English · KJV
H2960

טֹרַח

ṭôrach /to'-rakh/ Ask about this word
Rootfrom טָרַח
Meaninga burden
KJV usagecumbrance, trouble.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of ṭôrach — the range of meaning it carries, how Scripture actually uses it, and where it points. Written for readers who don’t know the original language.

Core Meaning & Semantic Range

The Hebrew word ṭôrach, represented by H2960, denotes a burden or trouble. It appears only 2 times across 2 unique verses, yet it powerfully conveys the concept of a wearing, tiresome load. The term is used to describe both the heavy responsibility of leadership and the spiritual exhaustion caused by insincere religious practice.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In its biblical usage, H2960 appears in two distinct but related contexts. First, in Deuteronomy, Moses expresses the overwhelming weight of his leadership role, asking how he can possibly bear the people's cumbrance H2960, their burden, and their strife by himself Deuteronomy 1:12. Later, in Isaiah, the term is used by God Himself, who declares that Israel's appointed feasts and new moons have become a trouble H2960 to Him, something He is weary to bear Isaiah 1:14.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words in the immediate context of its appearances help clarify the meaning of H2960:

  • H5375 nâsâʼ (to lift... bear): This verb is used in both occurrences to describe the act of carrying the ṭôrach. Moses questions his ability to bear this weight Deuteronomy 1:12, and God expresses His weariness to bear Israel's empty rituals Isaiah 1:14.
  • H4853 massâʼ (a burden): This word is used in parallel with ṭôrach in Deuteronomy 1:12, reinforcing the idea of a heavy, cumbersome load placed upon a leader.
  • H7379 rîyb (a contest... strife): This specifies the nature of the cumbrance Moses was bearing, identifying it as the constant strife and legal contests among the people Deuteronomy 1:12.
  • H3811 lâʼâh (to tire... be... weary): This word describes the effect of the ṭôrach. God is not merely displeased but is made weary by the trouble of Israel's insincere worship Isaiah 1:14.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of H2960 is significant despite its rarity, highlighting two key concepts:

  • The Burden of Leadership: The term is used by Moses to articulate the immense personal cost of shepherding God's people. It captures the exhausting nature of dealing with their "cumbrance," "burden," and "strife" Deuteronomy 1:12.
  • The Trouble of Empty Religion: God applies this word to Israel's religious festivals, revealing that outward observance without a sincere soul H5315 is not a pleasing offering but a trouble that He hates and finds wearying Isaiah 1:14.

Summary

In summary, H2960 is a potent term for a burdensome weight. It moves beyond a simple physical load to describe the emotional and spiritual exhaustion felt by a leader like Moses and, most profoundly, by God Himself when confronted with human strife and hollow religiosity. Its two appearances provide a powerful glimpse into the nature of burdens that weary both man and God.

How the KJV Renders It

Translation

Strong’s lists the renderings but not their weight. These are counted from the King James text of the tagged verses — the bar under each is how often the translators actually reached for it. Select one to filter the occurrences below.

Grammatical Forms

Morphology

In the Hebrew Old Testament, this word appears as a noun across 2 occurrences, inflected in 2 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form. Select any form to read what each part of its name means, and to filter the occurrence list to it.

  • טֹרַח
  • טָרְחֲ

Related Words

Related

Other entries the study above points to — each one is drawn from a reference it makes. Follow the trail to see how the words connect.

H5375 נָשָׂא or נָסָה; (Psalm 4:6 (אֲבַד)), a primitive root; to lift, in a great variety of applications, literal and figurative, ab H4853 מַשָּׂא from נָשָׂא; a burden; specifically, tribute, or (abstractly) porterage; figuratively, an utterance, chiefly adoom, espe H7379 רִיב or רִב; from רִיב; a contest (personal or legal); [phrase] adversary, cause, chiding, contend(-tion), controversy, multi H3811 לָאָה a primitive root; to tire; (figuratively) to be (or make) disgusted; faint, grieve, lothe, (be, make) weary (selves). H5315 נֶפֶשׁ from נָפַשׁ; properly, a breathing creature, i.e. animal of (abstractly) vitality; used very widely in a literal, accomm

Theographic Context

Context

The people, places, and span of history the verses containing this word touch on — drawn from the theographic tagging of Scripture. Select any name to isolate its verses in the occurrence list.

Biblical Distribution

Distribution

Appears in 2 verses across 2 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Deuteronomy and Isaiah (1 verse each); never once in the other 37.

1
Deuteronomy
1
Isaiah

Every Occurrence

Concordance

Every verse where the word is tagged in the King James text. Filter by book, by the English word the translators chose, by grammatical form, or search within the verses.

Sources. Definition and numbering: James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890). Morphology: STEPBible / Tyndale House (CC BY). Verse tagging: the King James text keyed to Strong’s numbers. Every count on this page is computed from the tagged corpus, not estimated.