---
title: מֵצַר — straits · The Tanakh dictionary
description: מֵצַר (4712), a word of Biblical Hebrew, used 3 times: straits. BDB 1906: straits, distress. With 2 verses in Hebrew, word for word and JPS 1917.
---

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# מֵצַר

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«מֵצַר» in the Tanakh dictionary: **straits** — how often it is used, MACULA's glosses, its meanings in the printed dictionaries and why they were chosen, and 2 verses in layers.

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**Used:** 3 times · **Key:** 4712 · **BDB:** מֵצַר²

### Glosses

distress (1); places (1); the.distresses (1)

### Meaning (OSHB)

straits [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1502/4712/#m1)

### Meaning (BDB 1906)

straits, distress [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1502/4712/#m2)

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**The whole BDB entry:** n.\[m.\] straits, distress;—abs. מִן־הַמֵּצַר קָרָאתִי ψ 118:5; pl. הַמְּצָרִים La 1:3 the distresses, of conquered Judah; cstr. מְצָרֵי שְׁאוֹל ψ 116:3 the straits of Sheol, i.e. the worst possible (‖ חֶבְלֵי־מָוֶת).

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Why these entries: BDB: headword, part of speech agrees, 3 of its verses cited, 1 words shared with the glosses, lists its Strong's number (8 candidates); OSHB: headword, part of speech agrees, 1 words shared with the BDB entry, 0 with the glosses (4 candidates)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every English meaning of «מֵצַר» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1502/4712/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.

### In the verses

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[Psalms 118:5](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/PSA.118.5/)

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מִֽן־הַ֭מֵּצַ֥ר קָרָ֣אתִי יָּ֑הּ עָנָ֖נִי בַמֶּרְחָ֣ב יָֽהּ׃

*Word for word:* from the distress I.called.out.to Yahweh he answered.me in.(the) roomy place Yahweh

*JPS 1917:* Out of my straits I called upon the LORD; He answered me with great enlargement.

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[Psalms 116:3](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/PSA.116.3/)

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אֲפָפ֤וּנִי ׀ חֶבְלֵי־מָ֗וֶת וּמְצָרֵ֣י שְׁא֣וֹל מְצָא֑וּנִי צָרָ֖ה וְיָג֣וֹן אֶמְצָֽא׃

*Word for word:* they encompassed.me \[the\].cords of.death and the.distresses of.Sheol they found.me trouble and sorrow I.found

*JPS 1917:* The cords of death compassed me, and the straits of the nether-world got hold upon me; I found trouble and sorrow.

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