גָּרַס (ga.ras)
ga.ras
to break
H:VQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 2 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:V
Word Overview
The Hebrew verb garas carries a visceral sense of being crushed or broken down. In its basic form, it describes a state of intense pressure or destruction, often used metaphorically to depict the soul as worn away by longing or grief. This usage appears in the Psalms, where the psalmist’s spirit is described as fainting or perishing under the weight of deep desire or sorrow.
A striking example of its force occurs in Lamentations 3:16, where God is said to have ground the sufferer’s teeth with gravel. This vivid image conveys divine chastisement and physical humiliation, using the act of crushing hard food into dust to symbolize helplessness and pain. The Hiphil stem emphasizes this active breaking, showing how external forces can reduce a person to a state of vulnerability.
Though rare in Scripture, appearing only twice, garas leaves a strong impression through its concrete imagery. Translators typically render it as "crushed" or "broken," capturing the physicality of the word. Its presence in both poetic and lament literature highlights how ancient writers used bodily suffering to express spiritual anguish.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
When life feels heavy, it is natural to feel worn down. The Hebrew word garas captures this physical reality of being crushed by pressure or grief. In the Psalms, we see a soul consumed by longing, while Lamentations describes teeth broken by gravel. These images are stark, reminding us that spiritual anguish often has a bodily weight.
Yet these verses do not leave us in despair. They show that honest lament is part of our faith. Even when we feel broken or overwhelmed, bringing those raw feelings to God is an act of trust. He hears the cry of the weary soul and does not dismiss our pain as insignificant.
This word invites you to be honest about your struggles. You do not need to hide your exhaustion or sorrow. Instead, you can bring your whole self to Him, knowing that He understands the depth of human suffering and offers comfort to those who seek Him.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 2 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- it is crushed1×
- and/ he has broken1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- וַ/יַּגְרֵ֤ס1×
- גָּרְסָ֣ה1×
Key Verses
-
Psalms 119:20
My soul is consumed with longing for your ordinances at all times.
This verse uses the verb to describe a soul consumed by longing, showing how intense desire can feel like a physical breaking down.
-
Lamentations 3:16
He has also broken my teeth with gravel. He has covered me with ashes.
Here the imagery is visceral, depicting teeth broken by gravel to symbolize helplessness and the pain of divine chastisement.