H5445 H5445
To bear a heavy load, carry burdens; passively: to be laden; reflexively: to drag oneself along wearily.
A verb of weight and endurance, describing the act of shouldering what is heavy -- whether sacks of grain or the sorrows of a nation. Issachar bows his shoulder to bear burdens like a donkey (Gen 49:15), and the Suffering Servant bears our griefs and carries our iniquities (Isa 53:4, 11). Spanish consistently uses 'cargar' (to load, carry), while the French 'porter' echoes the same physical heft. In its passive Pual form it describes cattle laden with produce (Ps 144:14), and in the rare Hitpael the grasshopper of Ecclesiastes 12:5 drags itself along -- a poignant image of old age when even the lightest creature becomes a burden to itself.
Senses
1. carry, bear — The core Qal meaning: to carry, bear, or sustain a heavy load, whether literal (Issachar bowing to carry, Gen 49:15; bearing an idol, Isa 46:7) or theological (the Servant bearing pain and guilt, Isa 53:4, 11). Spanish 'cargar/cargara' and French 'porter' consistently render this as physical hauling, even when the burden is spiritual. Lamentations 5:7 extends it to bearing the iniquities of forefathers. 7×
AR["أَحْمِلُ", "تَحَمَّلَهَا", "حَمَلْنَا", "لِيَحْمِلَ", "يَحْمِلُ", "يَرْفَعُونَهُ"]·ben["তারা-এটিকে-বহন-করে", "বহন-করতে", "বহন-করব", "বহন-করবেন", "বহন-করেছি", "সহ্য-করেছেন"]·DE["[אסבל]", "[יסבל]", "[יסבלהו]", "[סבלם]", "[סבלנו]", "zum-Tragen"]·EN["bear", "he-carried-them", "they-carry-it", "to-bear", "will-bear", "will-carry"]·FR["porter", "à-enfanter"]·heb["אסבול", "יסבול", "יסבלוהו", "ל-סבל", "סבלם", "סבלנו"]·HI["उठाऊंगा", "उठाएगा", "उठाते-हैं", "को-बोझ-ढोने", "वे-उसे-सहते-हैं", "सहा", "सहूंगा"]·ID["akan-menanggung", "akan-mendukung", "kami-tanggung", "memikul-mereka", "mereka-menanggungnya", "untuk-memikul"]·IT["a-portare", "trasportare"]·jav["badhé-mikul", "badhé-nyanggi", "kangge-nanggung", "kita-sami-nanggung", "piyambakipun-mikul", "sampun-nyanggi"]·KO["나른다-그것을", "에-짐지기", "우리-가-짊네", "짊으리라", "쳐어졌는데", "쳐어지리라"]·PT["carregam-o", "carregamos", "carregarei", "carregará", "para-carregar", "suportou"]·RU["нес-их", "несут-его", "несём", "понесу", "понесёт", "чтобы-носить"]·ES["cargamos", "cargará", "cargaré", "lo-cargan", "los-cargó", "para-cargar"]·SW["ameyachukua", "atabeba", "nitabeba", "tunaubeba", "wanamchukua", "ya-bumba"]·TR["tasinir-o", "tasiyacagim", "tasiyacak", "taşıdık", "taşımak-için", "yuklendi-onlari"]·urd["اُٹھاؤں-گا", "اُٹھائے-گا", "اُٹھاتے-ہیں", "برداشت-کروں-گا", "برداشت-کیے", "بوجھ-اٹھانے-کے-لیے", "وہ-اٹھاتے-ہیں-اُسے"]
2. be laden, loaded — Pual passive participle: to be laden or loaded, describing cattle or oxen heavy with cargo or produce (Ps 144:14). Some interpreters read this as 'pregnant,' but the multilingual evidence (English 'loaded,' Spanish 'cargados') favors the image of beasts weighed down with goods -- a picture of agricultural abundance and blessing. 1×
AR["مُحَمَّلَةٌ"]·ben["ভারবহনকারী,"]·DE["loaded"]·EN["loaded"]·FR["de-porter"]·heb["מסובלים"]·HI["बोझ-उठानेवाले"]·ID["sarat-muatan"]·IT["[מסבלים]"]·jav["ngemot"]·KO["짐-지고-있다"]·PT["carregados"]·RU["нагруженные"]·ES["cargados"]·SW["wamebeba-mizigo"]·TR["yüklü"]·urd["لدے-ہوئے"]
3. drag oneself along — Hitpael reflexive: to drag oneself along with difficulty, used solely in the allegory of aging in Ecclesiastes 12:5, where even the grasshopper becomes a burden. Spanish 'y se arrastre' (and drags itself) captures the painfully slow, self-propelled movement. This reflexive form emphasizes that the subject is both bearer and burden -- a uniquely expressive image of bodily decline. 1×
AR["وِ-يِسْتَبِّيل"]·ben["এবং-ভারী-হয়"]·DE["[ויסתבל]"]·EN["and-drags-itself"]·FR["et-ויסתבל"]·heb["ו-יסתבל"]·HI["और-घसीटे"]·ID["dan-menyeret"]·IT["e-e-drags-itself"]·jav["lan-ngrebes"]·KO["그리고-끌린다"]·PT["e-se-arrasta"]·RU["и-отяжелеет"]·ES["y-se-arrastre"]·SW["na-atatambaa"]·TR["ve-surukler"]·urd["اور-گھسٹے"]
Related Senses
H0935 1. come, arrive (Qal) (2413×)G1473 1. first person singular pronoun (2084×)H7200 1. Qal: to see, perceive (1257×)G4771 2. you (singular address) (1077×)H8085 1. Qal: hear, perceive aurally (921×)H3318 1. Qal: go out, depart, come forth (891×)H7725 1. to return, come/go back (Qal) (874×)H5927 1. go up, ascend (Qal) (779×)H0859a 1. you (2nd person masculine singular pronoun) (743×)H7971 1. to send, dispatch (Qal) (701×)H0398 1. eat (consume food) (697×)H4191 1. die (Qal: natural/general death) (645×)G2064 1. come / arrive (physical movement toward) (588×)G3708 1. see, perceive visually (419×)G0191 1. hear, perceive sound (360×)H???? 3. (352×)H5307 1. Qal: fall down physically (339×)H5375 1. Qal: to lift up, raise (330×)H5975 1. to stand, stand up (310×)G3708 2. behold, look (exclamatory) (256×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† [סָבַל] vb. bear a heavy load (NH id.; Ar. סְבַל, ܣܒܰܠ id.; cf. also sub זבל p. 259 b supr.);— Qal Pf. 3 ms. sf. סְבָלָם Is 53:4; 1 pl. סָבָ֑לְנוּ La 5:7;—Impf. 3 ms. יִסְבֹּל Is 53:11; 1 s. אֶסְבֹּל 46:4; 3 mpl. sf. יִסְבְּלֻהוּ 46:7; Inf. cstr. לִסְבֹּל Gn 49:15;—bear a load, וַיֵּט שִׁכְמוֹ לִסְבֹּל Gn 49:15 (poem in J; of Issachar under fig. of ass); of carrying an idol Is 46:7; of י׳…