H6125 H6125
pressure, oppression, or possibly cry for help (textually debated in Psalm 55:3)
Psalm 55:3 uses this rare Aramaic-derived word, translated 'because of the pressure of the wicked' or 'oppression.' The psalmist is in distress, and this term captures the crushing weight of hostile forces. However, some scholars suggest the text should read 'cry' (tsa'aqat) instead, which would parallel the 'voice' (qol) earlier in the verse and fit the context of crying out to God. Spanish uses 'opresión,' French 'angoisse' (anguish), both conveying intense distress. Whether 'pressure' or 'cry,' the sense is of overwhelming trouble caused by enemies.
Senses
1. sense 1 — In Psalm 55:3, this Aramaic loanword describes the 'pressure' or 'oppression' the psalmist feels from wicked adversaries. The term suggests a crushing weight, a squeezing force that causes anguish. Some scholars, noting the parallel structure with 'voice' earlier in the verse, propose emending to 'cry' (tsa'aqat), which would make better poetic sense: 'voice... cry of the wicked.' Still, the transmitted Hebrew points to 'pressure,' and the multilingual glosses ('opresión,' 'angoisse') capture the feeling of being hemmed in by hostile forces, barely able to breathe. 1×
AR["ظُلمِ"]·ben["উৎপীড়ন"]·DE["oppression-von"]·EN["oppression-of"]·FR["angoisse"]·heb["עקת"]·IT["[עקת]"]·jav["wangsulana"]·KO["압제-의"]·PT["opressão-do"]·RU["угнетения"]·ES["opresión-de"]·SW["uonevu"]·TR["baskısının-"]·urd["ظُلم"]
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
† [עָקָה] n.f. pressure (si vera l., Aramaic word, 𝔗 עָֽקְתָא, Syriac ܥܳܩܬܳܐ );—only cstr. מִפְּנֵי עָקַת רָשָׁע ψ 55:4 because of the pressure of the wicked; > read צַעֲקַת (‖ קוֹל; Ol al.), which means cry for help.