מוּצָק (mu.tsaq)
mu.tsaq
constraint
H:N-MQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 2 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-M
Word Overview
The Hebrew noun muṣaq describes a state of tightness, pressure, or distress. It conveys the physical sensation of being squeezed or confined, often leading to emotional or spiritual anguish. In the biblical text, this word captures the feeling of being trapped by circumstances that leave no room for movement or relief.
This term appears only twice in Scripture, both within the book of Job. In Job 7:15, Job uses it to describe his desire for death, saying he would rather choke than live, expressing a profound sense of constraint and misery. The word highlights the intensity of suffering when one feels completely overwhelmed by their situation.
The root of muṣaq relates to pouring or casting, suggesting something formed under pressure. This imagery helps explain why translators often render it as "constraint" or "distress." The word effectively communicates the heavy burden Job carries, where his existence feels like a tight vessel unable to expand or breathe.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
When life feels like a tightening noose, it is okay to admit you are struggling. The Hebrew word muṣaq captures that heavy pressure, the sensation of being squeezed until there is no room to breathe or move forward. Job knew this weight well. In his deepest pain, he described his soul as choked by constraint, preferring death over such relentless distress. This word validates the reality of suffering without blaming you for feeling trapped.
Yet Scripture does not leave us in that narrow place forever. The same God who allows the pressure also provides the way out. Job 36:16 reminds us that He calls us from this distress into a wide place, free from restriction. This promise offers hope to anyone feeling confined by illness, grief, or anxiety. You are not abandoned in the squeeze; you are being led toward space and relief.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 2 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- constraint1×
- [is] <in>/ constraint1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- מוּצָ֣ק1×
- בְּ/מוּצָֽק\׃1×
Key Verses
-
Job 36:16
Yes, he would have allured you out of distress, into a wide place, where there is no restriction. That which is set on your table would be full of fatness.
This verse contrasts the state of constraint with God's power to pull us into a wide place, showing that deliverance is part of His plan.
-
Job 37:10
By the breath of God, ice is given, and the width of the waters is frozen.
While this verse describes ice freezing waters, it illustrates God's absolute control over nature, reminding us that He governs the forces that cause our distress.