לָחַץ (la.chats)
la.chats
to oppress
H:VQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 16 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:V
Word Overview
The Hebrew verb laḥats describes the physical act of squeezing or pressing with force. In the Old Testament, it frequently carries a heavier social meaning: to oppress. This usage paints a vivid picture of power dynamics, where the strong crush the weak under their weight, much like grapes in a winepress or grain under a millstone.
Its occurrence in books like Judges and Kings highlights times of national distress. When Israel cries out for help, it is often because foreign rulers or internal elites are "squeezing" them for resources or labor. The word captures the brutality of this exploitation, emphasizing the lack of space or relief for the victim.
Translators usually render laḥats as "oppress," "afflict," or "crush." This choice preserves the sense of pressure and injustice. The term does not merely describe disagreement but active, forceful domination that leaves the oppressed with no room to breathe or resist.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The Hebrew word laḥats paints a vivid picture of pressure, like grapes crushed in a winepress or grain ground under a heavy stone. In the Old Testament, it describes how the powerful squeeze the weak, leaving them with no room to breathe or resist. This is not just disagreement; it is active domination that causes deep distress.
When Israel cried out for help, it was often because foreign rulers or local elites were applying this crushing weight. Yet, Scripture shows us a God who sees this suffering clearly. He hears the groans of those being squeezed and responds with deliverance. This reminds us that justice matters to Him deeply.
For your faith, this word highlights our shared vulnerability. We all face moments where pressure feels overwhelming. But we serve a God who notices the oppressed and acts on their behalf. You are seen, and you are not alone in your struggles.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 16 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- he oppressed2×
- you must oppress1×
- they oppressed1×
- that/ were oppressing1×
- oppressors1×
- he had oppressed1×
- and/ you will push1×
- and/ they will oppress1×
- and/ they pressed1×
- and/ they oppressed/ them1×
- and/ it squeezed itself1×
- and/ it squeezed1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- תִלְחָ֑ץ1×
- לֹחֲצָֽי/ו\׃1×
- לֹחֲצֵי/כֶ֑ם1×
- לֹחֲצֵי/הֶ֖ם1×
- לֹחֲצִ֥ים1×
- לֹֽחֲצִ֔ים1×
- לָחַ֥ץ1×
- לָחַ֞ץ1×
- לָחַ֖ץ1×
- לָחֲצ֖וּ1×
- וּ/לְחַצְתֶּ֤ם1×
- וַ/תִּלָּחֵץ֙1×
Key Verses
-
Exodus 3:9
Now, behold, the cry of the children of Israel has come to me. Moreover I have seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them.
This verse establishes the core context: God sees the specific oppression of Egypt and hears Israel's cry, setting the stage for deliverance.
-
Judges 2:18
When Yahweh raised up judges for them, then Yahweh was with the judge, and saved them out of the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge; for it grieved Yahweh because of their groaning by reason of those who oppressed them and troubled them.
It shows God's emotional response, stating that He was grieved by the groaning caused by those who oppressed His people.
-
Isaiah 19:20
It will be for a sign and for a witness to Yahweh of Armies in the land of Egypt; for they will cry to Yahweh because of oppressors, and he will send them a savior and a defender, and he will deliver them.
This prophecy extends the concept to Egypt, showing that God sends a savior when people cry out against their oppressors.