### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew word **retsach**, represented by `{{H7524}}`, refers to **a crushing** and is specifically used to mean a **murder-cry, slaughter, or sword**. It is a rare term, appearing only **2 times** in **2 unique verses** in the Bible. Its meaning is associated with violent destruction and the outcry accompanying it.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
In the biblical narrative, `{{H7524}}` is used in contexts of both military conquest and personal anguish. In Ezekiel, it is part of a divine divination against Jerusalem, where the command is given to "open the mouth in the **slaughter**" [[Ezekiel 21:22]], signifying a cry for violent action during a siege. In Psalms, the term is used metaphorically to describe profound emotional pain, where the taunts of enemies are like "a **sword** in my bones" [[Psalms 42:10]].
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related words clarify the contexts of violence and distress where `{{H7524}}` appears:
* `{{H6887}}` **tsârar** (enemy): This term describes an adversary or one who vexes, identified as the source of the pain likened to a **sword** [[Psalms 42:10]]. The definition is "to cramp... adversary... enemy... vex."
* `{{H2778}}` **châraph** (reproach): This word for defaming or upbraiding is the action that feels like a **sword** in the bones in [[Psalms 42:10]].
* `{{H8643}}` **tᵉrûwʻâh** (shouting): In Ezekiel's prophecy, the call for **slaughter** is accompanied by this word, meaning a "battle-cry" or "shout(-ing)" [[Ezekiel 21:22]].
* `{{H3733}}` **kar** (battering ram): This word for a battering-ram is appointed in the same prophecy that calls to open the mouth in the **slaughter**, connecting `{{H7524}}` to the physical tools of siege warfare [[Ezekiel 21:22]].
### Theological Significance
The theological weight of `{{H7524}}` lies in its portrayal of both divine judgment and intense personal suffering.
* **The Vocalization of Judgment:** In Ezekiel, **slaughter** `{{H7524}}` is not silent; it is a "murder-cry" that is commanded to be opened and lifted up. This connects divine judgment with a vocal, public declaration of destruction against Jerusalem [[Ezekiel 21:22]].
* **The Metaphor of Agony:** The use of **sword** `{{H7524}}` in Psalms illustrates how words can be weapons. The reproach of enemies becomes a crushing force, piercing the very "bones" of the afflicted, demonstrating that spiritual attacks can cause physical-level anguish [[Psalms 42:10]].
* **Suffering in Perceived Divine Silence:** The context of the "sword in my bones" is the enemy's taunt, "Where is thy God?" [[Psalms 42:10]]. This connects the crushing pain of `{{H7524}}` to the profound trial of faith experienced when God seems absent in the face of mockery and affliction.
### Summary
In summary, `{{H7524}}` is a potent, though rare, Hebrew word that conveys extreme violence and pain. It is used to describe both the literal "slaughter" and outcry of a military siege [[Ezekiel 21:22]] and the metaphorical anguish of a "sword" in the bones caused by an enemy's reproach [[Psalms 42:10]]. Through its two appearances, **retsach** powerfully links the concepts of divine judgment, the clamor of warfare, and the crushing weight of spiritual suffering.
TRV