H7533 H7533
to crush, bruise, shatter; to oppress; to struggle together; the crushed or oppressed as a class
A verb of violent physical impact whose semantic field extends from literal crushing to social oppression. The root appears across Semitic languages — Arabic raḍḍa (bruise, bray), Aramaic rəʿaʿ (crush, shatter) — always carrying the force of destructive compression. The passive participle 'bruised reed' (Isa 42:3; 2 Kgs 18:21) became a famous metaphor for fragile, damaged humanity that the Servant of the LORD would not break. At the other extreme, the reciprocal Hitpael captures the startling prenatal struggle of Jacob and Esau in Rebekah's womb (Gen 25:22). Isaiah 58:6 uses the substantivized participle to name the oppressed as a social category deserving liberation.
1. bruised or crushed state — Passive participle describing the state of being crushed or bruised — used adjectivally. The iconic 'bruised reed' of Isaiah 42:3 and 2 Kings 18:21 (Spanish 'quebrada,' German 'zerbrochen') portrays something damaged but not destroyed. Hosea 5:11 applies it to Ephraim 'crushed in judgment.' The stative quality distinguishes this from the active event of crushing. 5×
AR["الـ-مَرْضُوضَةِ","المَرْضُوضَةِ","مَرْضُوضَةً","مَسحوقٌ","وَمَسْحُوقًا"]·ben["এবং-চূর্ণ","চটকা","চূর্ণ"]·DE["[הרצוץ]","[רצוץ]","der-zerbrochen","und-zermalmte"]·EN["and-crushed","broken","bruised","crushed-in","the-broken"]·FR["[הרצוץ]","[רצוץ]","et-écrasa","le-brisé","écrasé"]·heb["ה-רצוץ","ו-רצוץ","רצוץ"]·HI["और-कुचला-हुआ","कुचला-गया","कुचला-हुआ","कुचली","कुचले-हुए"]·ID["dan-diremukkan","remuk","yang-memar","yang-patah","yang-terkulai"]·IT["[רצוץ]","e-schiaccio","il-rotto","opprimere"]·jav["dipun-remuk","ingkang-rempug","ingkang-remuk","kang-remuk","lan-dipunremuk"]·KO["그리고-으깨진","부러진","부서진","상한"]·PT["a-quebrada","e-esmagado","quebrada","quebrado"]·RU["и-раздавленным","надломленную","сломанного","сломанной","сокрушён"]·ES["la-quebrada","quebrada","quebrantado-de","y-quebrantado"]·SW["amevunjwa","iliyovunjika","na-kupigwa","uliovunjika"]·TR["-ezilmiş","ezilmis","ve-kırılan","çiğnenmiş"]·urd["اور-کچلا-ہوا","کچلا-ہوا","کچلے-ہوئے"]
▼ 7 more senses below
Senses
2. crush or oppress intensively (Piel) — Piel intensive stem conveying deliberate, thorough crushing. Judges 10:8 describes the Ammonites who 'crushed and oppressed' (Spanish 'aplastaron') Israel for eighteen years. Psalm 74:14 celebrates God crushing the heads of Leviathan. The Piel intensifies the violence — systematic, not incidental destruction. 4×
AR["سَحَقَ","سَحَقْتَ","وَ-حَطَّموا","وَظَلَمَ"]·ben["আর-নিপীড়ন-করল","এবং-চূর্ণ-করল","চূর্ণ-করেছিলে","সে-চূর্ণ-করেছে"]·DE["[וירצץ]","[רצץ]","und-zermalmte","zermalmt"]·EN["and-crushed","and-oppressed","crushed","he-crushed"]·FR["[וירצץ]","et-écrasa","écraser"]·heb["ו-ירצץ","ו-רוצצו","ריצץ","ריצצת"]·HI["उसने-कुचला","और-कुचला"]·ID["dan-menindas","dan-mereka-menghancurkan","ia-menghancurkan","meremukkan"]·IT["[וירצץ]","e-crushed","egli-crushed","schiacchio'"]·jav["Panjenengan-sampun-meremuk","lan-ngrembuk","lan-sami-nindhes","piyambakipun-ngremuk"]·KO["그리고-그들이-부수었다","그리고-압제하였다","부수셨나이다","부수였나니"]·PT["e-esmagaram","e-oprimiu","esmagaste","esmagou"]·RU["и-притеснял","и-притесняли","разбивал-Ты","сокрушил"]·ES["aplastaste","quebrantó,","y-aplastaron","y-oprimió"]·SW["aliwaponda","na-akawakandamiza","na-wakawapondaponda","ulivunja"]·TR["ezdi","ezdin","ve-ezdi","ve-kırdılar"]·urd["اور-کچلا","اُس نے کچلا","تُو-نے-کچلے"]
3. crush or break physically (Qal) — Basic Qal active crushing or breaking. In 1 Samuel 12:3-4, Samuel challenges Israel: 'Whom have I crushed?' (Spanish 'aplasté') — a legal defense of his integrity. Isaiah 42:4 promises that the Servant 'will not be crushed' (or grow faint) until justice is established. The Qal preserves the raw physical action: one agent exerting destructive force upon another. 3×
AR["تَسْحَقْنَا","سَحَقْتُ","يَنْسَحِقُ"]·ben["আপনি-নিপীড়ন-করেছেন-আমাদেরকে","আমি-নিপীড়ন-করেছি","চূর্ণ-হবে"]·DE["[ירוץ]","du-crushed-uns","ich-crushed"]·EN["I-crushed","he-will-be-crushed","you-crushed-us"]·FR["[ירוץ]","je-écrasa","tu-écrasa-nous"]·heb["ירוץ","רצותי","רצותנו"]·HI["कुचला","कुचला-तूने-हमें","टूटेगा"]·ID["akan-patah","engkau-telah-memeras-kami","yang-telah-kuperas"]·IT["io-schiacciò","opprimere","tu-schiacciò-noi"]·jav["badhé-remuk","kawula-nganiaya","panjenengan-nganiaya-kita"]·KO["부서지리라","짓밟았느냐-나는","짓밟았다-우리를-당신이"]·PT["correrá","esmagaste-nos","esmaguei"]·RU["обижал-ты-нас","обижал-я","сокрушится"]·ES["aplasté","nos-aplastaste","se-quebrará"]·SW["nimemkandamiza","umetukandamiza","vunjika"]·TR["cesaretsiz-olacak","ezdim","ezdin-bizi"]·urd["ٹوٹے-گا","کچلا-میں-نے","کچلا-ہمیں-تُو-نے"]
4. be broken or shattered (Nifal/Qal passive) — Passive or middle voice (Niphal/Qal intransitive) expressing that the subject is broken or shattered. Ecclesiastes 12:6 uses it twice in its haunting allegory of death: the golden bowl 'is broken' and the pitcher 'is shattered' (Spanish 'se quiebre'). Ezekiel 29:7 pictures Egypt as a reed staff that splintered when grasped. The passive morphology foregrounds the victim's experience of being destroyed. 3×
AR["تَنْكَسِرُ","وِ-تَرُوص","وِ-نَرُوص"]·ben["এবং-নষ্ট-হয়","এবং-ভেঙে-যায়","তুমি-ভাঙবে"]·DE["[ונרץ]","[ותרץ]","[תרוץ]"]·EN["and-is-broken","and-is-crushed","you-splintered"]·FR["[תרוץ]","et-écraser"]·heb["ו-נרוץ","ו-תרוץ","תרוץ"]·HI["और-टूटे","टूट-जाएगा-तू"]·ID["dan-patah","dan-pecah","engkau-patah,"]·IT["[תרוץ]","e-e-è-broken","e-e-è-crushed"]·jav["lan-pecah","lan-rusak","panjenengan-tugel"]·KO["그리고-부서진다","부러질-것이다-너는"]·PT["e-se-despedaçe","e-se-esmague","te-quebravas"]·RU["и-разбито","и-разобьётся","ломался"]·ES["te-quebraste","y-se-quiebre"]·SW["na-kuvunjika","ulivunjika"]·TR["kırıldın","ve-kirilir"]·urd["اور-ٹوٹے","ٹوٹ-جاتا-ہے-تُو"]
5. cause to be crushed (Hifil) — Hifil causative: bringing about the crushing of something. Judges 9:53 records a woman dropping a millstone on Abimelech's head, crushing his skull (Spanish 'quebró'). This single occurrence preserves the causative force cleanly — one agent causes the crushing of another through an instrument. The German 'zermalmte' (pulverized) captures the totality of destruction. 1×
AR["فَـ-شَقَّتْ"]·ben["এবং-চূর্ণ-করল"]·DE["und-zermalmte"]·EN["and-crushed"]·FR["et-écrasa"]·heb["ו-רצצה"]·HI["और-तोड़ी"]·ID["dan-meremukkan"]·IT["e-crushed"]·jav["lan-ngrembuk"]·KO["그리고-부수었다"]·PT["e-esmagou"]·RU["и-пробила"]·ES["y-quebró"]·SW["na-ikavunja"]·TR["ve-kırdı"]·urd["اور-توڑ-دیا"]
6. those who crush (participial) — Active participle used substantivally for 'those who crush' — oppressors as a social class. Amos 4:1 addresses the wealthy women of Samaria as 'you who crush the needy' (Spanish 'las que aplastan'). The participial form converts a violent action into a social identity: these are defined by what they do to the vulnerable. 1×
AR["الساحِقاتِ"]·ben["পেষণকারিণীরা"]·DE["[הרצצות]"]·EN["the-ones-crushing"]·FR["celles-qui-écrasent"]·heb["ה-רוֹצצוֹת"]·HI["जो-कुचलती-हो"]·ID["yang-meremukkan"]·IT["[הרצצות]"]·jav["kang-ngremuk"]·KO["짓밟는-자들"]·PT["as-que-esmagam"]·RU["сокрушающие"]·ES["las-que-aplastan"]·SW["mnaowaponda"]·TR["eziciler"]·urd["-کچلنے-والیاں"]
7. struggle together (Hitpael) — Hitpael reciprocal stem describing mutual struggling or jostling. Genesis 25:22 narrates the twins 'struggling together' (Spanish 'se golpeaban') within Rebekah's womb, prompting her anguished inquiry of the LORD. The reciprocal morphology is key: not one party crushing another, but two parties pressing and pushing against each other — prenatal conflict foreshadowing a lifetime of rivalry. 1×
AR["فَتَدَافَعَ"]·ben["এবং-ধাক্কা-দিল"]·DE["und-es-stießen-sich"]·EN["and-struggled-together"]·FR["et-struggled-ensemble"]·heb["ו-יתרצצו"]·HI["और-धक्का-मारे"]·ID["dan-berdesak-desakan"]·IT["e-struggled-together"]·jav["Lan-tabrakan"]·KO["그리고-다투었다"]·PT["E-lutavam"]·RU["И-толкались"]·ES["Y-se-golpeaban"]·SW["Na-walikuwa-wakisukumana"]·TR["ve-çarpıştılar"]·urd["اور-لڑے"]
8. the oppressed (substantival) — Passive participle used substantivally to denote 'the oppressed' as a social category. Isaiah 58:6 defines true fasting as 'letting the oppressed go free' (Spanish 'a los oprimidos'). The participle crosses from adjective to noun, naming a class defined by the violence done to them — the rĕṣuṣim whom society has ground down. 1×
AR["الْمَسْحُوقِينَ"]·ben["নিপীড়িতদেরকে"]·DE["[רצוצים]"]·EN["the-oppressed"]·FR["[רצוצים]"]·heb["רצוצים"]·HI["कुचले-हुओंको"]·ID["orang-orang-tertindas"]·IT["opprimere"]·jav["ingkang-dipuntindhes"]·KO["압제받는-자들을"]·PT["oprimidos"]·RU["угнетённых"]·ES["a-los-oprimidos"]·SW["waliokandamizwa"]·TR["ezilenlirei"]·urd["کچلے-ہوئوں-کو"]
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† [רָצַץ] vb. crush (NH = BH; Arabic رَضَّ bruise, bray, crush; Aramaic רְעַע, ܪܰܥ crush, shatter);— Qal Pf. 2 ms. sf. רַצּוֹתָנוּ 1 S 12:4; 1 s. רַצּוֹתִי v 3; Impf. 3 ms. יָרוּץ (Ges§ 67 q) Is 42:4 (Cod. Bab. יֵרוֹץ, Niph., so SS here and Ec 12:6 a), 3 fs. תָּרוּץ Ec 12: 6 a, 1 s. אָרֻץ ψ 18:30 = אָרוּץ 2 S 22:30 (v. רוּץ); Pt. act. fpl. רֹצְצוֹת Am 4:1; pass. רָצוּץ Is 42:3 +, cstr. רְצוּץ Ho…