צַר־ל֔וֹ

Alphabet Analysis

The word

1. word🔊 צַר־ל֔וֹ

   tsar-LO

   it was tight for him
2. phraseyour reading level🔊 כִּ֣י צַר־ל֔וֹ

   KI tsar-LO

   that it was tight for him
3. clause🔊 וְאִ֨ישׁ יִשְׂרָאֵ֤ל רָאוּ֙ כִּ֣י צַר־ל֔וֹ כִּ֥י נִגַּ֖שׂ הָעָ֑ם

   ve-ISH yis-ra-EL ra-U KI tsar-LO KI nig-GASH ha-AM

   and a man of Israel they saw that it was tight for him for was pressed hard the people
4. sentence🔊 וְאִ֨ישׁ יִשְׂרָאֵ֤ל רָאוּ֙ כִּ֣י צַר־ל֔וֹ כִּ֥י נִגַּ֖שׂ הָעָ֑ם וַיִּֽתְחַבְּא֣וּ הָעָ֗ם בַּמְּעָר֤וֹת וּבַֽחֲוָחִים֙ וּבַסְּלָעִ֔ים וּבַצְּרִחִ֖ים וּבַבֹּרֽוֹת׃

   ve-ISH yis-ra-EL ra-U KI tsar-LO KI nig-GASH ha-AM va-yit-khav-be-U ha-AM bam-me-a-ROT u-va-kha-va-KHIM u-vas-se-la-IM u-vats-tse-ri-KHIM u-vab-bo-ROT

   and a man of Israel they saw that it was tight for him for was pressed hard the people and they hid themselves the people in the caves and in the holes and in the rocks and in the clefts and in the pits

Exegesis

The verb ra’u {רָאוּ | rā-’û} ‘they saw’ introduces perception, followed by a paired ki {כִּי | kî} clause expressing tsar-lo {צַר־ל֔וֹ | ṣar-lô} ‘distress’ and the Nifal perfect nigash {נִגַּ֖שׂ | nîg-gaś} ‘approached’ as intensifying the threat.

Root and etymology

צ־ר🔊 tsade–resh

“narrow; distress”

• 🔊 מֵצַרme-tsarstrait; distressPsalm 118:5