בַּצֹּרֶת (bats.tso.ret)
bats.tso.ret
drought
H:N-FQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 2 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-F
Word Overview
The Hebrew noun bats.tso.ret describes a severe lack of water or food, typically translated as drought, dearth, or destitution. It conveys a sense of acute scarcity that threatens survival, rather than a mild shortage. In the biblical text, this word captures the harsh reality of a land stripped of its natural provision.
Its usage is concentrated in Jeremiah, where it often serves as a theological marker for judgment or testing. The prophet uses the term to depict the consequences of turning away from God, illustrating how spiritual abandonment leads to physical emptiness. This connection between faithfulness and material sustenance is central to the book’s message.
One notable instance appears in Jeremiah 17:8, where the word contrasts the fate of the faithful with that of the untrustworthy. While others wither under the heat of drought, the righteous are likened to a tree planted by water, secure and evergreen. This imagery highlights bats.tso.ret not just as a natural disaster, but as a backdrop for demonstrating divine provision and human resilience.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The Hebrew word bats.tso.ret describes a severe lack of water, a crisis that threatens survival rather than a mild shortage. In Jeremiah, this term often marks a time of testing or judgment, showing how turning away from God can lead to physical emptiness. It is not just a natural disaster but a backdrop against which divine provision becomes clear.
Jeremiah 17:8 offers a powerful image for those facing such seasons. The faithful are like a tree planted by water, whose roots reach the river so they do not fear the heat or worry during the drought. This imagery reminds us that true security comes from being rooted in God, allowing us to remain green and fruitful even when circumstances seem harsh.
When life feels dry or uncertain, this word invites us to look beyond our immediate surroundings. It encourages a deep reliance on God’s steady presence, which sustains us through any season of scarcity or trial.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 2 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- the/ droughts1×
- drought1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- הַ/בַּצָּרֽוֹת\׃1×
- בַּצֹּ֙רֶת֙1×
Key Verses
-
Jeremiah 14:1
This is Yahweh’s word that came to Jeremiah concerning the drought:
This verse introduces the drought as a specific word from Yahweh to Jeremiah, framing the crisis as a divine message rather than just a natural event.
-
Jeremiah 17:8
For he will be as a tree planted by the waters, who spreads out its roots by the river, and will not fear when heat comes, but its leaf will be green, and will not be concerned in the year of drought. It won’t cease from yielding fruit.
Here the word contrasts the fate of the untrustworthy with the righteous, who remain secure and fruitful like a tree planted by water despite the year of drought.