতাশ-হবেন","নিরাশ","নিরাশা","হতাশার"]·DE["[נאש]","[נואש]","und-wird-despair"]·EN["It-is-hopeless","and-will-despair","desperate-one","hopeless","it-is-hopeless"]·FR["[נואש]","désespérer","et-fera-despair"]·heb["ו-נואש","נואש"]·HI["आशा-नहीं","और-छोदेग","निराशा","निराशा-के"]·ID["Sia-sia","dan-putus-asa","sia-sia","yang-putus-asa"]·IT["desperate-one","disperare","e-vorrà-despair"]·jav["'Tanpa-pangajeng-ajeng!","Boten-wonten-pangajeng-ajeng","lan-putus-asa","tanpa-pengarep-arep","tiyang-putus-asa"]·KO["그리고-단념하리라","절망이다","절망이라고","절망한-자의","희망-없다"]·PT["Não-há-esperança;","desesperado","e-desesperar-se-á","sem-esperança","É-inútil"]·RU["безнадёжно","и-отчается","напрасно","отчаявшегося"]·ES["Es-inútil","Sin-esperanza","desesperado","y-se-desesperará","¡No-hay-esperanza!"]·SW["Haiwezekani","haifai","mtu-aliyekata-tamaa","na-atakata-tamaa"]·TR["umitsiz","umutsuz","umutsuzun","ve-umudu-kesecek"]·urd["اور-مایوس-ہو-جائے","بے-فائدہ-ہے","مایوس-کی","نا-امید","ناامید"]
2. cause despair (Piel causative) — Piel infinitive construct of יָאַשׁ with causative meaning: to cause someone to despair, to make despondent. Attested in Eccl 2:20 where Qoheleth describes causing his own heart to despair (לְיַאֵשׁ) over the futility of his toil. The Piel stem transforms the intransitive Nifal meaning ('be in despair') into a transitive causative ('cause despair'). Multilingual evidence confirms the causative nuance: Arabic لِأُيَئِّسَ (to make despair, Form II causative), Korean 절망하게 하기를 (to cause to despair), Spanish para desesperar (to cause despair), Hindi निराश करने को (to make hopeless). This is a genuine stem-based semantic distinction from the Nifal stative/intransitive sense. 1×
AR["لِأُيَئِّسَ"]·ben["হতাশ-করতে"]·DE["[ליאש]"]·EN["to-cause-despair"]·FR["à-désespérer"]·heb["ל-ייאש"]·HI["निराश-करने-को"]·ID["untuk-membuat-putus-asa"]·IT["per-a-cause-despair"]·jav["kangge-nyerahaken"]·KO["절망하게-하기를"]·PT["para-desesperar"]·RU["чтобы-отчаяться"]·ES["para-desesperar"]·SW["kukata-tamaa"]·TR["umutsuzlandirmak-icin"]·urd["مایوس-کرنے"]
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† [יָאַשׁ] vb. despair (not in Qal) (NH Hithp. despair of, יֵאוּשׁ desperation; Aramaic Pa. יָאֵשׁ, etc., make despair (so 𝔗 Ec 2:20); Arabic يَىِٔسَ despair)— Niph. Pf. וְנוֹאַש consec. 1 S 27:1; Pt. נוֹאָשׁ Je 2:25 + 3 times;—despair, וְנ׳ מִמֶּנִּי שָׁאוּל לְבַקְּשֵׁנִי 1 S 27:1 and Saul shall despair of me, to seek me; pt. desperate, despairing, of Job, Jb 6:26; elsewhere נוֹאָ֑שׁ (foll.…