### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew word **yâgâh**, represented by `{{H3013}}`, is a primitive root that means **to grieve, afflict, cause grief, or vex**. It appears **8 times** across **8 unique verses** in the Bible, making each usage a specific and poignant description of deep emotional pain or the act of inflicting it. This term is central to expressing profound sorrow and affliction.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
In biblical narratives, `{{H3013}}` is used to describe affliction from both divine and human sources. It features prominently in the book of Lamentations, where the LORD "hath **afflicted** her for the multitude of her transgressions" [[Lamentations 1:5]]. While God is shown to **cause grief** [[Lamentations 3:32]], the term also applies to human actions. Job cries out to his friends, "How long will ye **vex** my soul, and break me in pieces with words?" [[Job 19:2]]. The word can also describe a state of being, as seen in God’s promise to gather "them that are **sorrowful** for the solemn assembly" [[Zephaniah 3:18]].
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related Hebrew words help to contextualize the meaning of yâgâh:
* `{{H6031}}` **ʻânâh** (to... afflict): This word is used in parallel with yâgâh to clarify God's nature, stating He does not willingly **afflict** nor **grieve** the children of men [[Lamentations 3:33]].
* `{{H4341}}` **makʼôb** (grief, pain, sorrow): This noun appears in the same verse as `{{H3013}}`, emphasizing the result of the action: "if there be any **sorrow** like unto my **sorrow**... wherewith the LORD hath **afflicted** me" [[Lamentations 1:12]].
* `{{H584}}` **ʼânach** (to sigh): This term for an outward expression of grief is used alongside `{{H3013}}` to depict the suffering of Zion, where "her priests **sigh**, her virgins are **afflicted**" [[Lamentations 1:4]].
### Theological Significance
The theological weight of `{{H3013}}` is significant, particularly in understanding suffering.
* **Divine Corrective Grief:** The word often frames affliction as a divine act, but not one without purpose. God **afflicts** due to transgressions [[Lamentations 1:5]], yet this action is paired with the promise of compassion, as He does not "willingly... **grieve** the children of men" [[Lamentations 3:33]].
* **The Pain of Human Vexation:** `{{H3013}}` also defines the grief caused by other people. It is used to describe the verbal torment Job endures from his friends [[Job 19:2]] and the oppression Israel suffers from its enemies [[Isaiah 51:23]].
* **A State of Communal Sorrow:** The term expresses the collective grief of a community. In Lamentations, Zion’s "virgins are **afflicted**" [[Lamentations 1:4]], and in Zephaniah, it describes those who are "**sorrowful**" [[Zephaniah 3:18]], linking the feeling to a shared communal experience.
### Summary
In summary, `{{H3013}}` **yâgâh** is a powerful verb that conveys the act of causing deep grief or affliction. Its use in scripture shows that this sorrow can originate from God as a reluctant, corrective measure, or from human beings as an act of vexation. The word is especially prominent in Lamentations, where it gives voice to the profound pain of a nation. It offers a specific lens for understanding the complex nature of suffering and grief in the biblical account.
TRV