H6693 H6693
To press, constrain, bring into straits; of siege pressure, persistent urging, and oppression
A Hifil verb meaning to press upon or constrain, spanning military siege, personal urgency, and systemic oppression. In Deuteronomy 28:53-57, it describes the terrible straits of siege — the enemy pressing so hard that people resort to the unthinkable. Arabic consistently renders it with forms of dayaaqa ('to make narrow, constrain'), revealing the root metaphor of tightening space. Delilah 'pressed' Samson with relentless nagging (Judg 16:16), while Korean 'joruda' (to pester) captures the interpersonal flavor. Isaiah uses the substantival participle for 'the oppressor' — the one who makes life unbearably narrow.
Senses
1. distress, press, oppress (Hifil) — Hifil causative: to distress, press upon, or bring into dire straits, especially in contexts of siege and divine judgment. Deuteronomy 28:53-57 uses it repeatedly for the enemy's crushing siege pressure. Arabic yudayyiqu ('he constrains') and Spanish 'angustiar' ('to cause anguish') both foreground the narrowing, suffocating quality of this distress. Isaiah 29:2 extends it to God's own distressing of Jerusalem. 5×
AR["وَ-أُضَيِّقُ", "يُضَيِّقُ"]·ben["আনবে", "ও-সঙ্কটে-ফেলব-আমি", "তারা-চাপাবে"]·DE["[והציקותי]", "[יציקו]", "distresses"]·EN["And-I-shall-distress", "distresses", "will-distress"]·FR["[והציקותי]", "[יציקו]", "détresses"]·heb["ו-הציקותי", "יציק", "יציקו"]·HI["और-तंग-करूंगा-मैं", "घेरेगा", "तंग-करेंगे"]·ID["Dan-Aku-akan-menekan", "akan-menekan", "menekan"]·IT["distresses", "e-opprimere", "opprimere"]·jav["lan-kawula-ndesek", "mengsah-nipun", "nyusahaken"]·KO["그리고-내가-괴롭게-하리라", "조이겠다", "조이리라"]·PT["E-apertar-ei", "apertar-te-á", "apertarão"]·RU["И-я-стесню", "притеснит", "стеснят"]·ES["Y-angustiaré", "angustiarán", "te-angustiará"]·SW["Na-nitaudhika", "atakudhiki", "watawabana"]·TR["Ve-sikistiracagim", "sıkıştıracak", "sıkıştıracaklar"]·urd["اور-میں-تنگ-کروں-گا", "تنگ-کریں-گے", "تنگ-کرےگا"]
2. oppressor (Hifil participle, substantival) — Hifil participle used as a substantive noun: 'the oppressor' or 'those who oppress.' Isaiah 51:13 asks twice about the fury of hammetziq — the constrainer. Arabic al-mudayyiqi ('the one who constrains') preserves the participial agent structure. Isaiah 29:7 uses the plural for nations that distress Ariel. 3×
AR["الْمُضَيِّقِ", "وَ-الْمُضَيِّقِينَ"]·ben["অত্যাচারীর", "ও-সঙ্কটে-ফেলনেওয়ালাদের"]·DE["[המציק]", "[והמציקים]"]·EN["and-who-distress-her", "the-oppressor"]·FR["[המציק]", "[והמציקים]"]·heb["ה-מציק", "ו-ה-מציקים"]·HI["और-तंग-करने-वालों", "सताने-वाले-का", "सताने-वाले-के"]·ID["dan-yang-menekannya", "penindas"]·IT["e-opprimere", "opprimere"]·jav["ingkang-nganiaya", "lan-ingkang-ndesek"]·KO["그리고-괴롭게-하는-자들이", "학대하는-자의"]·PT["e-os-que-a-oprimem", "opressor"]·RU["и-осаждающие", "притеснителя"]·ES["el-opresor", "el-opresor?", "y-los-que-la-angustian"]·SW["mdhalimu", "na-wanaoiudhi"]·TR["baskicinin", "ve-sikistiranlar"]·urd["اور-تنگ-کرنے-والے", "ظالم-کا", "ظالم-کے"]
3. press, urge persistently (Hifil, interpersonal pressure) — Hifil with interpersonal force: to press or urge someone persistently. Delilah pressed Samson until his soul was vexed to death (Judg 16:16); she had pressed him earlier in Judges 14:17. Job 32:18 uses it of the inner compulsion of the spirit constraining Elihu to speak. Korean 'joruda' (to nag persistently) and Spanish 'presionar' distinguish this nagging insistence from military siege. 3×
AR["تُضيِّقُنِي", "ضَايَقَتْهُ"]·ben["চাপ-দিয়েছিল", "পীড়ন-করেছিল-তাকে", "সংকুচিত-করেছে-আমাকে"]·DE["[הציקתני]", "pressed", "sie-pressed-ihn"]·EN["constrains-me", "pressed", "she-pressed-him"]·FR["elle-pressed-lui", "pressed", "הציקתני-moi"]·heb["הציקה", "הציקתהו", "הציקתני"]·HI["तंग-किया", "तंग-किया-उसने", "दबाती-है-मुझे"]·ID["mendesak", "mendesak-dia", "menekanku"]·IT["constrains-me-mio", "ella-pressed-lui", "pressed"]·jav["meksa-kula", "meksa-piyambakipun", "piyambakipun-ndhesek"]·KO["압박한다-나를", "조르다", "조르다-그녀가-그를"]·PT["constrange-me", "ela-pressionou", "pressionou-o"]·RU["давила-на-него", "давила-она", "теснит-меня"]·ES["lo-presionó", "me-apremia"]·SW["alimsumbua", "inanisukuma"]·TR["sıkıştırdı", "sıkıştırdı-beni", "sıkıştırdı-onu"]·urd["تنگ-کیا-اُس-نے", "تنگ-کیا-تھا-اُس-نے", "مجبور کرتی ہے مجھے"]
Related Senses
H0935 1. come, arrive (Qal) (2413×)G1473 1. first person singular pronoun (2084×)H3318 1. Qal: go out, depart, come forth (891×)H7725 1. to return, come/go back (Qal) (874×)H5927 1. go up, ascend (Qal) (779×)H7971 1. to send, dispatch (Qal) (701×)G2962 1. Lord (divine title) (661×)G2064 1. come / arrive (physical movement toward) (588×)H0136 1. Lord (divine title) (440×)H5307 1. Qal: fall down physically (339×)H5375 1. Qal: to lift up, raise (330×)H4421 1. war, battle, armed conflict (319×)H5975 1. to stand, stand up (310×)H0341 1. enemy, adversary, foe (284×)H5674a 1. Qal: pass by, pass through (256×)H0113 1. lord, human superior (249×)H3381 1. Qal: to go down, descend (physical movement) (242×)G1831 1. go/come out physically (193×)H5337 1. deliver, rescue, save (Hifil) (188×)H7901 1. lie down, rest, sleep (183×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† I. [צוּק] vb. Hiph. constrain, bring into straits, press upon (NH צוּק be distressed (rare), Hiph. = BH; Arabic ضَاقَ (ى) be narrow, tight, so Ethiopic ጦቀ:; Aramaic עִיק, ܥܳܩ; Chr. Pal. ܨܘܩ );—Pf. 3 fs. הֵצִיקָה Ju 16:16, sf. הֱצִיקַתְהוּ 14:17, -נִי Jb 32:18 (Gi v 19); 1 s. וַהֲצִיקוֹתִ֫י consec. Is 29:2; Impf. 3 ms. יָצִיק Dt 28:53 + 2 times; 3 mpl. יָצִיקוּ Je 19:9, Pt. מֵצִיק Is 51:13(×2)…