v. Adversity, Anguish, Calamity, Pain, Bad, Misery, Suffering, Brokenness, Suffering, Tribulation
Gen 29:32 Lea .. said, The Lord has looked upon my
Exo 3:7 I have seen the a of my people .. in Egypt
Deu 16:3 bread of a, because you came out of .. Egypt in haste
Deu 32:35 because the day of his a is near
Jdg 10:16 distressed because of the a of Israel
1Sa 1:16 of my sorrows and of myself I have spoken
1Sa 10:19 who keeps you from all your a
1Sa 26:24 so may my life be… and free me from all a
2Sa 16:12 Perhaps the Lord will look at me and give me
2Ki 13:4; 14:26
What is the reality that hides this mysterious phrase of Jesus: “Blessed are those who suffer”? Who are the afflicted? What is the inner situation that determines your attitude? Let us remember when Jesus cries for his city or for his recently deceased friend Lazarus. It is a cry that comes out of a dramatic internal contradiction. When a person expresses himself with the gesture of tears, it is because he feels torn by the comparison between the desire and the inner vision of the kingdom of God and its fullness of life and peace, and the contradictory vision of death that surrounds it. It is not a question, then, of a simple negative emotion due to the deprivation of a good that was dear to us: it is a heartbreaking contrast between the supreme good of God, the gift of his friendship and the intolerable situations of misery and death that they are born from the rejection of God’s love. Affliction, proclaimed as beatitude, flows from a contemplative gaze towards the infinite mystery of God, and at the same time from a consideration full of love, tenderness and compassion, on the human condition. That is why this attitude is typical of the saints, that is, of those who have known how to look at man with love and realism, their eyes having been purified and made compassionate by the vision of God. We understand then that holiness does not consist in escaping from what is human, nor in losing oneself in dreams. Holiness is the ability to capture, with a pure look, the drama of the human being, his sufferings and the contradiction of his historical situation. From this look are born the denunciations and the prophetic exhortations.
Carlo María Martini, Spiritual Dictionary, PPC, Madrid, 1997
Source: Spiritual Dictionary
A. Names tsarah (hr;x; , 6869), “affliction, anguish, trouble”. The 70 instances of tsarah appear during all periods of biblical literature, although most uses are in poetry (poetic, prophetic, and wisdom literature). Tsarah means “trouble” or “affliction” in a psychological or spiritual sense, and this is its meaning the first time it is used, in Gen 42:21 “Verily we have sinned against our brother, for we saw the anguish of his soul when we met him.” he begged, and we did not listen to him.” tsar (rx’ , 6862), “distress”. This word also appears mostly in poetic texts. In Pro 24:10, tsar means “scarcity” or the “distress” it causes. The emphasis of the name sometimes falls on the feeling of “consternation” that comes from a situation that causes tension (Job 7:11). According to this usage the word tsar refers to a psychological or spiritual state. In Isa 5:30 the word describes distressing conditions: “Then he will look toward the earth, and behold, darkness of tribulation” (cf. Isa 30:20). This nuance seems to be the most frequent use of tsar. B. Verb tsarar (rr’x; , 6887), “wrap, tie, narrow, be afflicted, feel labor pains”. This verb, which occurs in the Old Testament 54 times, has cognates in Aramaic, Syriac, Akkadian, and Arabic. In Jdg 11:7, the word means “to be in distress.” C. Adjective tsar (rx’ , 6862), “narrow”. Tsar describes a narrow space that can easily be clogged with a single person (Num 22:26).
Source: Vine Old Testament Dictionary
see Suffering.
Source: Dictionary of Theology