### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew word **çᵉbâlâh**, represented by `{{H5450}}`, means **porterage** or **burden**. It appears **6 times** across **6 unique verses** in the Bible, exclusively within the book of Exodus. The word consistently refers to the crushing forced labor imposed upon the children of Israel in Egypt.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
The narrative context of `{{H5450}}` is entirely focused on the oppression of the Israelites. It is first introduced when the Egyptians set `{{H7760}}` taskmasters `{{H4522}}``{{H8269}}` over Israel to **afflict** `{{H6031}}` them with their **burdens** `{{H5450}}`, which included building `{{H1129}}` treasure `{{H4543}}` cities for Pharaoh `{{H6547}}` [[Exodus 1:11]]. This same suffering is what Moses `{{H4872}}` witnesses when he goes out to his brethren `{{H251}}` and looks `{{H7200}}` on their **burdens** `{{H5450}}` [[Exodus 2:11]]. Later, when Moses and Aaron `{{H175}}` appeal to Pharaoh `{{H6547}}`, he accuses them of making the people `{{H5971}}` rest `{{H7673}}` from their **burdens** `{{H5450}}` [[Exodus 5:5]]. The word culminates in God’s promise to **bring** `{{H3318}}` Israel out from under the **burdens** `{{H5450}}` of the Egyptians `{{H4714}}` [[Exodus 6:6-7]].
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related words clarify the nature of the Israelites' suffering and deliverance:
* `{{H4522}}` **maç** (levy, task): This term, defined as a **burden... i.e. a tax in the form of forced labor**, is used for the taskmasters who oversaw the **burdens** `{{H5450}}` of the Israelites [[Exodus 1:11]]. It highlights the organized system of oppression.
* `{{H6031}}` **ʻânâh** (afflict): This verb, meaning **to depress literally or figuratively**, describes the intent behind imposing the **burdens** `{{H5450}}`, which was to **afflict** the people [[Exodus 1:11]].
* `{{H5656}}` **ʻăbôdâh** (bondage, service): This noun describes the state of **bondage** God promises to deliver Israel from, which is directly associated with the **burdens** `{{H5450}}` [[Exodus 6:6]].
* `{{H5337}}` **nâtsal** (rid, deliver): Meaning **to snatch away**, this word is used for God's promise to **rid** His people from their bondage, a direct response to the **burdens** `{{H5450}}` they carried [[Exodus 6:6]].
### Theological Significance
The theological weight of `{{H5450}}` is tied directly to the Exodus narrative of redemption.
* **Symbol of Oppression:** The word serves as a tangible symbol of the affliction `{{H6031}}` and bondage `{{H5656}}` Israel endured in Egypt. The **burdens** `{{H5450}}` were not just work but the physical manifestation of Pharaoh's cruelty [[Exodus 1:11]].
* **Motivation for Deliverance:** The **burdens** `{{H5450}}` are what Moses `{{H4872}}` sees, prompting his initial actions [[Exodus 2:11]]. More importantly, God's promise of redemption is specifically framed as a release from these very **burdens** [[Exodus 6:6]].
* **Proof of God's Power:** God's deliverance of Israel from under the **burdens** `{{H5450}}` of the Egyptians `{{H4714}}` is the act by which they will **know** `{{H3045}}` that He is the LORD their God `{{H430}}` [[Exodus 6:7]]. The removal of the burden is the evidence of His divine intervention and faithfulness.
### Summary
In summary, `{{H5450}}` **çᵉbâlâh** is a term specifically used to define the **burden** of Israel's enslavement in Egypt. Its six appearances in Exodus paint a vivid picture of the physical oppression from which God promises deliverance. This word is not about general hardship, but about the specific, crushing labor that becomes the reason for God's redemptive action. The removal of these **burdens** `{{H5450}}` is the foundational act that allows Israel to **know** `{{H3045}}` their God `{{H430}}` and marks the beginning of their journey as His people `{{H5971}}` [[Exodus 6:7]].
TRV