מַכְאֹב
anguish or (figuratively) affliction
Definition
The Hebrew noun מַכְאֹב (makʼôb) primarily denotes physical pain or suffering, as seen in Exodus 3:7 where God acknowledges the 'pain' of His people in Egypt. It also extends to emotional and psychological anguish, such as the 'sorrow' of heart described in Ecclesiastes 1:18 and 2:23. In some poetic and prophetic contexts, the word takes on a figurative sense, representing the affliction or grief caused by sin or adversity, as in Psalm 32:10 where the wicked have many 'sorrows.' The feminine form מַכְאֹבָה in Isaiah 53:3 poignantly describes the Messiah as 'a man of sorrows,' carrying the full weight of human grief.
Biblical Usage
מַכְאֹב appears 15 times across various genres, including narrative (Exodus), wisdom literature (Job, Ecclesiastes), and poetry (Psalms). It is used for both collective national suffering (Exodus 3:7, 2 Chronicles 6:29) and intense personal distress (Job 33:19, Psalm 38:17). In the Psalms, it often describes the pain of the righteous sufferer (Psalm 69:26), while in Ecclesiastes, it is linked to the vexing toll of human toil and wisdom (Ecclesiastes 1:18, 2:23).
Etymology
The noun מַכְאֹב derives from the root כָּאַב (H3510), meaning 'to be in pain' or 'to grieve.' It is a substantive form indicating the state or result of that action—literally, 'a paining' or 'a hurting.' The related feminine form is מַכְאֹבָה. The root conveys a sense of active, felt suffering, whether physical or emotional.
Semantic Range
This word is theologically significant as it gives voice to human suffering in dialogue with God. It appears in prayers (2 Chronicles 6:29), divine acknowledgment (Exodus 3:7), and reflections on the human condition (Ecclesiastes). Its most profound use is in Isaiah 53:3, where the Messiah's identification with human מַכְאֹבָה becomes central to the theology of substitutionary atonement. Understanding this Hebrew term deepens appreciation for God's empathy toward human pain and the redemptive purpose in Christ's suffering.
In ancient Israelite culture, pain and sorrow were understood holistically, without a strict modern separation between physical and emotional distress. מַכְאֹב could encompass bodily illness, the grief of loss, or the anguish of oppression. This integrated view is reflected in texts where national calamity and personal sickness are both described with this term, seen as part of the broad human experience of suffering under God's sovereign purview.
כְּאֵב (keʼev, H3515) — a very close synonym, also meaning pain or sorrow, often used interchangeably. יָגוֹן (yagon, H3015) — more specifically denotes grief or mourning. עַמָל (ʿamal, H5999) — often refers to the trouble, toil, or misery resulting from labor or misfortune.
Word Details
How this works
Hebrew definitions are from Brown-Driver-Briggs (1906) and Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (1890), both public domain. BDB was groundbreaking for its era but reflects 19th-century assumptions about Semitic etymology. Modern scholarship (HALOT, DCH) has revised many entries. Use these definitions as a starting point for exploration, not as the final word on a term's meaning in context.
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