H6862c H6862c
Adversary, foe, or oppressor; also narrowness or distress as an abstract state of affliction.
Derived from the root tsarar ('to press, squeeze, be narrow'), this word most frequently identifies a personal or national enemy — someone who presses in upon another with hostile intent. Esther dramatically unmasked Haman as 'this wicked adversary' (Est 7:6), and the Psalms repeatedly cry out against 'my adversaries' (Ps 3:1; 27:2). In a handful of passages the same form shifts to the abstract sense of distress or straits, reflecting the root's core meaning of constriction. The Arabic cognate diq ('narrowness') preserves this abstract dimension, while most translations render the personal sense with words like 'enemy' or 'foe.'
1. adversary, enemy, foe — A hostile person, opponent, or national enemy who presses against or oppresses another. Across 69 occurrences, translations consistently use adversary-type glosses: Spanish 'adversario,' German 'Feind/Widersacher,' French 'adversaire/ennemi.' Abraham's victory delivered his enemies into his hand (Gen 14:20), and Israel was to sound trumpets against the adversary pressing upon them (Num 10:9). The substantival use often appears in construct chains — 'adversaries of Israel' (Ezra 4:1) — or with possessive suffixes expressing personal hostility. 69×
AR["أَعْدَاءَهُ","أَعْدَاءُ","أَعْدَائِي","الضَّيْقِ","الضّيقِ","العَدُوُّ","العَدُوِّ","المُضايِق","خَصْمٌ","مُضَايِقُونَ-ي","مُضَايِقِيهِ","مُضَايِقِيَّ"]·ben["আমার-শত্রুদের","আমার-শত্রুরা","তাঁর-শত্রুদের","তার-শত্রুদের","বিপক্ষ","শত্রু","শত্রুর","শত্রুরা"]·DE["Bedraenger","der-Feind","der-Widersacher","mein-Widersacher","sein-Widersacher"]·EN["adversaries-of","adversary","enemy","his-adversaries","my-adversaries","of-adversary","the-adversary","the-enemy"]·FR["Tyr","adversaire","ennemi","mes-adversaires"]·heb["צר","צרי","צרי-י","צריו","צריי"]·HI["अपने-शत्रुओं-को","उसके-शत्रुओं-का","उसके-शत्रुओं-को","मेरे-दुश्मन","मेरे-सतानेवाले","विरोधियों-मेरे-की","वैरी","शत्रु","शत्रु-के","शत्रु-ने","शत्रु-मेरे","शत्रुओं-ने"]·ID["lawan","lawan-lawan-Nya","lawan-lawanku","lawan-lawannya","lawanku","musuh","musuh-musuh","musuh-musuh-Nya"]·IT["Tiro","avversario","i-miei-nemici","nemico"]·jav["mengsah","mengsah-ipun","mengsah-kula","mengsahipun","mungsuh-kula","tiyang-ingkang-nyiksa-ipun"]·KO["그-의-대적들-을","그-의-대적들-의","그-의-원수-들-을","나-의-대적들-이","나-의-적들-이","대적","대적-의","대적-이","대적들-과","대적들-의","대적들-이","적들"]·PT["adversário","do-adversário","meus-adversários","o-adversário","os-adversários-de","os-meus-adversarios","os-meus-adversários","os-seus-adversários","seus-adversários"]·RU["-притеснителя","врага","враги","враги-мои","врагов-Его","врагов-Своих","врагов-моих","притеснителей-его","притеснителем","притеснители-мои","притеснитель","притеснителя"]·ES["a-sus-adversarios","adversario","adversarios-de","adversarios-de-el","adversarios-de-mí","el-adversario","enemigo","mis-adversarios","mis-adversarios?","mis-angustiadores"]·SW["adui","adui-zake","adui-zangu","wapinzani-wake","zangu"]·TR["dusmanlar","düşman","düşmanlarım","düşmanlarını","düşmanın","hasımlarını","hasımlarının","sıkıntı-verenlerim","sıkıntı-verenlerimin"]·urd["اُس-کے-دشمنوں-کا","اُس-کے-دشمنوں-کو","اپنے-دشمنوں-کو","دشمن","دشمن-نے","دشمن-کے","دشمنوں-نے","میرے-تنگ-کرنے-والے","میرے-دشمن","میرے-دشمنوں-کے"]
Gen 14:20, Num 10:9, Deut 32:41, 1 Chr 12:18, 1 Chr 21:12, Ezra 4:1, Neh 4:11, Neh 9:27, Neh 9:27, Esth 7:6, Job 6:23, Ps 3:1 (+38 more)
▼ 1 more sense below
Senses
2. distress, trouble, straits — A state of anguish, constriction, or hardship — the abstract dimension of the root's meaning of narrowness. Appearing in about 6 passages, the evidence shows translations splitting between adversary language and distress language: Spanish 'angustia,' French 'détresse,' while German sometimes renders 'Not.' David chose to fall into God's hand rather than face human distress (2 Sam 24:14; 1 Chr 21:13), and Jephthah confronted the elders who came to him only in their time of trouble (Judg 11:7). 6×
AR["الضّيقِ","ضاقَ","ضَيقَاتٌ","ضِيقٌ","ضِيقٌ-"]·ben["কষ্ট-","শত্রুর","শত্রুরা","সংকট","সংকট-"]·DE["Bedraenger","Not","Tyrus","[צרי]","distress","distress-"]·EN["adversaries-by-","distress","distress-"]·FR["Tyr","adversaire","détresse","détresse-","ennemi"]·heb["צר","צרי"]·HI["तंगी","शत्रु","संकट","संकट-के","संकट-में","संकट-में-हूँ"]·ID["kesempitan","musuh-musuh","sempit","sempit-","sesak"]·IT["Tiro","angoscia","angoscia-","avversario","distress","nemico"]·jav["kasusahan","mengsah","rumpil-","rupek-","sanget-rekaos-","sesak"]·KO["고통스럽다","곤고하다-","괴롭다-","궁하다","적들이-","좋은"]·PT["adversários-de","angustiados","angústia","angústia-"]·RU["враги","тесно","тесно-","тесноты"]·ES["angustia","angustia-","angustia-para","angustias-de"]·SW["adui","dhiki","imekuwa-ngumu","ina-shida","mna-dhiki","msongo"]·TR["daralınca","dardayım-","darlık-","düşmanları","sıkıntı-içinde","sıkıntının"]·urd["تنگ","تنگی","تنگی کے","تنگی-ہے","دشمن-"]
Related Senses
H4421 1. war, battle, armed conflict (319×)H0341 1. enemy, adversary, foe (284×)H7965 1. peace, absence of conflict (198×)H3898a 1. Nifal: to fight, wage war (167×)H3467 1. save, deliver, rescue (Hifil active) (156×)H2026 1. kill, slay (active) (146×)H2451 1. wisdom, discernment (146×)H5127 1. flee, run away (Qal) (144×)H5483b 1. horse (the animal) (138×)H0006 1. to perish, be destroyed (105×)G1515 1. peace, well-being, harmony (93×)H8002 1. peace offering(s) (87×)H7843 1. Hifil: destroy, annihilate (83×)G4982 1. save spiritually, grant salvation (79×)H2491a 1. slain, fatally pierced (74×)H8045 1. destroy, exterminate (69×)H3444 1. salvation, deliverance (67×)H4422 1. Nifal: escape, flee (63×)G0615 1. kill, put to death (60×)H1272 1. flee, run away (Qal) (58×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
III. צַר68 n.m. Nu 10:9 adversary, foe;—abs. צַר Am 3:11 +, even c. art. הַצַּר Nu 10:9, but also הַצָּר Est 7:4; צָ֑ר Zc 8:10 +; pl. צָרִים La 1:7; cstr. צָרֵי Ezr 4:1 + Is 9:10 (but read prob. צָרוֹ or צָרָיו, cf. Di-Kit CheHpt.; al. שָׂרֵי), Je 48:5 (del. 𝔊 Hi Gie), Ez 30:16 (but 𝔊 Sm וְנָפֹצוּ, so Berthol; Co וְנִפְרְצוּ, so Toy; Krae יָעוּף); sf. צָרַי ψ 3:2, צָרֵיהֶם Ez 39:23, צָרֵימוֹ Dt…