H6184 H6184
Awe-inspiring, terror-striking; usually of ruthless tyrants or violent oppressors.
An adjective that conveys fearsome, overwhelming power — almost always in a negative sense. In the prophets and wisdom literature, עָרִיצִים are the ruthless ones: the violent oppressors who crush the poor (Job 6:23; 15:20; 27:13), the foreign tyrants whom God will bring against proud nations (Ezekiel 28:7; 30:11; 31:12). Isaiah uses the word for the Chaldean hordes and, by contrast, for 'awe-inspiring nations' who will honor God (25:3). Intriguingly, Jeremiah 20:11 applies it positively to the LORD himself — 'like a dread warrior' (כְּגִבּוֹר עָרִיץ) — revealing that the root meaning is not inherently evil but about overwhelming, terrifying power.
Senses
1. ruthless tyrant or oppressor — A ruthless tyrant, violent oppressor — the dominant, morally negative usage. Used substantively in the plural (עָרִיצִים) throughout Job, Psalms, Isaiah, and Ezekiel for those who wield power cruelly. Job 15:20 describes the wicked as writhing in torment 'all the years stored up for the ruthless one.' Ezekiel repeatedly calls the Babylonians 'the most ruthless of nations' (עָרִיצֵי גוֹיִם, 28:7; 30:11; 31:12; 32:12). Spanish 'opresores' and 'violentos,' French 'violents,' and German 'Gewalttätige' all capture this sense of tyrannical brutality. 18×
AR["الطَّاغِي", "الطَّاغِيَةِ", "الطُّغاةِ", "الطُّغَاةِ", "الظّالِمينَ", "الْعُتَاةِ", "عاتيًا", "عَتِيَّةٍ", "عُتَاةَ", "عُتَاةُ", "لِ-الْعَاتِي", "وَ-طُغاةً"]·ben["-অত্যাচারীর", "-অত্যাচারীর-জন্য", "অত্যাচারীদের", "ও-অত্যাচারীরা", "ভয়ংকর", "ভয়ংকরদের", "ভয়ংকরদের-এর", "ভয়ঙ্কর"]·DE["Gewalttaetige", "Gewalttaetiger", "[לעריץ]", "[עריצי]", "[עריצים]", "der-ruthless", "ruthless", "und-ruthless-Leute"]·EN["and-it-shall-be", "and-ruthless-ones", "for-ruthless", "like-a-storm", "of-ruthless-ones", "ruthless", "ruthless-of-", "ruthless-ones", "ruthless-ones-of", "shall-fear-You", "the-ruthless", "tyrant", "tyrants"]·FR["et-violent", "violent", "violents", "לעריץ", "עריצים"]·heb["ו-עריצים", "ל-עריץ", "עריץ", "עריצי", "עריצים"]·HI["अत्याचारियों", "अत्याचारियों-का", "अत्याचारियों-की", "अत्याचारियों-के", "अत्याचारी-के-लिए", "और-अत्याचारियों-ने", "क्रूरों-का", "भयंकर", "भयानक", "भयानक-की", "भयानक-लोग", "भयानक-लोगों-को", "भयानक-लोगों-ने", "भयानकों-का", "भयानकों-की"]·ID["orang-kejam", "orang-lalim", "orang-orang-kejam", "orang-orang-yang-kejam", "penindas-penindas", "untuk-penindas", "yang-bengis", "yang-ganas-", "yang-kejam"]·IT["al-per-ruthless", "e-tiranno", "ruthless-ones", "tiranni-di", "tiranno", "tyrants", "violento"]·jav["ingkang-ambek-siya", "kangge-ingkang-bengis", "kula", "nggegirisi", "para-galak", "tiyang-bengis", "tiyang-ingkang-ambek-siya", "tiyang-ingkang-bengis", "tiyang-ingkang-nindhes", "tiyang-nggegirisi", "tiyang-sangar", "tiyang-tiyang-galak"]·KO["강포한-자들을-", "강포한-자들이-", "그리고-폭력한-자-들-이", "두려운", "두려운-자들의", "포악한-자가", "포악한-자들-의", "포악한-자들의", "포악한-자들이라", "포악한-자의", "폭군들-의", "폭군에게", "폭력적인", "폭압자들의"]·PT["dos-tiranos", "e-opressores", "opressores", "os-tiranos", "para-o-tirano", "terríveis-de", "tirano", "tiranos", "tiranos.", "violentos-de"]·RU["для-притеснителя", "жестокие", "жестоких", "жесточайшие", "жесточайших", "и-насильники", "насильников", "притеснителей", "тиран", "тирана", "тиранов"]·ES["el-tirano", "los-violentos-de", "opresores", "para-el-opresor", "tiranas", "tirano", "tiranos", "violento", "violentos", "y-opresores"]·SW["kwa-mdhalimu", "mkatili", "na-wadhalimu", "wa-wakatili", "wadhalimu", "wakatili", "wakatili-wa", "ya-kutisha", "ya-wakatili", "za-jeuri"]·TR["ve-zorba", "zalim", "zalime", "zalimleri", "zalimlerim", "zalimlerin", "zalimlerini", "zorba", "zorbalaraın", "zorbalrın", "zorbannin"]·urd["ظالم", "ظالم-", "ظالم-کا", "ظالم-کے-لیے", "ظالموں-سے", "ظالموں-نے", "ظالموں-کا", "ظالموں-کی", "ظالموں-کے", "وَ-ظالِم"]
2. awe-inspiring, terrifyingly powerful — Awe-inspiring or terrifyingly powerful — an older, more neutral sense focused on the capacity to evoke dread through sheer might rather than moral oppression. In Jeremiah 20:11, the prophet encouragingly applies this word to the LORD: 'the LORD is with me like a dread warrior' (כְּגִבּוֹר עָרִיץ), where the fearsome quality is a source of comfort. Proverbs 11:16 pairs the 'ruthless' with those who gain riches, possibly preserving a sense closer to 'formidable' or 'fierce' without direct moral condemnation. The word's semantic range thus spans from divine awe to human cruelty. 2×
AR["عَاتٍ", "وَ-أقْوِياءُ"]·ben["এবং-ক্রূরগণ", "ভয়ঙ্কর"]·DE["Gewalttaetiger", "[ועריצים]"]·EN["and-ruthless-men", "fearsome"]·FR["et-ועריצים", "violent"]·heb["ו-עריצים", "עריץ"]·HI["और-बलशाली", "भयानक"]·ID["dan-orang-orang-lalim", "yang-dahsyat"]·IT["e-e-ruthless-uomini", "violento"]·jav["ingkang-nggirisi;", "lan-tiyang-keras"]·KO["그리고-강력한-자-들-은", "두려운"]·PT["e-violentos", "poderoso;"]·RU["а-сильные", "грозный"]·ES["poderoso", "y-violentos"]·SW["lakini-wakatili", "wa-kutisha"]·TR["korkuç", "ve-zorbalık-edenler"]·urd["اور-ظالم", "جبار"]
Related Senses
G2309 1. want, desire (166×)G0025 1. to love actively (133×)H0157 1. love (verb, active Qal) (129×)H8055 1. Qal: rejoice, be glad (123×)H7453 1. neighbor, fellow man (120×)G0026 1. of love (115×)H1058 1. Qal: to weep, cry (112×)H0954 1. to be ashamed, feel shame (Qal) (95×)H8057 1. joy, gladness, delight (90×)H2781 1. disgrace, shame, dishonor (68×)G2307 1. will, desire, purpose (63×)G5463 1. rejoice, be glad (63×)G0027 1. beloved (61×)H8130 1. Qal: to hate, detest (60×)G5479 1. (59×)G1680 1. (53×)H8130 2. Qal ptcp: hater, enemy (53×)H0014 1. be willing, want (51×)H0157 2. lover, friend (Qal participle substantive) (51×)H1945 1. woe (50×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† עָרִיץ adj. awe-inspiring, terror-striking;—ע׳ of י׳, כְּגִבּוֹר עָרִיץ Je 20:11; pl. as subst. עָרִיצִים, in bad sense of formidable adversaries, personal, Je 15:21 (‖ רָעִים), Jb 6:23 (‖ צָר), and national, ψ 54:5 (‖ זָרִים), = עֲדַת ע׳ 86:14 (‖ זֵדִים), הֲמוֹן ע׳ Is 29:5 (‖ זָרָ֑יִךְ); especially of Chaldeans Is 13:11, cstr. עָרִיצֵי גוֹיִם most terrifying of the nations Ez 28:7 (‖ זָרִים)…