מַכְאוֹב (makh.ov)
makh.ov
pain
H:N-MQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 13 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-M
Word Overview
The noun makh’ov refers to acute distress, covering both physical suffering and deep emotional grief. With thirteen occurrences in the Hebrew Bible, it appears most frequently in Lamentations, Jeremiah, and Isaiah, where it describes the intense anguish resulting from judgment or calamity. The word captures a sense of piercing hurt that affects the whole person.
Its usage distinguishes between bodily pain and mental sorrow, though both share a common root of severe discomfort. In Jeremiah 15:18, for instance, the prophet uses it to express his inner turmoil, while Lamentations often employs it to depict the collective trauma of Jerusalem’s fall. This dual application highlights how biblical Hebrew does not strictly separate physical and emotional suffering.
Translators typically render makh’ov as "pain," "sorrow," or "grief" depending on context. The term carries significant theological weight in prophetic literature, often serving as a marker of divine discipline. Its presence underscores the seriousness of covenant failure and the real cost of sin, offering readers a vivid picture of the consequences that accompany rebellion against God.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The Hebrew word makh’ov describes a deep, piercing distress that touches both body and soul. It is not merely a fleeting discomfort but a profound ache resulting from calamity, judgment, or grief. In the prophetic books, this term often marks the heavy cost of turning away from God, yet it also reveals how deeply God sees human suffering.
For your faith life, this word reminds you that your pain is known. Whether you face physical illness or emotional sorrow, God does not overlook your distress. Like Jeremiah in his darkest moments, you can bring your raw grief to Him, trusting that He hears the cry of those who suffer. His presence brings comfort even when healing seems distant.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 13 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- pains2×
- pain/ my2×
- with/ pain1×
- pains/ its1×
- pain/ your1×
- pain1×
- like/ pain/ my1×
- for/ pain/ its1×
- and/ pains/ our1×
- and/ own pain/ his1×
- [is] pain1×
- [are] pains1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- מַכְאוֹבִ֗ים1×
- מַכְאוֹב֙1×
- מַכְאֽוֹב\׃1×
- מַכְאֹבָֽי/ו\׃1×
- מַכְאֹבֵ֑/ךְ1×
- מַכְאֹבִ֗ים1×
- מַכְאֹבִ֔/י1×
- מַכְאֹבִ֑/י1×
- מַכְאֹב֖וֹת1×
- לְ/מַכְאוֹבָ֔/הּ1×
- כְּ/מַכְאֹבִ֔/י1×
- וּ/מַכְאֹבֵ֖י/נוּ1×
Key Verses
-
Jeremiah 45:3
‘You said, “Woe is me now! For Yahweh has added sorrow to my pain! I am weary with my groaning, and I find no rest.”’
Jeremiah uses this word to express his overwhelming exhaustion, showing that honest lament is a valid way to bring your deepest weariness before God.
-
Isaiah 53:4
Surely he has borne our sickness and carried our suffering; yet we considered him plagued, struck by God, and afflicted.
This verse highlights the Messiah’s role in bearing our suffering, connecting physical pain with spiritual redemption through His substitutionary sacrifice.
-
Lamentations 1:12
“Is it nothing to you, all you who pass by? Look, and see if there is any sorrow like my sorrow, which is brought on me, with which Yahweh has afflicted me in the day of his fierce anger.
The prophet describes Jerusalem’s devastation as a unique sorrow, illustrating how communal trauma can lead to a deeper reliance on God’s justice and mercy.