a primitive root (probably rather identical with סוּג through the idea of shrinking from a hedge; compare שׂוּג); to hem in, i.e. bind; set about.
Transliteration:çûwg
Pronunciation:soog
Detailed Word Study
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### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew root `{{H5473}}` (çûwg) is a primitive verb whose core meaning revolves around the concept of enclosure. Its base definition suggests "to hem in," "to bind," or "to set about." The Strong's entry further illuminates this by noting a probable identity or close relationship with `{{H5472}}` (sûg), which means "to turn back" or "to backslide," and explicitly compares it to `{{H7753}}` (śûg), meaning "to fence" or "to hedge." This comparison firmly establishes the primary semantic field as that of creating a boundary or an enclosure.
The semantic range of `{{H5473}}` thus includes:
* **Physical Enclosure:** The act of surrounding something, creating a barrier.
* **Restriction/Confinement:** To limit movement, to bind, or to hold within boundaries. This aspect often carries a negative connotation of being trapped or unable to escape.
* **Protective Enclosure (less prominent in actual usage):** While the idea of a "hedge" can imply protection, the biblical occurrences of `{{H5473}}` lean more towards restriction than safeguarding.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
The root `{{H5473}}` appears in a limited number of biblical contexts, primarily in the Hiphil stem, indicating a causative action (to cause to be hemmed in). Its most notable occurrences are:
* **[[Job 3:23]]**: "Why is light given to a man whose way is hidden, whom God has hedged in?" Here, the verb describes God's action of "hedging in" Job. In the midst of his profound suffering, Job perceives his path as obscured and his options severely limited by divine intervention. The "hedging in" is not a protective act but a source of Job's despair, signifying a state of confinement and restricted movement imposed by God.
* **[[Lamentations 3:7]]**: "He has walled me about so that I cannot escape; He has made my chains heavy." This verse powerfully uses `{{H5473}}` to articulate the speaker's (representing Judah's) deep distress and imprisonment. God is depicted as the one who has "walled about" the speaker, making escape impossible and burdening them with heavy chains. This imagery emphasizes total confinement and an inability to break free from suffering, again attributed directly to God's action.
In both instances, the verb `{{H5473}}` portrays a powerful and often distressing divine control over human circumstances. The "hedging in" is not a benevolent protection but a severe limitation, leading to anguish and a feeling of being trapped.
### Related Words & Concepts
The concept of enclosure and restriction is shared by several other Hebrew words, creating a semantic field around boundaries and limitations:
* **`{{H7753}}` (śûg):** This root, often translated "to hedge" or "to fence," is closely related and explicitly compared to `{{H5473}}`. While it can also denote protective enclosure (e.g., God's hedge around Job in [[Job 1:10]]), its core meaning of establishing a boundary is similar.
* **`{{H5472}}` (sûg):** Meaning "to turn back" or "to backslide," this root is suggested by Strong's to be possibly identical with `{{H5473}}`. While distinct in primary meaning, a conceptual link could exist where being "hemmed in" might cause one to "turn back" or be prevented from "backsliding."
* **`{{H1443}}` (gadar):** "To wall up" or "to build a wall/fence." This verb directly signifies the creation of a physical barrier, as seen in [[Numbers 22:24]] and [[Lamentations 3:9]], where it describes God's actions of blocking paths. It shares the idea of restriction and enclosure with `{{H5473}}`.
* **`{{H6887}}` (tsûr):** "To bind," "to besiege," or "to confine." This word strongly overlaps with the restrictive aspects of `{{H5473}}`, particularly in contexts of being surrounded or trapped.
These related terms collectively illustrate the biblical understanding of boundaries, whether for protection, definition, or restriction, often with God as the ultimate agent.
### Theological Significance
The theological significance of `{{H5473}}` is profound, particularly given its attribution to God's actions in contexts of deep human suffering:
1. **Divine Sovereignty and Control:** The most striking theological implication is the portrayal of God's absolute sovereignty. In both [[Job 3:23]] and [[Lamentations 3:7]], God is the active subject who "hedges in" or "walls about" the individual. This demonstrates that even the most oppressive and confining circumstances are ultimately under God's control, challenging simplistic notions of divine intervention and highlighting a God who can restrict human freedom for His own purposes.
2. **The Experience of Suffering and Confinement:** From the human perspective, being "hemmed in" by God is an experience of profound distress, helplessness, and a lack of freedom. It speaks to the existential angst of being trapped in a situation without apparent escape, where one's path is blocked and options are curtailed by a divine hand. This word gives voice to the feeling of being utterly confined by circumstances that are perceived as divinely ordained.
3. **Ambiguity of Divine Action:** While God's "hedge" can be protective (e.g., around Job's possessions in [[Job 1:10]]), the specific use of `{{H5473}}` in the Bible consistently carries a negative or punitive connotation from the human perspective. It underscores the complex and sometimes inscrutable nature of God's dealings with humanity, particularly in times of intense affliction, where divine action is experienced as restrictive rather than benevolent.
4. **A Cry for Deliverance:** The use of `{{H5473}}` in these lament contexts is implicitly a cry to God for release. By articulating the experience of being divinely "hemmed in," the speaker expresses a desperate longing for God to remove the boundaries and open the paths, transforming confinement into freedom.
### Summary
The Hebrew root `{{H5473}}` (çûwg) fundamentally signifies "to hem in," "to bind," or "to set about," implying the creation of an enclosure or boundary. While its semantic range could encompass both protective and restrictive aspects, its rare but potent biblical occurrences in [[Job 3:23]] and [[Lamentations 3:7]] consistently depict God as the agent who "hedges in" or "walls about" an individual, leading to profound confinement, distress, and a sense of inescapable limitation. This word powerfully underscores God's absolute sovereignty and control over human circumstances, even those that bring immense suffering. It captures the human experience of being divinely constrained, giving voice to the anguish of a path blocked and a life bound by a seemingly unyielding divine hand, and implicitly, a deep longing for liberation.
TRV