H4816 H4816
Weakness or timidity, particularly the fearful, fainthearted state God threatens as covenant curse
This rare noun appears in Leviticus 26:36, deep in the covenant curses section. God warns disobedient Israel: "I will send weakness into their hearts" in enemy lands. The result? Even the sound of a windblown leaf will terrify them and they'll flee though no one pursues. The term denotes psychological weakness—not physical frailty but fearful timidity and collapsing courage. It connects to the root meaning "soft" or "tender," here applied to the heart or spirit. This curse represents the opposite of courageous faith—a state of chronic anxiety where imagination creates phantom threats and the soul has no rest.
Senses
1. sense 1 — Denotes weakness, timidity, or fearfulness of heart—a psychological state of collapse rather than physical frailty. Leviticus 26:36 threatens this as a covenant curse for disobedience: God will send "weakness" (or "timidity") into the hearts of survivors in exile, making them flee at the rustle of a leaf though no one pursues. The term derives from a root meaning "soft" or "tender," here applied metaphorically to courage or spirit. The resulting condition is chronic, paralyzing anxiety—a profound loss of confidence and security that turns every sound into mortal threat. 1×
AR["رِخَاوَةً"]·ben["দুর্বলতা"]·DE["weakness"]·EN["weakness"]·FR["weakness"]·heb["מרך"]·HI["डर"]·ID["ketakutan"]·IT["weakness"]·jav["lumuh"]·KO["두려움을"]·PT["fraqueza"]·RU["страх"]·ES["cobardía"]·SW["uoga"]·TR["yürek-yumuşaklığı"]·urd["درہم"]
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
† מֹ֫רֶךְ n.[m.] weakness (Köii. 1, 98);—Lv 26:36 I will send מ׳ into (ב) your heart (i.e. make you timid, fearful, cf. √ 1 a, רַךְ 2).