אַכְזָר (akh.zar)
akh.zar
cruel
H:AQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 3 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:A
Word Overview
The Hebrew adjective akh.zar describes a quality that is cruel or fierce. It appears in only three verses across the Old Testament, carrying a heavy weight of harshness and severity. The word is used to characterize actions or attitudes that lack mercy, often in contexts of judgment or intense suffering.
In Lamentations, it helps describe the devastation experienced by Jerusalem, where the cruelty of enemies or the severity of divine discipline is palpable. Job uses similar language to express the intensity of his physical and emotional anguish, portraying a state of life that feels unyielding and harsh. Deuteronomy employs the term when discussing the consequences of disobedience, framing them as fierce and unforgiving.
This word does not merely suggest anger; it points to a persistent, biting hardness. It captures the essence of treatment or circumstance that is severe beyond what might be considered just or gentle. Its rarity in Scripture underscores the seriousness with which such cruelty is viewed, marking it as a significant departure from the compassion expected in human and divine relationships.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word akh.zar describes a harshness that feels unyielding and severe. It appears rarely in Scripture, marking it as a significant departure from the compassion expected in human relationships. When we encounter this term, we are reminded of the depth of suffering that can exist when mercy is absent.
In Lamentations 4:3, the prophet observes how even wild animals retain their natural instincts, yet the people have become cruel like ostriches. This stark contrast highlights how sin can harden the heart, stripping away the tenderness that reflects God's character. It serves as a sobering reminder of what happens when we turn away from love.
Yet, this word also invites us to look toward the One who never turns cruel. Even in Job 30:21, where the righteous sufferer cries out against perceived harshness, we see the raw honesty of prayer before God. He does not hide his pain but brings it directly to the Lord. This openness allows for healing and restoration, pointing us to a faith that embraces vulnerability rather than hardness.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 3 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- into/ [one] cruel1×
- cruel1×
- [has become] <into>/ cruel1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- לְ/אַכְזָ֣ר1×
- לְ/אַכְזָ֔ר1×
- אַכְזָֽר\׃1×
Key Verses
-
Lamentations 4:3
Even the jackals offer their breast. They nurse their young ones. But the daughter of my people has become cruel, like the ostriches in the wilderness.
This verse uses akh.zar to describe a shocking loss of natural maternal instinct in the daughter of Zion, emphasizing the depth of societal collapse.
-
Job 30:21
You have turned to be cruel to me. With the might of your hand you persecute me.
Here Job addresses God directly, using the word to express his feeling that divine discipline has become unbearably harsh and persecutory.
-
Deuteronomy 32:33
Their wine is the poison of serpents, the cruel venom of asps.
The term modifies venom in a poetic description of judgment, illustrating how disobedience leads to consequences that are bitter and deadly.