H3533 H3533
To subdue, conquer, or bring into bondage; ranging from dominion over creation to military conquest, enslavement, and sexual violation.
First appearing in God's mandate to humanity—'fill the earth and subdue it' (Gen 1:28)—this verb carries an inherent force that intensifies across its stems. In the Qal it describes bringing peoples or land under dominion; in the Nifal, territory being subdued before Israel (Num 32:22; Josh 18:1). The Hifil causative appears in Jeremiah's grim account of slaveholders re-enslaving freed servants (Jer 34:11). Its darkest usage is Haman's assault on Esther (Esth 7:8), where 'subdue' becomes sexual violation. Arabic cognate 'kabasa' (press, knead, assault) confirms this physical-force core across Semitic languages.
Senses
1. subdue, conquer (Qal) — Subdue or conquer in the Qal stem: The foundational sense of bringing under dominion by force. Genesis 1:28 uses the imperative—humanity is charged to 'subdue' the earth as stewards. Micah 7:19 applies it metaphorically: God will 'subdue' Israel's iniquities, treading them underfoot. Spanish 'someter' (to subject) and the Arabic cognate 'kabasa' (press, squeeze) both preserve the idea of applied pressure. 6×
AR["لِـ-تُخْضِعُوا","مُخْضِعونَ","وَ-أَخْضِعُوهَا","وَأَخْضَعْتُمُوهُمْ","وَيُخْضِعُونَ","يَدُوسُ"]·ben["আর-তোমরা-দমন-করেছিলে","আর-বশীভূত-করো-তাকে","এবং-পরাজিত-করবে","তিনি-পদদলিত-করবেন","দাস-করতে","বশীভূত-করছি"]·DE["[וכבשו]","[ותכבשו]","[יכבש]","[כבשים]","[לכבש]","und-unterwerft-sie"]·EN["He-will-subdue","and-subdue-it","and-they-will-subdue","and-you-subjugated","subjecting","to-subdue"]·FR["[ותכבשו]","[כבשים]","[לכבש]","et-soumettre","et-soumettre-cela","soumettre"]·heb["ו-כבש-ה","ו-כבשו","ו-תכבשו","יכבוש","כבש","ל-כבש"]·HI["और-वश-में-कर-लिया","और-वश-में-करो","और-वे-वश-करेंगे","दबाने-को","मजबूर-हैं","वह-कुचलेगा"]·ID["Dia-akan-menaklukkan","dan-kamu-memaksa","dan-menaklukkan","dan-taklukkanlah-itu","menaklukkan","untuk-menundukkan"]·IT["[וכבשו]","[יכבש]","[כבשים]","[לכבש]","e-sottomettere","e-subdue-esso"]·jav["badhé-ngatasi","kanggé-nundukaken","lan-ngluwari","lan-panjenengan-meksa","lan-telukna","meksa"]·KO["그리고-너희가-복종시켰다","그리고-정복하라","그리고-정복하리라","복종시키고-있다","정복하실-것-이다","종으로-삼다"]·PT["e-subjugai-a","e-subjugarão","e-subjugastes","para-subjugar","subjugará","sujeitando"]·RU["и-покоряйте-её","и-попирают","и-поработили","подчинить","покорит","порабощающие"]·ES["sometemos","someter","someterá","y-los-subyugasteis","y-sojuzgadla","y-someterán"]·SW["atazikandamiza","kuwatia","na-mkawalazimisha","na-muitawale","na-watashinda","tunawatia"]·TR["bastacak","boyun-eğdirmek","köleleştiriyoruz","ve-basacaklar","ve-boyunduruk-altına-aldınız","ve-hükmedin"]·urd["اور-روندیں-گے","اور-مجبور-کیا","اور-مسخر-کرو","دبائے-گا","دبانے-کو","گروی-رکھ-رہے-ہیں"]
2. be subdued, be conquered (Nifal) — Be subdued or conquered in the Nifal passive: Land or territory that has been brought under control. Numbers 32:22 and Joshua 18:1 use this form for Canaan being 'subdued' before the LORD. The shift from active conquest to accomplished state is important: 1 Chronicles 22:18 presents the land as already subjugated, providing the theological basis for temple-building. Spanish 'fue sometida' captures the completed passive well. 5×
AR["أُخْضِعَتْ","مُسْتَعْبَداتٍ","وَ-أُخْضِعَتِ","وَتُخْضَعُ"]·ben["আর-জয়-হয়েছে","এবং-জয়-করা-হবে","বশীভূত","বশীভূত-হয়েছিল"]·DE["[ונכבשה]","[נכבשות]","und-ist-unterwarf","war-unterwarf"]·EN["and-is-subdued","and-was-subdued","being-subjected","was-subdued"]·FR["[ונכבשה]","[נכבשות]","et-est-subdued","était-subdued"]·heb["ו-כבש","ו-נכבשה","כבש","נכבשה"]·HI["और-जीती-जाएगी","और-वश-में-किया-गया","दासी-में-लाई-गई-हैं","वश-में-की-गई"]·ID["dan-ditaklukkan","ditaklukkan","yang-diperbudak"]·IT["[ונכבשה]","[נכבשות]","e-e-subdued","fu-sottomise"]·jav["Lan-dipuntaklukaken","dipun-kawulaken","lan-dipuntaklukaken","lan-katundukaken","sampun-kataklukaken"]·KO["그리고-정복되면","그리고-정복되었다","복종당한-자들이","정복되었다"]·PT["E-for-subjugada","e-foi-subjugada","e-for-subjugada","foi-subjugada","sujeitadas"]·RU["была-покорена","и-покорена","и-покорится","порабощённые"]·ES["Y-será-conquistada","fue-sometida","sometidas","y-fue-sometida","y-será-conquistada"]·SW["ilishindwa","na-imetiishwa","na-itashindwa","na-nchi-itashindwa","wamekwisha-kutiwa-utumwani"]·TR["fethedildi","köle-edilmiş","ve-fethedildi","ve-fethedilirse"]·urd["اور-فتح-ہو-جائے","اور-مسخر-ہوئی","مسخر-ہوئی","گروی-رکھی-ہوئی"]
3. subjugate by force (Hifil) — Subjugate by force in the Hifil causative: To compel others into servitude or bondage. Jeremiah 34:11 records the nobles forcing freed slaves back into bondage—a covenant violation that provokes divine judgment. The causative stem emphasizes the coercive agency of the oppressor rather than the state of the oppressed. Both the Ketiv and Qere readings in Jeremiah point to this intensified causative meaning. 2×
AR["(وَأَخْضَعُوهُمْ)","[وَأَخْضَعُوهُمْ]"]·ben["(আর-তারা-দমন-করল)","[আর-তারা-দমন-করল]"]·DE["[(ויכבשום)]","[[ויכבישום]]"]·EN["[and-they-subjugated-them]","and-they-subjugated-them"]·FR["[(ויכבשום)]","[[ויכבישום]]"]·heb["ו-יכבשום"]·HI["(और-वश-में-कर-लिया-उन्हें)","[और-वश-में-कर-लिया-उन्हें]"]·ID["[dan-mereka-memaksa-mereka]","dan-mereka-memaksa-mereka"]·IT["sottomettere"]·jav["ketiv","qere-lan-piyambakipun-meksa"]·KO["(그리고-그들이-복종시켰다)","[그리고-그들이-부렸다]"]·PT["[e-subjugaram-os]","e-subjugaram-os"]·RU["и-поработили-их"]·ES["(y-los-subyugaron)","[y-los-subyugaron]"]·SW["(na-wakawalazimisha)","[na-wakawalazimisha]"]·TR["(ve-boyunduruk-altına-aldılar-onları)","[ve-boyunduruk-altına-aldılar-onları]"]·urd["(اور-مجبور-کیا)","[اور-مجبور-کیا]"]
4. force, violate sexually (Qal) — Force or violate sexually in the Qal: A specialized and disturbing usage where physical subjugation becomes sexual assault. In Esther 7:8, the king interprets Haman's posture near Esther as an attempt to 'subdue' (violate) the queen. BDB notes this parallels the earlier Hebrew term 'innah. Spanish 'para forzar' (to force) makes the violent intent explicit. 1×
AR["يَغْتَصِبُ"]·ben["বশ-করতে"]·DE["[לכבוש]"]·EN["subdue"]·FR["[לכבוש]"]·heb["ל-כבש"]·HI["बलात्कार-करेगा"]·ID["untuk-memperkosa"]·IT["[לכבוש]"]·jav["kanggé-migunakaken"]·KO["범하려는가"]·PT["para-dominar"]·RU["овладеть"]·ES["para-forzar"]·SW["pia"]·TR["tecavüz-etmek-için-"]·urd["زبردستی-کرنا"]
5. conquer thoroughly (Piel) — Conquer thoroughly in the Piel intensive: Complete subjugation of conquered peoples, with the Piel stem emphasizing thoroughness or repetition. In 2 Samuel 8:11, David dedicates spoils from nations he had 'subdued'—the intensive form underscoring total military domination. Spanish 'conquistó' (he conquered) reflects the completeness of the victory. 1×
AR["أَخضَعَ"]·ben["তিনি-জয়-করেছিলেন"]·DE["er-subdued"]·EN["he-subdued"]·FR["il-subdued"]·heb["כיבש"]·HI["जीता"]·ID["ia-taklukkan"]·IT["egli-sottomise"]·jav["naklukaken"]·KO["정복했던"]·PT["subjugou"]·RU["покорил"]·ES["conquistó"]·SW["aliyashinda"]·TR["fethetti"]·urd["اُس-نے-فتح-کیا۔"]
Related Senses
G0846 1. third-person pronoun reference (5552×)H???? 1. (4670×)H6213a 1. do, perform, act (2383×)G2962 1. Lord (divine title) (661×)G4160 1. do, act, perform (473×)H0136 1. Lord (divine title) (440×)H5221 1. Hifil: to strike in battle, smite enemies (362×)H4421 1. war, battle, armed conflict (319×)H0341 1. enemy, adversary, foe (284×)H0113 1. lord, human superior (249×)H0899b 1. garment, article of clothing (216×)H3898a 1. Nifal: to fight, wage war (167×)H6213a 2. make, construct, fabricate (148×)H2026 1. kill, slay (active) (146×)H2451 1. wisdom, discernment (146×)H5483b 1. horse (the animal) (138×)H0006 1. to perish, be destroyed (105×)H3772 1. cut a covenant / make a pact (97×)H5060 1. touch physically (Qal) (96×)G1849 1. authority, power (91×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† [כָּבַשׁ] vb. subdue, bring into bondage (NH id., press, oppress; Aramaic כְּבַשׁ, ܟܒܰܫ tread down, beat or make a path, subdue; Arabic كَبَسَ press, squeeze, knead (body or limb, as in the bath, massage), also attack, assault)— Qal Pf. 3 pl. וְכָֽבְשׁוּ consec. Zc 9:15; Impf. יִכְבּוֹשׁ Mi 7:19; וַיִּכְבְּשׁוּם Je 34:11 Qr (Kt Hiph), etc.; Imv. pl. sf. כִּבְשֻׁהָ Gn 1:28; Inf. כְּבוֹשׁ 2 Ch…