H5447 H5447
load, burden; forced labor or heavy weight to be carried
This noun denotes a burden or load, whether literal weight carried or metaphorical oppression through forced labor. First Kings 11:28 describes Jeroboam placed over 'all the forced labor of the house of Joseph'—the corvée system that would eventually split the kingdom. Nehemiah 4:17 (English v.10) speaks of burden-bearers weakened during wall-building—'the strength of the burden-bearers is failing.' Psalm 81:6 celebrates deliverance: 'I removed his shoulder from the burden'—God lifting Israel from Egyptian slavery. The word encompasses both physical loads carried on shoulders and the oppressive weight of servitude.
Senses
1. sense 1 — Solomon's forced labor program (1 Kings 11:28) exemplifies institutional oppression—the burden that provoked Israel's rebellion. Nehemiah's workers (4:17) experience physical exhaustion from literal burden-bearing during reconstruction. The Psalm (81:6) uses 'burden' metaphorically for slavery's weight, which God removed in the Exodus. Cross-linguistic glosses alternate between 'carga' (load), 'forced-labor,' and contextual renderings. The construct forms ('burden of,' 'from the burden') show this is weight imposed from outside—whether by Pharaoh, Solomon, or reconstruction necessity—pressing down on shoulders and spirits alike. 3×
AR["الأَثْقَالَ", "سُخْرَةِ", "عَنِ-الْحِمْلِ"]·ben["-ভারে", "বোঝা-থেকে", "বোঝার-উপরে"]·DE["[בסבל]", "forced-labor-von", "von-der-burden"]·EN["forced-labor-of", "from-the-burden", "of-the-burden"]·FR["[בסבל]", "de-charge", "força-labor-de"]·heb["ב-ה-סבל", "מ-סבל", "סבל"]·HI["बोझ", "बोझ-से", "भार"]·ID["beban", "dari-beban", "kerja rodi"]·IT["[בסבל]", "[מסבל]", "forzato-lavoro-di"]·jav["ing-pikul", "momotan", "saking-momotan"]·KO["그-짐-에", "에서-짐", "짐"]·PT["do-fardo", "na-carga", "trabalho-de"]·RU["ношу", "от-бремени", "повинностью"]·ES["carga-de", "de-carga", "en-la-carga"]·SW["kutoka-mzigo", "mizigo", "mzigo-wa"]·TR["yükte", "yükünden", "yüküne"]·urd["بوجھ", "مِن-بوجھ", "میں-بوجھ"]
Related Senses
H0935 1. come, arrive (Qal) (2413×)G1473 1. first person singular pronoun (2084×)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×)H7971 1. to send, dispatch (Qal) (701×)G2064 1. come / arrive (physical movement toward) (588×)H5307 1. Qal: fall down physically (339×)H5375 1. Qal: to lift up, raise (330×)H5975 1. to stand, stand up (310×)H5674a 1. Qal: pass by, pass through (256×)H3381 1. Qal: to go down, descend (physical movement) (242×)G1831 1. go/come out physically (193×)H5337 1. deliver, rescue, save (Hifil) (188×)H7901 1. lie down, rest, sleep (183×)G1525 1. enter a place physically (179×)H7812 1. prostrate oneself, bow down, worship (173×)H3318 2. Hifil: bring out, lead out, take out (persons) (172×)H7725 2. to bring back, restore (Hifil) (151×)H5674a 2. Qal: cross over (134×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† סֵ֫בֶל n.[m.] load, burden;—abs. Ne 4:11 ψ 81:7 (enforced burden); cstr. id., = burdensome labour (of corvée) 1 K 11:28.—Vid. also סַבָּל.