H6089a H6089a
Pain, sorrow, hurt; toil, labor — suffering physical or emotional, or the burden of work
The noun עֶצֶב holds together the seemingly disparate experiences of pain and toil under a single root that connects suffering with strenuous effort. In Gen 3:16 God tells Eve that her childbearing will involve 'pain' (etsev), linking the word to the primal curse. The wisdom literature, however, develops the toil dimension: 'In all toil there is profit' (Prov 14:23), and the psalmist warns against 'the bread of anxious toil' (Ps 127:2). The two senses converge in the insight that labor in a fallen world is inherently painful.
Senses
1. toil, labor, work — Burdensome work, productive toil, or labor — the exertion that occupies and wearies a person. Spanish 'trabajo' (work) and French 'labeur' (labor) confirm the work-domain reading. Prov 14:23 teaches that 'in all toil there is profit,' Ps 127:2 speaks of 'bread of toils' gained by anxious effort, and Prov 5:10 warns that 'your labors' may enrich strangers. Prov 10:22 adds that the LORD's blessing brings wealth without painful toil alongside it. 4×
AR["الأَوجاعِ","تَعَبٍ","حُزْنًا","وَ-أَتْعَابُكَ"]·ben["ও-তোমার-পরিশ্রম","কষ্ট","কষ্টের;","পরিশ্রমে"]·DE["Mühsal","[ועצביך]","[עצב]"]·EN["and-your-labors","toil"]·FR["et-ton-labeur-toi","labeur","le-travail"]·heb["ה-עצבים","ו-עמלך","עצב"]·HI["और-परिश्रम-तेरा","कष्टों-की","दुःख","परिश्रम-में"]·ID["dan-jerih-payahmu","jerih-payah","kesusahan","usaha"]·IT["[העצבים]","e-e-tuo-labors-tuo","fatica"]·jav["kasusahan","lan-padamelan-panjenengan","padamelan"]·KO["그리고-네-수고-를","수고-를","수고-에","수고-의"]·PT["de-dores","dor","e-teus-trabalhos","trabalho"]·RU["и-труды-твои -","печали","скорбей","труде"]·ES["dolor","los-afanes","trabajo","y-tus-trabajos"]·SW["huzuni","kazi-ngumu","na-kazi-yako","wa-taabu"]·TR["acı","emekte","ve-emeğin","zor-çalışmanın"]·urd["اور-محنتیں-تیری","دکھ","محنت-میں","مشقت-کی"]
2. pain, sorrow, hurt — Physical or emotional suffering, grief, or hurt — the affective distress dimension of the root. In Gen 3:16, the first occurrence in Scripture, God multiplies Eve's 'pain' in childbearing, and Spanish 'con dolor' (with pain) and German 'in Schmerzen' (in pains) uniformly attest the suffering sense. Prov 15:1 uses it for emotional hurt: a harsh word stirs up pain (devar-etsev), contrasted with a gentle answer that turns away wrath. 2×
AR["أذىً","بِ-أَلَمٍ"]·ben["কষ্টের","যন্ত্রণায়"]·DE["[עצב]","in-Schmerzen"]·EN["harsh","in-pain"]·FR["dans-douleur","labeur"]·heb["ב-עצב","עצב"]·HI["दुःख-का","दुख-में"]·ID["dengan-kesakitan","yang-menyakitkan"]·IT["harsh","in-pain"]·jav["kaliyan-sangsara","kasar"]·KO["상처-주는","에-고통"]·PT["com-dor","dolorosa"]·RU["в-муках","огорчительное"]·ES["con-dolor","dolor"]·SW["kali","kwa-maumivu"]·TR["-acıyla","acı-veren"]·urd["درد-میں","دکھ-کی"]
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† I. עֶ֫צֶב n.[m.] pain, hurt, toil;— 1. ע׳ pain Gn 3:16 (of travail), Pr 10:22. 2. hurt (of mind), דְּבַר־ע׳ Pr 15:1 a word that hurts (opp. מַעֲנֶה־רַךְ). 3. toil Pr 14:23; pl. לֶחֶם הָעֲצָבִים ψ 127:2 bread of (gained by) toils; sf. עֲצָבֶיךָ Pr 5:10.