Lexical Summary maatsebah: Pillar, Monument, Sacred Stone Original Word: מַעֲצֵבָה Strong's Exhaustive Concordance sorrow From atsab; anguish -- sorrow. see HEBREW atsab NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom atsab Definition a place of pain NASB Translation torment (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs מַעֲצֵבָה noun feminine place of pain (> simply pain); — תִּשְׁכָב֫וּן ׳לְמ Isaiah 50:11in (construction praegn.) a place of pain shall ye lie down. Topical Lexicon Literary Setting מַעֲצֵבָה appears once, in Isaiah 50:11, set immediately after the Servant’s call to trust the LORD (Isaiah 50:10). Verse 11 addresses those who spurn that call, choosing their own “fire” rather than God’s light. The word forms the climactic sentence: “This you will receive from My hand: you will lie down in torment” (Berean Standard Bible). Thus the term is deliberately placed where rebellion meets its appointed end. Sense and Emphasis While its root speaks of pain or grief, the noun conveys not a passing ache but an assigned state—an inescapable condition of distress flowing from God’s judicial hand. The imagery of “lying down” evokes the finality of night’s rest, but here the rest is restless; the bed becomes a place of unrelieved anguish. Isaiah’s audience would have heard covenant echoes of Deuteronomy 28:65-67, where disobedience results in “anxious mind, longing eyes, and a despairing soul.” מַעֲצֵבָה distills that covenant curse into a single word. Contrast with Covenant Trust Isaiah 50:10–11 presents a deliberate antithesis: The Servant’s followers may “walk in darkness” temporarily, yet their confidence rests in God. The self-reliant create their own sparks but reap unending sorrow. This contrast previews the gospel divide between those who believe in the true Light (John 1:9; 8:12) and those who “loved darkness rather than light” (John 3:19). Historical Resonance Exilic Judah lit many false fires: alliances with Egypt (Isaiah 30:1-3), idols of silver and gold (Isaiah 31:7), and syncretistic worship (2 Kings 17:33-34). Isaiah 50:11 warns that such strategies yield only מַעֲצֵבָה. When Babylon finally conquered Jerusalem, lying down in torment became literal—on burned timbers, in foreign prisons, or in homes reduced to ash. The word therefore bridges prophetic warning and historical fulfillment. Theological Trajectory 1. Divine Justice: The torment is “from My hand”; judgment is personal, measured, and righteous (Psalm 19:9). Pastoral and Homiletical Use • Warn against self-made religion. Preaching can expose modern “sparks” (humanistic philosophies, ritualism, prosperity gospels) that promise light but end in sorrow. Connections within Scripture Genesis 6:6; Psalm 78:40 – God is “grieved” (same root) at human rebellion. Ephesians 4:30 – Believers are told, “Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God,” linking personal sin with divine sorrow. The root moves from God’s heartache to humanity’s torment when grace is refused. Summary מַעֲצֵבָה encapsulates the divinely ordained consequence of self-reliant rebellion: a settled, painful condition that contrasts sharply with the peace promised to those who trust the LORD. Its solitary appearance in Isaiah 50:11 gives the word razor-sharp focus, directing readers of every age to flee self-made light and rest instead in the Servant who “sets prisoners free from the dungeon” (Isaiah 42:7). Forms and Transliterations לְמַעֲצֵבָ֖ה למעצבה lə·ma·‘ă·ṣê·ḇāh ləma‘ăṣêḇāh lemaatzeVahLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Isaiah 50:11 HEB: זֹּ֣את לָכֶ֔ם לְמַעֲצֵבָ֖ה תִּשְׁכָּבֽוּן׃ פ NAS: You will lie down in torment. KJV: ye shall lie down in sorrow. INT: will have likewise torment will lie 1 Occurrence |
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