Lexical Summary
ratsats: To crush, to oppress, to break
Original Word: רָצַץ
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: ratsats
Pronunciation: rah-tsats'
Phonetic Spelling: (raw-tsats')
KJV: break, bruise, crush, discourage, oppress, struggle together
NASB: crushed, oppressed, broke, bruised, crush, crushing, struggled
Word Origin: [a primitive root]
1. to crack in pieces, literally or figuratively
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
break, bruise, crush, discourage, oppress, struggle together
A primitive root; to crack in pieces, literally or figuratively -- break, bruise, crush, discourage, oppress, struggle together.
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origina prim. root
Definitionto crush
NASB Translationbroke (1), bruised (1), crush (1), crushed (9), crushing (1), oppressed (5), struggled (1).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
[] (Late Hebrew = Biblical Hebrew; Arabic
👁 Image bruise, bray, crush; Aramaic ,
👁 Image crush, shatter); —
Perfect2masculine singular suffix 1 Samuel 12:4; 1singular 1 Samuel 12:3; Imperfect3masculine singular (Ges§ 67q) Isaiah 42:4 (Babylonian Manuscript , Niph`al, so SS here and Ecclesiastes 12:6a), 3feminine singular Ecclesiastes 12:6a, 1singular Psalm 18:30 = 2 Samuel 22:30 (see below); Participle active feminine plural Amos 4:1; passive Isaiah 42:3 +, construct Hosea 5:11; plural Isaiah 58:6; — crush: literal,
passive participle in 2 Kings 18:21 = Isaiah 36:6; Isaiah 42:3 (all metaphor of weak person).
get crushed (read ?), of bowl Ecclesiastes 12:6a (in metaphor).
crush, oppress, accusative of person 1 Samuel 12:3,4; Amos 4:1; passive participle Deuteronomy 28:33, as substantive the oppressed Isaiah 58:6; Hosea 5:11 (We Now , i.e. perverting judgment, but dubious); intransitive get crushed (read ?), of servant of , under figure of wick, Isaiah 42:4 (+ ) he shall not grow dim or be crushed out.
be crushed, broken: Perfect3masculine singular consecutive (Ges§ 67t) Ecclesiastes 12:6b (of wheel at cistern); Imperfect2masculine singular Ezekiel 29:7 (of Pharaoh as reed, compare ); Job 20:10 read perhaps (for , see Pi`el), are crushed (as) poor men, Bu, compare Hoffm SS Gerber. — Isaiah 42:2; Ecclesiastes 12:6 a see
crush in pieces:
literal (in metaphor) Perfect2masculine singular Psalm 74:14 with accusative of thing.
figurative = grievously oppress, 3 masculine singular Job 20:19; Imperfect3masculine singular 2Chronicles 16:10.
Imperfect3masculine plural Judges 10:8, accusative of person (= ; "" ; here perhaps doublet, so GFMHpt, compare Bu Now).
Imperfect3feminine singular (Köi. 352; BaZMG xliii (1889), 181 thinks
) Judges 9:53 she crushed his skull.
reciprocal, Imperfect3masculine plural Genesis 25:22 (J) the children crushed (thurst, struck) one another within her.
Topical Lexicon
Term Overview רָצַץ (rāṣaṣ) gathers ideas of crushing, bruising, breaking in pieces, or oppressing. Whether describing prenatal turmoil, shattered skulls, the plight of the poor, or the fragility of a reed, the verb always conveys force sufficient to damage what is struck. Its nineteen Old-Testament occurrences trace a movement from literal fracture to moral and spiritual themes that culminate in prophetic hope.
Literary and Semantic Range
1. Physical impact that smashes or shatters (Judges 9:53; Psalm 74:14).
2. Internal struggle and pressure (Genesis 25:22).
3. Social, economic, or political oppression (Deuteronomy 28:33; Judges 10:8; Job 20:19; Hosea 5:11; Amos 4:1).
4. Disappointment that “splinters” false hopes (2 Kings 18:21; Isaiah 36:6; Ezekiel 29:7).
5. The gentle antithesis—“A bruised reed He will not break” (Isaiah 42:3)—introduces the theme of redemptive restraint.
Key Thematic Clusters
1. Prenatal Striving and Divine Election (Genesis 25:22)
“But the children inside her struggled together.” In Rebecca’s womb the future nations of Israel and Edom begin their conflict. רָצַץ highlights the intensity of the clash and foreshadows a lifetime of contention under the sovereign choice of God.
2. Covenant Curse and National Subjugation (Deuteronomy 28:33)
The covenant warning states that a foreign people “will oppress and crush you continually.” Here crushing is protracted exploitation—economic, political, and psychological—underscoring that rebellion against the LORD leads to debilitating servitude.
3. Military Violence (Judges 9:53)
“A woman dropped an upper millstone on Abimelech’s head and crushed his skull.” The verb records a decisive death-blow, reminding Israel that tyrannical leaders can be felled by the seemingly weak when God’s justice intervenes.
4. Judicial and Domestic Oppression (Judges 10:8; 1 Samuel 12:3-4; 2 Chronicles 16:10)
The Ammonites “shattered and oppressed” Israel for eighteen years; corrupt leaders extract goods by force. רָצַץ exposes the moral bankruptcy of rulers who trample their own people, contrasting it with Samuel’s blameless record.
5. Economic Exploitation (Job 20:19; Amos 4:1)
Job cites the wicked who “oppressed and abandoned the poor.” Amos calls the wealthy women of Samaria “cows of Bashan … who oppress the poor, crush the needy.” The verb denounces greed that grinds the vulnerable, proving that economic injustice is a moral offense to God.
6. False Alliances and Broken Reeds (2 Kings 18:21; Isaiah 36:6; Ezekiel 29:7)
Egypt is “that splintered reed of a staff which will pierce the hand of anyone who leans on it.” The metaphor warns Judah against trusting human power. רָצַץ pictures a staff snapping under weight, then lacerating the one who relied on it.
7. Cosmic Triumph (Psalm 74:14)
“You crushed the heads of Leviathan, You fed him to the creatures of the desert.” Here י-הוָה pulverizes mythic evil, assuring His people that the Creator also masters chaos.
8. Existential Fragility (Ecclesiastes 12:6)
“Before the silver cord is snapped.” Life’s delicate cord is one blow from breaking. רָצַץ evokes the suddenness with which vitality can end, urging fear of God before the day of death.
9. Servant Compassion and Messianic Gentleness (Isaiah 42:3-4)
“A bruised reed He will not break, a smoldering wick He will not extinguish; in faithfulness He will bring forth justice. He will not falter or be discouraged till He establishes justice on the earth.” The same verb that elsewhere crushes now describes the Servant’s refusal to do so. Instead of finishing off the damaged, He upholds them until justice is globally secured. Matthew 12:20 applies this to Jesus Christ, emphasizing His unwavering tenderness.
10. Liberation and Social Renewal (Isaiah 58:6)
The fast God chooses is “to break every yoke.” רָצַץ becomes the hopeful shattering of bondage, calling God’s people to embody His deliverance.
Historical Context
In the Ancient Near East, crushing was associated with threshing grain, military conquest, and the punitive power of kings. Israel’s Scriptures reorient the image: Yahweh alone legitimately wields such force, and His covenant people are forbidden to emulate oppressive practices. When they do, prophets employ רָצַץ to indict them and foretell divine discipline.
Ministry Significance
• Justice: The repeated linkage with oppression challenges churches to defend the poor and resist systems that grind them down.
• Dependence: Judah’s “broken reed” episode warns against substituting political maneuvering for reliance on God.
• Compassion: Isaiah 42 models pastoral gentleness toward wounded souls; ministry that bruises further is out of step with the Servant.
• Hope: Psalm 74 and Isaiah 58 assure believers that God ultimately shatters evil and liberates the captive, inspiring perseverance.
Christological Implications
Jesus fulfills the paradox of רָצַץ. At the cross He is Himself “crushed for our iniquities” (Isaiah 53:5) while simultaneously refusing to crush bruised sinners who come to Him. His resurrection vindicates the expectation that final justice will be established without extinguishing smoldering wicks.
Devotional Reflection
Where God must break, He breaks with purpose; where He preserves, no force on earth can crush. The believer therefore abhors every form of oppression, rests solely on the unbreakable faithfulness of Christ, and ministers to the bruised with the gentle strength of the Servant-King.
Forms and Transliterations
הָרָצ֤וּץ הָרֹצְצ֖וֹת הרצוץ הרצצות וְנָרֹ֥ץ וְרָצ֖וּץ וְתָרֻ֖ץ וַיְרַצֵּ֥ץ וַיְרֹֽצְצוּ֙ וַיִּתְרֹֽצֲצ֤וּ וַתָּ֖רִץ וירצץ וירצצו ויתרצצו ונרץ ורצוץ ותרץ יָר֔וּץ ירוץ רְצ֣וּץ רְצוּצִים֙ רִ֭צַּץ רִ֭צַּצְתָּ רַצּ֔וֹתִי רַצּוֹתָ֑נוּ רָצוּץ֙ רצוץ רצוצים רצותי רצותנו רצץ רצצת תֵּר֔וֹץ תרוץ hā·rā·ṣūṣ hā·rō·ṣə·ṣō·wṯ hārāṣūṣ haraTzutz hārōṣəṣōwṯ harotzeTzot rā·ṣūṣ raṣ·ṣō·w·ṯā·nū raṣ·ṣō·w·ṯî raṣṣōwṯānū raṣṣōwṯî rāṣūṣ ratztzoTanu ratzTzoti raTzutz rə·ṣū·ṣîm rə·ṣūṣ rəṣūṣ rəṣūṣîm reTzutz retzuTzim riṣ·ṣaṣ riṣ·ṣaṣ·tā riṣṣaṣ riṣṣaṣtā Ritztzatz Ritztzatzta tê·rō·wṣ teRotz têrōwṣ vaiyitrotzaTzu vatTaritz vayratzTzetz vayrotzeTzu venaRotz veraTzutz vetaRutz wat·tā·riṣ wattāriṣ way·raṣ·ṣêṣ way·rō·ṣə·ṣū way·yiṯ·rō·ṣă·ṣū wayraṣṣêṣ wayrōṣəṣū wayyiṯrōṣăṣū wə·nā·rōṣ wə·rā·ṣūṣ wə·ṯā·ruṣ wənārōṣ wərāṣūṣ wəṯāruṣ yā·rūṣ yārūṣ yaRutz
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