H5450 H5450
Burden or forced labor; the heavy loads and compulsory work imposed on Israel during Egyptian bondage.
A feminine noun appearing exclusively in the Exodus narrative to describe the burdens and forced labor imposed on the Israelites in Egypt. It encompasses both the physical loads carried and the broader system of compulsory servitude. Pharaoh complains that Moses is distracting the people 'from their burdens' (Exod 5:4-5), while God promises to bring Israel out 'from under the burdens of Egypt' (Exod 6:6-7). The word first appears when Pharaoh sets taskmasters over Israel 'with their burdens' to afflict them (Exod 1:11), and Moses sees those burdens firsthand (Exod 2:11). Spanish 'cargas' (loads) and French 'fardeaux' (heavy burdens) consistently reflect the weight and oppression this word conveys.
Senses
1. burden, forced labor — The heavy burdens and system of forced labor endured by Israel in Egypt, encompassing both physical loads and compulsory servitude. All six occurrences cluster tightly in Exodus 1-6, creating a thematic arc: the burdens are first imposed (1:11), witnessed by Moses (2:11), complained about by Pharaoh when disrupted (5:4-5), and finally promised to be lifted by God (6:6-7). The plural construct form sivlot always appears with possessive or geographic qualifiers ('their burdens,' 'burdens of Egypt'), emphasizing the communal and systemic nature of the oppression. French 'fardeaux' and Spanish 'cargas' consistently render the weight of these imposed loads across translation traditions. 6×
AR["أَثْقَالَهُمْ", "أَثْقَالِ", "إِلَى-أَثْقَالِكُمْ", "بِ-أَثْقَالِهِمْ", "عَنْ-أَثْقَالِهِمْ"]·ben["তাদের-ভারবহন-থেকে", "তাদের-ভারবহনে", "তোমাদের-ভারবহনে", "ভারবহনের"]·DE["Lasten-von", "in-ihr-Lasten", "mit-ihr-Lasten", "von-ihr-Lasten", "zu-dein-Lasten"]·EN["burdens-of", "from-their-burdens", "in-their-burdens", "to-your-burdens", "with-their-burdens"]·FR["avec-leur-fardeaux", "dans-leur-fardeaux", "de-leur-fardeaux", "fardeaux-de", "à-ton-fardeaux"]·heb["ב-סבלותם", "ל-סבלותיכם", "מ-סבלותם", "סבלות"]·HI["बोझ-अपने-पर", "बोझ-अपने-से", "बोझ-उनका", "बोझ-से-उनकē", "बोझों"]·ID["beban-beban", "beban-beban-mereka", "dari-beban-beban-mereka", "dengan-beban-beban-mereka", "kepada-beban-beban-kamu"]·IT["a-tuo-fardelli", "con-loro-fardelli", "da-loro-fardelli", "fardelli-di", "in-loro-fardelli"]·jav["dhateng-momotan-ipun", "kanthi-momotan", "momotan", "saking-momotan-ipun", "wonten-ing-momotan"]·KO["그들의-짐들에서", "너희의-짐들로", "에-그들의-짐을", "짐들-그들의로", "짐들의"]·PT["cargas-de", "com-cargas-suas", "de-cargas-suas", "em-cargas-deles", "para-cargas-vossas"]·RU["бремени", "к-повинностям-вашим", "от-повинностей-их", "работами-их", "страдания-их"]·ES["a-vuestras-cargas", "cargas-de", "con-sus-cargas", "de-sus-cargas", "en-sus-cargas"]·SW["kutoka-mizigo-yao", "kwa-mizigo-yao", "kwenye-mizigo-yenu", "mizigo", "mizigo-yao"]·TR["yüklerinde", "yüklerinden", "yüklerinin", "yüklerinize"]·urd["بوجھوں-ان-کے", "بوجھوں-ان-کے-ساتھ", "بوجھوں-اپنے-پاس", "بوجھوں-سے-ان-کے", "بوجھوں-کے"]
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
† [סִבְלָה] n.f. burden;—pl. cstr. סִבְלֹת מִצְרַיִם Ex 6:6 (P), of the heavy labours imposed on Isr. by Egyptian, v 7; sf. סִבְלֹתֵיכֶם 5:4 (J), סִבְלֹתָם 1:11; 5:5 (both J), 2:11 (E); (cf. ψ 81:7, סֵבֶל).