### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew word **dᵉʼâgâh**, represented by `{{H1674}}`, translates to **anxiety**, **care(-fulness)**, **fear**, **heaviness**, or **sorrow**. It appears **6 times** across **6 unique verses**, where it describes an internal state of distress. This term encompasses the personal weight of a heavy heart as well as the collective fear and carefulness experienced by a community under duress.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
In scripture, `{{H1674}}` is used to illustrate the profound impact of distress on the human spirit. In Proverbs, it is depicted as a form of **heaviness** in the heart that physically and emotionally "maketh it stoop" [[Proverbs 12:25]]. In the prophecies of Ezekiel, it appears as the **care** or **carefulness** with which the people of Jerusalem will eat and drink under God's judgment, a state accompanied by "quaking" and "astonishment" ([[Ezekiel 4:16]], [[Ezekiel 12:18]], [[Ezekiel 12:19]]). The word also captures the collective **sorrow** of nations that are "fainthearted" after hearing "evil tidings" [[Jeremiah 49:23]] and the preventative **fear** that motivated the trans-Jordanian tribes to secure their heritage [[Joshua 22:24]].
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related words help clarify the nature and effects of this anxiety:
* `{{H3820}}` **lêb** (the heart): Defined as the center of feelings, will, and intellect, the heart is where **heaviness** `{{H1674}}` resides, as stated in [[Proverbs 12:25]].
* `{{H7812}}` **shâchâh** (to depress... bow (self) down): This verb vividly describes the effect of `{{H1674}}` in [[Proverbs 12:25]], where anxiety is a weight that makes the heart "stoop."
* `{{H4127}}` **mûwg** (to melt... or figuratively (to fear, faint)): Used alongside `{{H1674}}` in [[Jeremiah 49:23]], this term describes those who are "fainthearted" in response to evil tidings, showing a state of dissolving courage that accompanies sorrow.
* `{{H8078}}` **shimmâmôwn** (stupefaction; astonishment): In Ezekiel's prophecies, this word is paired with **carefulness** `{{H1674}}` to portray a state of shocked distress under divine judgment, where the people will eat and drink with both care and "astonishment" ([[Ezekiel 4:16]], [[Ezekiel 12:19]]).
### Theological Significance
The theological implications of `{{H1674}}` reveal a deep understanding of human suffering and its causes.
* **The Internal Weight of Distress:** As seen in Proverbs, **dᵉʼâgâh** is not just an emotion but a debilitating weight on the inner person, a **heaviness** that physically depresses the heart (`lêb`) and causes it to stoop (`shâchâh`) [[Proverbs 12:25]].
* **A Consequence of Divine Judgment:** In Ezekiel, **carefulness** (`dᵉʼâgâh`) is presented as a direct result of God's judgment. It is a state of being for a people under discipline, characterized by scarcity and accompanied by physical signs like "quaking" (`raʻash`) and "trembling" (`rogzâh`) [[Ezekiel 12:18]].
* **A Human Response to a Fallen World:** The term is also used to describe the natural human reaction to fearful circumstances, such as the "sorrow" upon hearing "evil tidings" [[Jeremiah 49:23]] or the "fear" for the future that prompts action [[Joshua 22:24]].
### Summary
In summary, `{{H1674}}` provides a nuanced portrait of anxiety and sorrow in the biblical text. It is far more than a simple feeling, representing a profound internal burden that can crush the human spirit. Whether describing the personal **heaviness** of the heart, the **fear** of an uncertain future, or the **carefulness** of a nation under judgment, **dᵉʼâgâh** illustrates the deep connection between external circumstances and the internal condition of humanity.
TRV