### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew word **ʻôtseb**, represented by `{{H6090}}`, is a variation of עֶצֶב and carries a range of meanings including **idol**, **sorrow**, and **wicked**. It appears 4 times across 4 unique verses in the Bible. This term captures concepts of both fashioned objects of worship and deep pain, whether bodily or mental.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
The uses of `{{H6090}}` illustrate its distinct applications. It describes deep personal grief, as when the mother `{{H517}}` of Jabez `{{H3258}}` names him so, "Because I bare `{{H3205}}` him with **sorrow**" [[1 Chronicles 4:9]]. In a prophetic context, it represents the suffering of a nation, with the LORD `{{H3068}}` promising a day `{{H3117}}` of rest from **sorrow** `{{H6090}}` and hard `{{H7186}}` bondage [[Isaiah 14:3]]. The term is also used for a fashioned **idol**, in a passage where God declares `{{H5046}}` future events so that no one can claim, "Mine **idol** `{{H6090}}` hath done `{{H6213}}` them" [[Isaiah 48:5]]. Finally, it signifies moral corruption, as seen in the psalmist's plea to God to "see `{{H7200}}` if there be any **wicked** `{{H6090}}` way `{{H1870}}` in me" [[Psalms 139:24]].
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related words help clarify the different contexts of `{{H6090}}`:
* `{{H3258}}` **Yaʻbêts** (sorrowful): This proper name is explicitly defined by the use of ʻôtseb. His mother `{{H517}}` called `{{H7121}}` his name Jabez because she bore `{{H3205}}` him with sorrow [[1 Chronicles 4:9]], directly linking the person to the experience of pain.
* `{{H6459}}` **peçel** (carved (graven) image): This word appears alongside ʻôtseb in [[Isaiah 48:5]]. The passage lists "Mine **idol** `{{H6090}}`... my **graven image** `{{H6459}}`, and my molten image `{{H5262}}`," reinforcing the meaning of ʻôtseb as a man-made object of false worship.
* `{{H7186}}` **qâsheh** (severe): Used in [[Isaiah 14:3]] to describe the "**hard** bondage" from which Israel will be given rest. It appears in the same verse as **sorrow** `{{H6090}}`, illustrating that the pain denoted by ʻôtseb is connected to severe affliction and oppression.
### Theological Significance
The theological weight of `{{H6090}}` is seen in its application to human suffering, idolatry, and morality.
* **The Nature of Sorrow:** The word connects the personal pain of childbirth [[1 Chronicles 4:9]] with the collective pain of national bondage [[Isaiah 14:3]]. In both instances, hope is found in God, whether through Jabez’s prayer [[1 Chronicles 4:10]] or through the rest that the LORD `{{H3068}}` provides.
* **The Emptiness of Idols:** In [[Isaiah 48:5]], **idol** `{{H6090}}` is used to highlight God's sovereignty. The LORD declares `{{H5046}}` things from the beginning `{{H227}}` precisely to prevent any credit from being given to a fashioned, powerless **idol**. This frames idolatry as an empty claim against the reality of God's power.
* **Wickedness as a Corrupt Path:** In [[Psalms 139:24]], the "wicked way" is a path of **ʻôtseb**. It stands in direct contrast to the "way `{{H1870}}` everlasting `{{H5769}}`" in which the psalmist asks God to lead `{{H5148}}` him. This portrays wickedness as a painful, corrupting course of life that requires divine intervention.
### Summary
In summary, `{{H6090}}` is a potent term that links physical and mental anguish with spiritual error. Its meaning shifts from the personal **sorrow** of a mother [[1 Chronicles 4:9]] to the national suffering from which the LORD `{{H3068}}` promises rest [[Isaiah 14:3]]. Furthermore, it denotes the falsehood of a fashioned **idol** [[Isaiah 48:5]] and the moral corruption of a **wicked** way [[Psalms 139:24]]. Through its few appearances, **ʻôtseb** connects the concepts of pain, idolatry, and sin, revealing them as interrelated aspects of the human condition in need of divine deliverance.
TRV