H4786 H4786
bitterness, grief (emotional pain or distress, especially sorrow of spirit)
This word means bitterness or grief, specifically emotional distress and sorrow of spirit. It occurs in Genesis 26:35 describing Isaac's response to Esau's Hittite wives: they 'brought bitterness of spirit to Isaac and Rebekah'. The term emphasizes internal anguish rather than physical bitterness. The construct 'bitterness of spirit' (ruach) indicates deep emotional pain, disappointment, or grief. Esau's marriage choices create family discord and foreshadow future conflicts. The phrase expresses parental grief over a child's decisions.
Senses
1. sense 1 — Bitterness of spirit, emotional grief or internal distress rather than physical bitterness. Genesis uses this to describe Isaac and Rebekah's anguish over Esau's marriages to Canaanite women. The term captures parental disappointment and sorrow, the grief of seeing a son make destructive choices. The construct with 'spirit' emphasizes the inward, emotional dimension. Later tradition would see this as part of Esau's unfitness to receive the blessing. 1×
AR["مَرارَةَ"]·ben["মনের-তিক্ততা"]·DE["eine-Bitternis"]·EN["bitterness-of"]·FR["amertume-de"]·heb["מרת"]·HI["कड़वाहट"]·ID["kepahitan"]·IT["bitterness-di"]·jav["kasusahan"]·KO["쓰라림이"]·PT["amargura-de"]·RU["горечью"]·ES["amargura-de"]·SW["uchungu"]·TR["acısı"]·urd["تلخی"]
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
† [מֹרָה] n.f. id., cstr. מֹרַת רוּחַ Gn 26:35 (P) bitterness of spirit (= grief of mind).