עִצָּבוֹן (its.tsa.von)
its.tsa.von
toil
H:N-MQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 3 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-M
Word Overview
The Hebrew noun its.tsa.von refers to the heavy burden of labor or the pain inherent in work. It captures the physical and emotional weight of toil, describing not just the act of working but the distress that often accompanies it. In the biblical narrative, this term is closely tied to the consequences of human effort in a fallen world.
Its most notable appearance is in Genesis 3:17, where God tells Adam that the ground will produce crops with its.tsa.von. Here, the word signifies the hardship and struggle embedded in agriculture after the Fall. It is not merely hard work, but work marked by frustration and pain. The term appears only three times in the Old Testament, always emphasizing the difficult nature of human labor.
Translators typically render its.tsa.von as "toil," "pain," or "hardship." This choice reflects the word's dual sense of physical exertion and emotional sorrow. It reminds readers that work, while good in design, has become a source of struggle due to sin. The word stands as a poignant reminder of the brokenness affecting daily life.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word its.tsa.von describes the heavy burden that often accompanies human labor. It is not simply the physical act of working, but the frustration and exhaustion that can make daily tasks feel like a weight. In Genesis 3:17, this term highlights how the ground yields crops only through significant effort after the Fall. This reality reminds us that work, though originally good, now carries the sting of struggle.
Yet there is hope in this brokenness. The name Noah, mentioned in Genesis 5:29, means comfort. Even amidst the toil of our hands, God provides moments of relief and rest. We do not work to earn our worth, but as part of our daily walk with Him. His grace sustains us when the labor feels too heavy.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 3 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- pain/ your1×
- in/ pain1×
- and/ from/ [the] pain of1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- עִצְּבוֹנֵ֣/ךְ1×
- וּ/מֵ/עִצְּב֣וֹן1×
- בְּ/עִצָּבוֹן֙1×
Key Verses
-
Genesis 3:17
To Adam he said, “Because you have listened to your wife’s voice, and have eaten from the tree, about which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat of it,’ the ground is cursed for your sake. You will eat from it with much labor all the days of your life.
This verse defines the word by showing how the cursed ground requires painful effort to produce food.
-
Genesis 5:29
He named him Noah, saying, “This one will comfort us in our work and in the toil of our hands, caused by the ground which Yahweh has cursed.”
Here the term appears in a prayer for comfort, linking the physical burden of work with the need for divine relief.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the Hebrew word its.tsa.von mean?
Where does this word appear in the Bible?
How is its.tsa.von different from regular work?
Every Occurrence (3 verses across 1 books)
Genesis 3 verses
To the woman he said, “I will greatly multiply your pain in childbirth. You will bear children in pain. Your desire…
Genesis 3:17To Adam he said, “Because you have listened to your wife’s voice, and have eaten from the tree, about which I commanded…
Genesis 5:29He named him Noah, saying, “This one will comfort us in our work and in the toil of our hands, caused by the ground…