Search / H6113
עָצַר46 H6113
Conj-w | V-Nifal-ConjImperf-3fs  |  46× in 7 senses
To restrain, shut up, hold back, or confine; also to close (heavens/womb) or retain in one's power
A verb expressing forceful containment, whether of persons locked in confinement, plagues halted by intercession, or the heavens sealed against rain. In its Nifal stem it depicts plagues and calamities being stopped, as when Phinehas's zeal caused the plague to cease (Num 25:8). The word's range extends from physical imprisonment to divine sovereignty over fertility and weather, and even to an idiomatic sense of having power or ability. Across translations, Spanish 'cerrar/detener,' French 'retenir/fermer,' and German 'einsperren/zurueckhalten' all capture this dual force of closing off and holding back.

Senses
1. confined, imprisoned Describes persons shut up as prisoners or captives, frequently as the passive participle 'atsur. The formula 'confined and free' (1 Kgs 14:10; Deut 32:36) became a merism for all people. Spanish 'cautivo/encerrado' and French 'bond/detained' reflect this carceral sense. The emphasis falls on involuntary restriction of movement and liberty. 12×
AUTHORITY_RULE Control, Rule Restraint and Control
AR["الْمَحْجُوزُ","مَحْبُوسًا","مَحْبُوسٌ","مَحْبُوسَةٍ","مَحْجوزٌ","مَحْجُوزٌ","وَ-مَحْجوزًا","وَمَحْبوساً"]·ben["আটকে-রাখা","আবদ্ধ","আবদ্ধ-ছিল","এবং-বন্দী","বন্দী"]·DE["[עצור]","[עצר]","bond","detained","restrained","und-restrained","und-schloss-hinauf","zurueckhalten"]·EN["and-restrained","and-shut-up","bond","confined","detained","restrained","shut-up","was-shut-in"]·FR["bond","detained","et-ferma-en-haut","et-retint","restrained","retenir","retenu","retint"]·heb["ו-עצור","נעצר","עצור"]·HI["अज़ूर","और-बंधा-हुआ","गुप्त-मुखबिर","बंद","बंदी","रोक-गय","रोका-हुआ","रोका-हुआ-हूँ","वआचूर"]·ID["dan-terkurung","dan-yang-terkurung","ditahan","terkurung","tertahan","yang-terikat","yang-terkurung"]·IT["bond","detained","e-chiuse-su","e-trattenne","restrained","trattenere","trattenne"]·jav["dipun-kunjara","dipun-kurung","ingkang-kakincem","ingkang-katahan","kasekang","katahan","kinunci","lan-ingkang-dibebasake","lan-ingkang-dipunsimpen","tatahan"]·KO["가둔","가둔-자였다","갇혀-있다","갇혀-있던","갇혀-있었다","갇힌","갇힌-자","갇힌-자와","그리고-갇히-자와","그리고-갇힌","억류된"]·PT["confinado","detido","e-preso","encerrado","impedido","preso"]·RU["задержанного","задержанный","заключён","заключённого","заключённый","запертый","и-задержанного","ни-заключённого"]·ES["cautivo","detenido","encerrado","preso","y-encerrado"]·SW["akiwa-amefungwa","alikuwa-amefungwa","aliyefungwa","amefungwa","ameshikwa","na-aliyefungwa","na-aliyezuiliwa","nimezuiliwa","uliofungwa"]·TR["bağlı","esir","hapiste","kapalı","kapalıydı","kapatılmış","tutuklu","tutulmuş","tutulu","ve-esir","ve-tutulan"]·urd["اور-بند","بند","بند-تھا","بندھا-ہوا","روکا-گیا","روکا-ہوا","قید","قید-میں","قیدی"]
2. restrain, hold back Active restraint of a person or force from proceeding. In Gen 16:2 Sarai says God has 'restrained me from bearing,' and in 1 Sam 9:17 God tells Samuel that Saul will 'restrain' (govern) the people. Spanish 'gobernara' and German 'hold-zurueck' capture the sense of checking or curbing another's action or power.
AUTHORITY_RULE Control, Rule Restraint and Control
AR["أَغْلَقَنِي","تَحْبِسْ-","وَإِمْساكُ","يَحْبِسُ","يَحْبِسُكَ","يَحْكُمُ","يَقوى","يَقْدِرُ-"]·ben["কিন্তু-ধরে-রাখতে","জয়ী-হোক","তিনি-আটকে-ধরেন","তোমাকে-আটকাবে","থামিও-না","রুদ্ধ-করেছেন-আমাকে","শাসন-করবে","সংযত-করবে-"]·DE["[ועצר]","[יעצר]","hold-zurueck","verschlossen-hat-mich","wird-restrain","wird-stop-du","zurueckhalten"]·EN["and-to-restrain","can-retain-","has-restrained-me","he-restrains","hold-back","let-prevail","will-restrain","will-stop-you"]·FR["a-retint-moi","et-retenir","fera-arrête-tu","fera-retiens","retenir","tiens-en-arrière"]·heb["ו-עצור","יעצור","יעצר","יעצרך","עצרני-י","תעצור"]·HI["परन्तु-रोकना","प्रबल-हो","रोक-दिय-मुझे","रोक-सके-","रोकना","रोकेगा-तुझे","वह-रोकता-है","शासन-करेगा"]·ID["Ia-menahan","dapat-menahan-","menahan","menahanmu","menghalangi-aku","tetapi-menahan","yang-akan-memerintah"]·IT["e-e-a-restrain","ha-restrained-me","he-restrains","tieni-dietro","trattenere","vorrà-ferma-tu","vorrà-restrain"]·jav["badhé-mrentah","badhé-nahan-panjenengan","lan-nahan","nahan","ngampet","nutup-kula","saged-nahan-","unggul"]·KO["그가-막으면","그리고-억제하다","다스릴-것이다","막으리라-너를","막으셨다","막을-수-있는가-","억제하지","이기게"]·PT["deterá-","e-conter","governará","impediu-me","prevalecerá","retenhas","retém","te-detenha"]·RU["-задерживай-","будет-владычествовать","задержит-тебя","но-удержаться","пусть-превозможет","сможет-","удержал-меня","удерживает"]·ES["detengas","gobernará","me-ha-cerrado","pero-contener","que-prevalezca","retendrá","te-detenga","él-retiene"]·SW["akizuia","amenizuia","atawazuia","ataweza-kushikilia","kuzuiwe","lakini-kuzuia","mshinde","simame-"]·TR["durdurur-seni","engelledi-beni","engelleme-","galip","gücü-yetebilir-","tutarsa","ve-tutmak","yönetecek"]·urd["اور-روکنا","تجھے-روکے-گی","حکومت-کرے-گا","روکا-ہے-مجھے","روکتا-ہے","روکنا","روکے-","غالب-آئے"]
3. be stopped (Nifal) The Nifal passive records plagues and disasters being stopped, most memorably when Aaron stood between the living and dead and the plague 'was stopped' (Num 16:48-50). Spanish 'fue-detenida' and German 'war-stopped' mirror the passive voice. The sense emphasizes cessation brought about by external intervention.
TIME Aspect Ceasing and Stopping
AR["تَوَقَّفَ","فَ-تَوَقَّفَ","وَ-تَنْحَبِسُ","وَ-وُقِفَ","وَتَكُفَّ","وَكُفَّتِ"]·ben["আর-থামবে","এবং-থামল","এবং-বন্ধ-হবে","এবং-বন্ধ-হল","থেমে-গেছিল"]·DE["und-Krieg-stopped","und-war-restrained","und-war-stopped","und-wird-sein-restrained","und-zurueckhalten","war-stopped"]·EN["and-was-restrained","and-was-stopped","and-will-be-restrained","and-will-be-stopped","was-stopped"]·FR["et-fera-être-retint","et-fut-retint","et-retenir","et-était-stopped","était-stopped"]·heb["ו-תעצר","נעצרה"]·HI["और-रुक-गई","और-रुकी","और-रुकेगी","रुक-गई"]·ID["berhenti","dan-akan-dihentikan","dan-berhenti","dan-dihentikan"]·IT["[ותעצר]","e-era-trattenne","e-fu-stopped","e-trattenere","e-vorrà-essere-trattenne","fu-stopped"]·jav["dipun-endhegaken","lan-badhé-mandheg","lan-dipun-endhegaken","lan-kèndel","lan-mandheg","supados-mandheg"]·KO["그리고-그쳤도다","그리고-그치리라","그리고-멈첨다","그리고-멈출것이다","그리고-멈춰졌다","그리고-멈췄다","멈췄다"]·PT["e-cessará","e-cessou","e-foi-detida","e-será-detida","foi-detida"]·RU["и-прекратилась","и-прекратился","и-прекратится","прекратилась"]·ES["fue-detenida","y-fue-detenida","y-se-detuvo","y-sea-detenida","y-será-detenida"]·SW["ili-izuiwe","likasimamishwa","na-ikasimama","na-ikazuiwa","na-isimamishwe","na-likasimamishwa"]·TR["durduruldu","ve-durduruldu","ve-durdurulsun","ve-duruldu","ve-durulsun"]·urd["اور-روکی-جائے","اور-رُک-گئی","اور-رُکی","اور-رُکے","اور-رک-گئی","رک-گئی"]
4. shut up, close God shutting the heavens or the womb, preventing rain or fertility. Genesis 20:18 uses the emphatic infinitive absolute construction to stress that the LORD had 'surely closed up' every womb. French 'avait ferme' and German 'hatte-verschlossen' convey this divine sealing. The agent is nearly always God, marking this as a theologically charged usage.
AUTHORITY_RULE Control, Rule Restraint and Control
AR["أَغْلَقَ","أَغْلِقُ","إِغْلَاقًا","بِ-انْغِلَاقِ","عِنْدَ-انْغِلَاقِ","وَأُغْلِقُ","وَيُغْلِقُ"]·ben["-এবং-আমি-বন্ধ-করব","-বন্ধ-হলে","আটকে-থাকার-সময়","এবং-বন্ধ-করেন","বন্ধ","বন্ধ-করব","বন্ধ-করেছিলেন"]·DE["[ועצרתי]","hatte-verschlossen","und-er-wird-einsperren-hinauf","verschließend-","wann-ist-restrained","zurueckhalten"]·EN["I-shut-up","and-I-close-up","and-he-will-shut-up","closing","had-closed","when-is-restrained","when-is-shut-up"]·FR["avait-ferma","closing","et-il-fera-fermer-en-haut","et-retenir","quand-est-retint","retenir"]·heb["אעצר","ב-העצר","ו-עצר","ו-עצרתי","עצר"]·HI["और-रोकूँगा","और-रोकेगा","बंद-होने-पर","में-रोके-जाने","रोक-थ","रोकन","रोकूँ"]·ID["Aku-menutup","dan-Aku-menutup","dan-Dia-menutup","ketika-ditutup","ketika-tertutup","menutup"]·IT["aveva-chiuse","closing","e-egli-fara-rinchiudere-su","e-trattenere","quando-è-trattenne","trattenere"]·jav["Kawula-nutup","Nalika-dipuntutup","lan-nutup","nalika-ditutup","nutup-","sampun-nutup"]·KO["-에서-닫히면","그리고-닫겠느냐","그리고-닫으시리라-그가","닫으셨다","닫으시되","막으면","에-닫힌-때"]·PT["Ao-fechar-se","Quando-for-fechado","e-fecharei","e-fechará","fechando","fecharei","fechou"]·RU["закрывая","закрыл","затворю-Я","и-закрою-ли","и-затворит","когда-будет-закрыто","когда-затворятся"]·ES["Al-ser-cerrados","Cuando-se-cerraren","cerrar","cerró","detendré","y-cerraré?","y-cierre"]·SW["Mbingu-zitakapofungwa","kufunza","mbingu-zitakapofungwa","na-atazuia","nikizuia","nitafunga"]·TR["-de-kapatılınca","kapandığında","kapatacağım","kapatmıştı","kesinlikle","ve-kapanır","ve-kapatır-mıyım"]·urd["اور-بند-کر-دے-وہ","اور-روک-دوں-گا","بند-ضرور","بند-کیا-تھا","جب-بند-ہو","روک-دوں-میں","روکنے-پر"]
5. retain, keep possession To retain or keep possession of something, including strength or resources. Daniel twice confesses he 'retained no strength' (Dan 10:8, 16), while in 1 Chr 29:14 David asks who has power to retain enough to offer willingly. French 'retenir' and Spanish 'retengamos' capture the holding-fast nuance. The focus is on internal capacity to maintain what one has.
AUTHORITY_RULE Control, Rule Restraint and Control
AR["أَبْقَيْتُ","تَحْتَفِظُ","لِيُمْسِكَ","نَقْدِرَ","يَستَرجِع"]·ben["-ধরে-রাখতে","ধরে-রাখবে","ধরে-রাখল","ধরে-রাখলাম","ধরে-রাখি"]·DE["zurueckhalten"]·EN["I-retained","retained","she-shall-retain","to-retain","we-retain"]·FR["retenir"]·heb["ל-עצר","נעצר","עצר","עצרתי","תעצור"]·HI["रखते","रोकनेको","रोका","रोका-मैंने","रोकेगी"]·ID["-mampu","aku-mempertahankan","dia-akan-mempertahankan","menahan","untuk-menahan"]·IT["trattenere"]·jav["badhé-nahan","kanggé-ngukuhi","kula-nahan","nahan","saged-nahan"]·KO["보존하다-우리가","보존했다","붙잡기-위하여","붙잡았노라","붙잡으리라"]·PT["para-reter","retemos","reterá","reteve","retive"]·RU["удержал","удержал-я","удержать","удержим","удержит"]·ES["para-retener","retendrá","retengamos","retuve","retuvo"]·SW["alipata","atashika","kushika","kuweza","tuwe-na-uwezo"]·TR["gücümüz-var","tutacak","tuttu","tuttum"]·urd["بچی-میں-نے","روک-سکا","روکنا","روکیں-ہم","وہ-تھام-سکے-گی"]
6. detain, keep from leaving Detaining a person to prevent departure. In Judges 13:15-16 Manoah urges the angel to stay, and in 2 Kgs 17:4 Hoshea is arrested. Spanish 'detengamoste' and French 'que-nous-detain' reflect the interpersonal plea or coercion. Unlike sense 1 (formal imprisonment), this describes ad hoc prevention of leaving.
MOVEMENT Linear Movement Release and Movement
AR["تَحبِسُني","دَعنا-نَحبِسُكَ-","فَقَبَضَ-عَلَيْهِ"]·ben["আটকাই-","আটকাবে-আমাকে","এবং-বন্দী-করলেন-তাঁকে"]·DE["du-detain-mich","lass-uns-detain-","und-er-restrained-ihn"]·EN["and-he-restrained-him","let-us-detain-","you-detain-me"]·FR["et-il-retint-lui","que-nous-detain-","tu-detain-moi"]·heb["ו-עצרהו","נעצרה","תעצרני"]·HI["और-बंदी-किया-उसे","तू-रोकेगा-मुझे","हम-रोकें"]·ID["biarlah-kami-tahan-","engkau-menahanku","maka-menahannya"]·IT["e-egli-trattenne-lui","lasciare-noi-detain-","tu-detain-me"]·jav["kita-nahan-","lan-nahan","panjenengan-nahan-Kula"]·KO["그가-체포했다-그를","네가-머물러도","머물러-주소서"]·PT["Detenhamos-","detiveres-me","e-prendeu-o"]·RU["задержим-","задержишь-меня","и-схватил-его"]·ES["detengámoste-","me-detienes","y-lo-arrestó"]·SW["na-akamfunga","tukuzuie","utanizuia"]·TR["alıkorsan-beni","alıkoyalım-","ve-tutukladı-onu"]·urd["اور-اُسے-قید-کیا","روکیں-","روکے-گا-تُو-مجھے"]
7. be able, have power An idiomatic extension meaning 'to have power' or 'to be able,' as in Job 29:9 where princes were restrained from speech, and 1 Sam 21:6 where the young men had been kept from women. Spanish 'pudieron' ('they were able') reveals the semantic shift from restraining to possessing capacity. This sense bridges physical containment and abstract ability.
AUTHORITY_RULE Control, Rule Restraint and Control
AR["أَمسَكوا","تَقْدِرْ","مَمْنُوعَةٌ-"]·ben["তারা-সমর্থ-হল","থামাত","নিষিদ্ধ-করা-হয়েছে"]·DE["[עצרו]","hat-gewesen-bewahrte-von-","zurueckhalten"]·EN["has-been-kept-from-","restrained","they-were-able"]·FR["a-été-garda-de-","retenir"]·heb["עצורה","עצרו"]·HI["रोक-लेते-थे","रोकि-गयेए-","सकेवे"]·ID["dijauhkan-","mampu","menahan"]·IT["ha-stato-custodì-da-","restrained","trattenere"]·jav["nahan","saged","sampun-kacegah"]·KO["금지되었다","멈춘데","할-수-있었다"]·PT["continham","puderam","retida"]·RU["смогли","удержана-","удерживали"]·ES["detuvieron","pudieron","retenida"]·SW["walizuia","wamezuiliwa","weza"]·TR["kestiler","yapabildiler","yasak-"]·urd["روکی-گئی","رکتے تھے","ہو-سکے"]

BDB / Lexicon Reference
עָצַר46 vb. restrain, retain (NH id.; cf. prob. Assyrian eṣêru, retain, restrain, DlHWB 122 JägerBAS i.483 Zehnpfundib.500* cf. Assyrian uṣurtu, taboo SACJA, 1904, 754.; Ethiopic ዐጸረ: press, Arabic عَصَرَ; 𝔗 עֲצַר, Syriac ܥܨܰܪ id.);— Qal Pf. 3 ms. ע׳ Gn 20:18 +, sf. עֲצָרַנִי 16:2; 1 s. עָצַרְתִּי Dn 10:8, 16, etc.; Impf. 3 ms. יַעְצֹר 1 S 9:17 +, יַעְצָר־ 2 Ch 2:5; sf. יַעֲצָרְכָה 1 K 18:44,