H4843 H4843
Be bitter; embitter, make bitter; become enraged; weep or lament bitterly (Qal, Piel, Hifil, Hitpael)
Rooted in the physical sensation of a bitter taste (Isa 24:9, 'strong drink is bitter to those who drink it'), this verb extends across the full spectrum of human anguish. Naomi's declaration 'the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me' (Ruth 1:20) turns flavor into theology. The Piel intensifies it into hostile action—Pharaoh's taskmasters 'embittered' Israel's lives (Exod 1:14). In Daniel, the Hitpael reflexive captures internal fury, while Zechariah's Hifil infinitive paints the bitterest mourning imaginable. Arabic murr and Ethiopic marara confirm this as a pan-Semitic root for the taste that became a metaphor for suffering.
5. bitter lamentation (adverbial) — Hifil infinitive absolute used adverbially to modify mourning: bitterly, as in bitter lamentation. Zechariah 12:10 uses it twice—'they shall mourn bitterly' and 'like the bitter grief for a firstborn.' Spanish 'llorar amargamente' and French 'être amer' show the adverbial function clearly. 2×
AR["كَ-التَّمَرُّرِ","وَ-يَتَمَرَّرُونَ"]·ben["এবং-তিক্ত-হবে","তিক্ততার-মতো"]·DE["[והמר]","[כהמר]"]·EN["and-being-bitter","like-being-bitter"]·FR["et-être-amer","être-amer"]·heb["ו-המר","כ-המר"]·HI["और-वे-कड़वाहट-से-रोएंगे","जैसे-कड़वाहट"]·ID["dan-berduka","seperti-duka"]·IT["[והמר]","[כהמר]"]·jav["kados-nangis-sedih","lan-nangis-sedih"]·KO["그리고-쓰라리라","쓴-것-같이"]·PT["como-amargurar","e-amargarão"]·RU["и-сокрушаться","как-сокрушение"]·ES["como-llorar-amargamente","y-llorarán-amargamente"]·SW["kama-kulia-kwa-uchungu","na-kulia-kwa-uchungu"]·TR["acı-gibi","ve-acı-çekecekler"]·urd["اور-تلخی-سے-روئیں-گے","تلخی-سے-رونے-کی-طرح"]
▼ 6 more senses below
Senses
1. be bitter (stative) — Qal stative: to be or become bitter in taste or emotional experience. Isaiah 24:9 preserves the literal gustatory sense, while Ruth 1:13 and 2 Kings 4:27 extend it to existential distress. German 'bitter' and Spanish 'amargo' both serve double duty as taste and sorrow, just as the Hebrew does. 4×
AR["مَرِيرَةٌ-","مُرٌّ","مُرٌّ-","يَمَرُّ"]·ben["তিক্ত","তিক্ত-","তেতো-হবে"]·DE["[ימר]","[מר]","bitter","ist-bitter"]·EN["bitter","is-bitter"]·FR["[ימר]","amer","est-amer"]·heb["יימר","מר","מרה"]·HI["कड़वा-","कड़वाहट","कड़वाहट-में-है","कड़वी-होगी"]·ID["pahit","pahit-"]·IT["[ימר]","[מר]","amaro","è-amaro"]·jav["pahit","pait-","sedhih"]·KO["쓰다","쓰다-","쓰라렸나이다","쓰리라"]·PT["amarga","amargo","será-amargo"]·RU["горек","горька","горька-","горько"]·ES["amarga","amargo","es-amargo"]·SW["ina-uchungu-","itakuwa-chungu","ni-uchungu","uchungu"]·TR["aci","aci-","aci-olacak","acı-"]·urd["تلخ","تلخ-ہے","تلخی-تھی","کڑوا-ہوگی"]
2. embitter someone, treat bitterly — Piel transitive: to embitter someone or attack bitterly. Genesis 49:23 describes archers who 'bitterly attacked' Joseph, and Exodus 1:14 recounts how the Egyptians 'embittered' Israel's life with hard labor. Spanish 'amargaron' and French 'amèrement attaqua' both preserve the hostile, intensified force of the Piel. 2×
AR["فَأَمَرَّوهُ","وَ-مَرَّرُوا"]·ben["আর-তাকে-তিক্ত-করেছিল","ও-তিক্ত-করল"]·DE["und-sie-embittered","und-sie-erbitterten-ihn"]·EN["and-bitterly-attacked-him","and-they-embittered"]·FR["et-amèrement-attaqua-lui","et-ils-embittered"]·heb["ו-ימררהו-ו","ו-ימררו"]·HI["और-कड़वा-किया","और-कड़वा-किया-उसे"]·ID["Dan-mereka-memahitkan","dan-mereka-menyakitinya"]·IT["e-bitterly-attacked-lui","e-essi-embittered"]·jav["Lajeng-pait-piyambakipun","Lan-sami-nyusahaken"]·KO["그리고-괴롭게-했다","그리고-그를-쓰디게-하였다"]·PT["E-amarguraram","E-amarguraram-o"]·RU["И-делали-горькой","И-огорчали-его"]·ES["Y-amargaron","Y-lo-amargaron"]·SW["Na-wakaifanya-chungu","akamruka-akaweta"]·TR["Ve-acı-verdiler-ona","Ve-acılaştırdılar"]·urd["اور-تلخ-کیا","اور-تنگ-کیا-اسے"]
3. cause bitterness (causative) — Hifil causative finite: to cause bitterness, to make a situation bitter. Naomi renames herself Mara because 'the Almighty has made it bitter for me' (Ruth 1:20), and Job 27:2 attributes his bitterness to God. Spanish 'amargó' and French 'fit amer' confirm the causative agency at work. 2×
AR["أَمَرَّ"]·ben["তিক্ত-করেছেন","তিনি-তিক্ত-করেছেন"]·DE["[המר]"]·EN["has-embittered","made-bitter"]·FR["fit-amer","être-amer"]·heb["המר"]·HI["कड़वा-कर-दिया","कड़वा-किया"]·ID["telah-memahitkan","yang-memahitkan"]·IT["fece-amaro","has-embittered"]·jav["ingkang-ndamel-pait","pait"]·KO["쓰게-하셨다","쓴게-하셨다"]·PT["amargurou","que-amargurou"]·RU["огорчивший","огорчил"]·ES["amargó","que-amargó"]·SW["aliyeifanya-chungu","amenitendea-uchungu"]·TR["acı-verdi","acılaştırdı"]·urd["تلخ کی","تلخ-کیا"]
4. become enraged, embittered (reflexive) — Hitpael reflexive: to become enraged or embittered within oneself, expressing internal fury. Both occurrences appear in Daniel—the goat becomes 'enraged' (8:7) and the king of the south 'shall be moved with fury' (11:11). Spanish 'se enfureció' captures the reflexive, self-consuming quality of this rage. 2×
AR["وَ-اغْتَاظَ","وَ-يَغْتَاظُ"]·ben["এবং-ক্রুদ্ধ-হল","ও-ক্রুদ্ধ-হবে"]·DE["[ויתמרמר]"]·EN["and-it-was-enraged","and-shall-be-enraged"]·FR["et-être-amer"]·heb["ו-התמרמר","ו-יתמרמר"]·HI["और-क्रोधित-हुआ","और-क्रोधित-होगा"]·ID["Dan-akan-marah","dan-ia-marah"]·IT["[ויתמרמר]"]·jav["lan-duka-sanget","lan-piyambak-ipun-duka-sanget"]·KO["그리고-분노하리라","그리고-분노하였으니"]·PT["E-se-enfurecerá","e-enfureceu-se"]·RU["И-ожесточится","и-ожесточился"]·ES["Y-se-enfurecerá","y-se-enfureció"]·SW["na-akamkasirikia","na-atakasirka"]·TR["ve-kızdı","ve-öfkelenecek"]·urd["اور-غصے-میں-آئے-گا","اور-غصے-میں-آیا"]
6. rebel, act defiantly — Hifil specialized sense of rebellion or defiance, attested in Exodus 23:21 where God warns Israel not to 'rebel' against his angel. The semantic bridge runs through provocation—rebellion embitters the relationship. Spanish 'te rebeles' and French 'se rebeller' both render this as outright defiance. 1×
AR["تَعصِهِ"]·ben["বিদ্রোহ-করবে"]·DE["du-soll-sich-auflehnen"]·EN["you-shall-rebel"]·FR["tu---se-rebeller"]·heb["תמר"]·HI["विद्रोह-करो"]·ID["engkau memberontak"]·IT["tu-shall-rebel"]·jav["panjenengan-mbalela"]·KO["너는-거역하다"]·PT["te-rebeles"]·RU["противься"]·ES["te-rebeles"]·SW["umkasirisha"]·TR["isyan-edeceksin"]·urd["سرکشی-کرو"]
7. weep bitterly (intensive) — Piel intensive intransitive: to weep with intense bitterness. In Isaiah 22:4, the prophet cries 'let me weep bitterly' over Jerusalem's destruction. Spanish 'dejaré amargar' preserves the self-directed intensity, distinguishing this from the Hifil adverbial mourning of Zechariah. 1×
AR["أُمَرِّرُ"]·ben["তেতো-হব"]·DE["[אמרר]"]·EN["I-will-weep-bitterly"]·FR["[אמרר]"]·heb["אמרר"]·HI["कड़वाहट-से-रोऊँगा"]·ID["biarkan-aku-menangis-pahit"]·IT["[אמרר]"]·jav["kawula-nangis-getir"]·KO["쓰디쓰리라"]·PT["deixai-me-amargar"]·RU["буду-горько-я"]·ES["dejaré-amargar"]·SW["niachie"]·TR["acilikla-aglayacagim"]·urd["میں-روؤں-گا"]
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† I. מָרַר vb. be bitter (NH id.; Assyrian marâru and deriv. DlHWB 427; Arabic مُرَّ become roused (of bile), ii. make bitter, iv. become bitter; مُرٌّ bitter; Ethiopic መረረ; Aramaic ܡܰܪ, מְרַר);— Qal Pf. 3 ms. מַר Is 38:17 + 2 times; 3 fs. מָ֫רָה 1 S 30:6 2 K 4:27; Impf. 3 ms. יֵמַר Is 24:9;—be bitter: 1. lit. יֵמַר שֵׁכָר לְשֹׁתָיו Is 24:9. 2. fig. מָ֫רָה נֶפֶשׁ 1 S 30:6 the soul of all the…