B-Hebrew: The Biblical Hebrew Forum

My dictionary says there was a Biblical Hebrew word that meant "sad" עצוב. Did it exist ?

The only example is in Isaiah 54:6, as follows:

כִּֽי־כְאִשָּׁ֧ה עֲזוּבָ֛ה וַעֲצ֥וּבַת ר֖וּחַ קְרָאָ֣ךְ יְהוָ֑ה וְאֵ֧שֶׁת נְעוּרִ֛ים כִּ֥י תִמָּאֵ֖ס אָמַ֥ר אֱלֹהָֽיִךְ׃

The verb means generally to “hurt” or “pain” someone, and this is a qal passive participle. Paired with “spirit,” עֲצוּבַת רוּחַ ʿăṣûḇaṯ rûaḥ means “hurt of spirit” or “hurt in spirit,” which is why “saddened” is attached to it.

It is certainly used in a plethora of ways related to sadness in modern Hebrew, but it doesn’t really carry that primary meaning in the Bible. Overall, the root appears 34 times in the Bible: as a verb in the qal, niphal, piel, hiphil, and hitpael; and as six different nouns related to pain and toil (including child labor). It doesn’t mean “sad” in any direct sense.

You have to be careful not to use a dictionary of modern Hebrew for biblical terms. The language has gone through changes. It is basically the same, but some terms have shifted in meaning, and it's smart only to use biblical dictionaries for definitions and instances of biblical words.

Jason,
Thanks for finding the word. My dictionary has little symbols next to words that show if it is modern, Biblical, or Mishnaic, so I knew that the word was Biblical, according to that dictionary.

Why do you not see "sadness" in the bible?
isn't sadness is sorrow, or a low mood?

Gen 6:6 וַיִּתְעַצֵּב אֶל לִבּוֹ
Pr. 15:13 לֵב שָׂמֵחַ יֵיטִב פָּנִים וּבְעַצְּבַת לֵב רוּחַ נְכֵאָה
Isa. 50:11 לְמַעֲצֵבָה תִּשְׁכָּבוּן

ducky wrote: ↑Fri Aug 13, 2021 9:32 am Why do you not see "sadness" in the bible?
isn't sadness is sorrow, or a low mood?

Gen 6:6 וַיִּתְעַצֵּב אֶל לִבּוֹ
Pr. 15:13 לֵב שָׂמֵחַ יֵיטִב פָּנִים וּבְעַצְּבַת לֵב רוּחַ נְכֵאָה
Isa. 50:11 לְמַעֲצֵבָה תִּשְׁכָּבוּן

It means “to be grieved” or “upset.” It doesn’t really take the specific meaning of “sad” until later.

Jason,

It is just playing with the words.

Isn't sad is being unhappy? or in sorrow?
what's the difference between being in sorrow and being in grief?
Or actually - What is "sad"?

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sad


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Can you find the word that means "sad" in the bible?
Is there any word for "sad" in old Greek for example (but not grief, of course)?

****************************

By the way, I can guess that when (late) Hebrew uses the word עצוב it is short for עצוב רוח or like that.
Which is a case when one word of a combination takes over the whole meaning of the combination.

And This thing happens already in the Bible.
For example, the word סעד means to "support, sustain",
And when it comes to eating, there is a usage of "sustaining the heart"
Like in Judges 19:5 סְעָד לִבְּךָ פַּת לֶחֶם
But then, the first word of the combination סעד+לב "took over", and so the word סעד alone was used for "Eating",
(even though, literally, it means to sustain).
(like in 1Kings 13:7 בֹּאָה אִתִּי הַבַּיְתָה וּסְעָדָה).

I guess that the usage of עצוב is short for עצוב רוח.

***********************

But still, I'm interested in your answers to my questions above.
Because I think that every time translations comes, the (so-called) "strict-accuracy" come with it, and create thin lines between the English words that even the English speakers wouldn't notice that.

Think about Hebrew
ויתעצב אל לבו
would you replace that to ויתאבל or to ויצטער?

Wow, this is really delayed. Was just flipping through the forum for something to respond to, and I saw that I completely missed responding to this. Sometimes I read and think that I’ll get back to something later when I have more time. Missed this one.

ducky wrote: ↑Fri Aug 13, 2021 4:07 pmIt is just playing with the words.

Isn't sad is being unhappy? or in sorrow?
what's the difference between being in sorrow and being in grief?
Or actually - What is "sad"?

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sad

I guess I would associate sadness with lack of happiness. When someone is sad, it is that they are not happy. When they are grieving, it is generally associated with someone having died. At least, that’s the association in my mind.

ducky wrote: ↑Fri Aug 13, 2021 4:07 pmCan you find the word that means "sad" in the bible?
Is there any word for "sad" in old Greek for example (but not grief, of course)?

I’ll have to check that when I get back home.

ducky wrote: ↑Fri Aug 13, 2021 4:07 pmBy the way, I can guess that when (late) Hebrew uses the word עצוב it is short for עצוב רוח or like that.
Which is a case when one word of a combination takes over the whole meaning of the combination.

And This thing happens already in the Bible.
For example, the word סעד means to "support, sustain",
And when it comes to eating, there is a usage of "sustaining the heart"
Like in Judges 19:5 סְעָד לִבְּךָ פַּת לֶחֶם
But then, the first word of the combination סעד+לב "took over", and so the word סעד alone was used for "Eating",
(even though, literally, it means to sustain).
(like in 1Kings 13:7 בֹּאָה אִתִּי הַבַּיְתָה וּסְעָדָה).

I guess that the usage of עצוב is short for עצוב רוח.

I would agree here. It seems that we use the shorter version (עָצוּב) whereas the biblical language has the longer version (עֲצוּב רוּחַ). I don’t think that just saying עָצוּב would necessarily have been understood in the same way.

ducky wrote: ↑Fri Aug 13, 2021 4:07 pmBut still, I'm interested in your answers to my questions above.
Because I think that every time translations comes, the (so-called) "strict-accuracy" come with it, and create thin lines between the English words that even the English speakers wouldn't notice that.

Think about Hebrew
ויתעצב אל לבו
would you replace that to ויתאבל or to ויצטער?

No, but I wonder if there is something in the collocation of רוּחַ or אֶל־לִבּוֹ with this root that causes the specific “sadness” association rather than the idea of grieving or such.

Jason

הָרֹפֵא לִשְׁבוּרֵי לֵב וּמְחַבֵּשׁ לְעַצְּבוֹתָם

I think you will find that Psalm 147:3 is a fine and accurate example that conveys the idea of sadness, here we have first the broken heart, referring to any kind of wounds that cause deep sadness, whether conscious or not. Jason is right regarding using a biblical dictionary, you see, language is the means by which we convey thought and feeling and emotion. Words are the conveyor belt to carry the intention. When you ask if the emotion of sadness is found in scripture in Hebrew, yes, it is all over the place, it's just a matter of how translators choose English words to convey hebraic feelings and meanings, that's all.

Chris watts