a primitive root; to squeeze out juice; figuratively, to trample; tread down.
Transliteration:ʻâçaç
Pronunciation:aw-sas'
Detailed Word Study
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### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew root `{{H6072}}` עָסַס (âçaç) is a primitive root carrying a core meaning related to forceful pressure and extraction. Its most literal sense is "to squeeze out juice," particularly from grapes in a winepress. This foundational meaning implies a process of crushing, pressing, and extracting liquid. Figuratively, the word extends to "to trample" or "tread down." This broader semantic range encompasses concepts of subjugation, destruction, and humiliation through forceful action, often by walking or pressing upon something or someone. The transition from a specific agricultural act to a more general act of forceful oppression or destruction is central to its usage.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
The root `{{H6072}}` appears infrequently in the Hebrew Bible, yet its occurrences are highly significant and illustrative of its semantic depth.
1. **[[Isaiah 28:3]]**: "The proud crown of the drunkards of Ephraim will be trodden underfoot."
* Here, the verb appears in the Niphal participle (*ne'esāh*), indicating a passive or reflexive action. The context is a prophetic oracle against the Northern Kingdom of Israel (Ephraim), specifically their pride and drunkenness. Their glorious "crown"—a metaphor for their splendor and power—is prophesied to be *trodden down* or *trampled*. This usage emphasizes the humiliation, subjugation, and ultimate destruction that will befall them as a consequence of their sin. The imagery is one of utter degradation, where what was once exalted is now crushed underfoot.
2. **[[Joel 3:13]]** (or [[Joel 4:13]] in some translations): "Put in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. Go in, tread *the winepress*, for the winepress is full, the vats overflow—for their wickedness is great."
* In this passage, the verb appears as an imperative (*‘issu*), commanding an action. The context is a vivid depiction of divine judgment upon the nations gathered in the "valley of decision." The language is steeped in agricultural metaphor, particularly that of the harvest and the winepress. The command "tread *the winepress*" directly invokes the literal meaning of `{{H6072}}`—the crushing of grapes to extract juice. However, here it is applied metaphorically to the crushing judgment of God upon the wicked nations, whose "wickedness is great." This usage powerfully conveys the severity, totality, and inevitability of God's wrath, likening the destruction of the wicked to the violent process of treading grapes.
Across both occurrences, `{{H6072}}` consistently conveys a powerful sense of forceful, destructive pressure, whether it is the consequence of sin leading to national humiliation (Isaiah) or the direct execution of divine judgment (Joel).
### Related Words & Concepts
The semantic field of `{{H6072}}` intersects with several other Hebrew words and theological concepts:
* **Words for Crushing/Trampling/Oppression:**
* `{{H7429}}` *rāṣaṣ*: To crush, oppress, break in pieces.
* `{{H1742}}` *dûsh*: To thresh, trample, often in the context of judgment or conquest.
* `{{H7517}}` *rāp̄aṣ*: To trample, disturb with the feet.
* `{{H3586}}` *kābaš*: To subdue, bring into bondage, tread down.
* **Words related to Winepress/Harvest Imagery:**
* `{{H1660}}` *gat*: A winepress.
* `{{H3342}}` *yeqev*: A winepress or vat.
* `{{H7105}}` *qāṣîr*: Harvest, reaping.
* **Concepts:** Divine judgment, divine wrath, consequences of sin, humiliation, destruction, agricultural metaphors for judgment, sovereignty of God.
The imagery of the winepress, in particular, finds echoes in the New Testament, notably in [[Revelation 14:19-20]], where the "great winepress of the wrath of God" is trodden, further emphasizing the concept of a decisive and crushing divine judgment.
### Theological Significance
The theological significance of `{{H6072}}` is profound, primarily centering on the themes of divine judgment and the consequences of human sin.
1. **Divine Judgment and Wrath:** In Joel, the command to "tread the winepress" is a vivid metaphor for God's righteous judgment against the nations. It portrays God's wrath as an active, crushing force that utterly destroys the wicked, much like grapes are crushed to yield their juice. This imagery underscores the totality and severity of divine justice, emphasizing that no wickedness will go unpunished. It speaks to God's active involvement in the affairs of humanity, bringing about justice in His appointed time.
2. **Consequences of Sin:** In Isaiah, the trampling of Ephraim's proud crown illustrates the inevitable consequences of their spiritual arrogance and moral decay. Sin, particularly pride and rebellion against God, leads to humiliation, subjugation, and ultimate destruction. This usage of `{{H6072}}` serves as a powerful warning that human pride and disobedience will be brought low by divine decree, often through the agency of other nations or circumstances.
3. **God's Sovereignty:** Both passages implicitly affirm God's absolute sovereignty over nations and their destinies. He is the one who orchestrates the trampling of the proud and commands the treading of the winepress of judgment. This word, therefore, contributes to the biblical portrait of God as the supreme Judge who justly executes His will upon the earth.
4. **Prophetic Imagery:** The agricultural imagery, especially the winepress, is a recurring prophetic motif for divine judgment. `{{H6072}}` is a key component of this powerful metaphor, contributing to a rich theological vocabulary that describes God's decisive intervention in history to address human evil.
### Summary
The Hebrew root `{{H6072}}` עָסַס (âçaç) is a potent primitive root whose core meaning moves from the literal "to squeeze out juice" to the figurative "to trample" or "tread down." Though rare in biblical occurrence, its usage in [[Isaiah 28:3]] and [[Joel 3:13]] is highly impactful. In Isaiah, it depicts the humiliating trampling of Ephraim's pride as a consequence of their sin. In Joel, it vividly portrays the crushing severity of divine judgment upon wicked nations, likening them to grapes being trodden in a winepress. Theologically, `{{H6072}}` profoundly underscores the themes of God's righteous judgment, the inevitable consequences of sin, and His supreme sovereignty, contributing significantly to the powerful biblical metaphor of the winepress of divine wrath.
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