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Bitter

Original Hebrew / Aramaic / Greek connected to this term

How to read this: there is rarely one magic “true meaning” hidden behind an English word. A lexicon records a word’s semantic range. The intended meaning is narrowed by grammar, sentence, author, historical usage and context.

HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H4751

מַר

mar — bitter

adj 1) bitter, bitterness 1a) of water or food 1b) of harlot's end, end of wickedness, cry (fig.) 1c) of pain (subst) adv 2) bitterly

31 tagged verse occurrences · see every occurrence →

GREEK · G4089

πικρός

pikros — bitter

πικρός, -ά, -όν (poët. in cl.), [in LXX chiefly for מַר ;] 1. sharp, pointed. 2. sharp to the senses; of taste, bitter: opposite to γλυκύ, Jas.3:11; metaphorically, harsh, bitter: Jas.3:14 (AS)

2 tagged verse occurrences · see every occurrence →

HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H7307

רוּחַ

ru.ach — spirit

: spirit 1) wind, breath, mind, spirit 1a) breath 1b) wind 1b1) of heaven 1b2) quarter (of wind), side 1b3) breath of air 1b4) air, gas 1b5) vain, empty thing 1c) spirit (as that which breathes quickly in animation or agitation) 1c1) spirit, animation, vivacity, vigour 1c2) courage 1c3) temper, anger 1c4) impatience, patience 1c5) spirit, disposition (as troubled, bitter, discontented) 1c6) disposition (of various kinds), unaccountable or uncontrollable impulse 1c7) prophetic spirit 1d) spirit (of the living, breathing being in man and animals) 1d1) as gift, preserved by God, God's spirit, departing at death, disembodied being 1e) spirit (as seat of emotion) 1e1) desire 1e2) sorrow, trouble 1f) spirit 1f1) as seat or organ of mental acts 1f2) rarely of the will 1f3) as seat especially of moral character 1g) Spirit of God, the third person of the triune God, the Holy Spirit, coequal, coeternal with the Father and the Son 1g1) as inspiring ecstatic state of prophecy 1g2) as impelling prophet to utter instruction or warning 1g3) imparting warlike energy and executive and administrative power 1g4) as endowing men with various gifts 1g5) as energy of life 1g6) as manifest in the Shekinah glory 1g7) never referred to as a depersonalised force

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HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H1058

בָּכָה

ba.khah — to weep

1) to weep, bewail, cry, shed tears 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to weep (in grief, humiliation, or joy) 1a2) to weep bitterly (with cognate acc.) 1a3) to weep upon (embrace and weep) 1a4) to bewail 1b) (Piel) participle 1b1) lamenting 1b2) bewailing

94 tagged verse occurrences · see every occurrence →

HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H4847

מְרָרִי

me.ra.ri — Merari

A man of the tribe of Levi living at the time of Egypt and Wilderness, first mentioned at Gen.46.11; son of: Levi (H3878); brother of: Gershon (H1648), Kohath (H6955) and Jochebed (H3115); father of: Mahli (H4249), Mushi (H4187) and Jaaziah (H3269) Also named: me.ra.ri (מְרָרִי "Merari" H4848) § Merari = "bitter" the 3rd son of Levi and head of a Levitical family

36 tagged verse occurrences · see every occurrence →

HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H4843

מָרַר

ma.rar — to provoke

1) to be bitter 1a) (Qal) to be bitter 1b) (Piel) 1b1) to show bitterness 1b2) to make bitter 1c) (Hiphil) to make bitter, embitter 1d) (Hithpalpel) 1d1) to embitter oneself 1d2) to be enraged 2) (TWOT) to be strong, strengthen

15 tagged verse occurrences · see every occurrence →

HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H2556

חָמֵץ

cha.mets — to leaven

1) to be leavened, be sour 1a) (Qal) to be leavened 1b) (Hiphil) to taste something leavened 1c) (Hithpael) to be embittered, grieved

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GREEK · G2559

κακόω

kakoō — to harm

κακόω, -ῶ (κακός), [in LXX chiefly for רָעַע hi., עָנָה pi. ;] 1. to ill-treat, afflict, distress: with accusative of person(s), Act.7:6, 19 12:1 18:10, 1Pe.3:13. 2. (not in cl.), to embitter (Psa.106:32): Act.14:2,† (AS)

6 tagged verse occurrences · see every occurrence →

GREEK · G4087

πικραίνω

pikrainō — to embitter

πικραίνω (πικρός), [in LXX for מָרַד, קָצַף, etc. ;] to make bitter: Rev.10:9; pass., Rev.8:11 10:10; metaphorically, to embitter (LXX) : pass., before πρός, Col.3:19.† (AS)

4 tagged verse occurrences · see every occurrence →

GREEK · G4088

πικρία

pikria — bitterness

πικρία, -ας, ἡ (πικρός), [in LXX chiefly for מַר and cognate forms ;] bitterness; (a) of taste (Arist., Jer.15:17, al.); (b) metaphorically, of temper, character, etc.: Rom.3:14 (LXX), Eph.4:31; ῥίζα πικρίας, Heb.12:15; χολὴ π., a malignant disposition, Act.8:23.† (AS)

4 tagged verse occurrences · see every occurrence →

HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H4846

מְרֹרָה

me.ro.rah — gall

1) bitter thing, gall, poison 1a) gall, gall-bladder (seat of gall) 1b) poison, venom 1c) bitter thing 1d) bitterness

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HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H4785

מָרָה

ma.rah — Marah

§ Marah = "bitter" the spring with bitter water which was 3 days travel from the crossing place of the Red Sea in the peninsula of Sinai

3 tagged verse occurrences · see every occurrence →

HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H4848

מְרָרִי

me.ra.ri — Merari

Someone descended from Merari who was a man of the tribe of Levi living at the time of Egypt and Wilderness, first mentioned at Gen.46.11; son of: Levi (H3878); brother of: Gershon (H1648), Kohath (H6955) and Jochebed (H3115); father of: Mahli (H4249), Mushi (H4187) and Jaaziah (H3269) Another name of me.ra.ri (מְרָרִי "Merari" H4847) § Merarites, of Marari "bitter" descendants of Merari, the son of Levi, and members of a Levitical family

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GREEK · G4090

πικρῶς

pikrōs — bitterly

πικρῶς adv. (πικρός), [in LXX for מַר, מָרַר pi. ;] bitterly: metaphorically, (cf. πικρὸν δάκρυον, Hom.), ἔκλαυσε π., Mat.26:75, Luk.22:62 (see MM, xviii, see word παρακολουθέω).† (AS)

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GREEK · G3893

παραπικραίνω

parapikrainō — to rebel

παρα-πικραίνω [in LXX chiefly for מָרַד qal., hi., מְרִי, most frequently in Psa and Eze ;] to embitter, provoke: absol. (yet sc. τ. θεόν, cf. Psa.106:7, Eze.2:5-8, al., and with τὸν θ. added, Psa.5:4, Eze.20:21, al.), Heb.3:16 (cf. παραπικρασμός).† (AS)

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HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H3236

יִמְרָה

yim.rah — Imrah

A man of the tribe of Asher living at the time of Divided Monarchy, only mentioned at 1Ch.7.36; son of: Zophah (H6690); brother of: Suah (H5477), Harnepher (H2774), Shual (H7777B), Beri (H1275), Bezer (H1221H), Hod (H1936), Shamma (H8037H), Shilshah (H8030), Ithran (H3506H) and Beera (H0878) § Imrah = "bitterness" a descendant of Asher of the family of Zophah and a chief of the tribe

1 tagged verse occurrence · see every occurrence →

Historical dictionary entry

Bitterness is symbolical of affliction, misery, and servitude (Ex. 1:14; Ruth 1:20; Jer. 9:15). The Chaldeans are called the “bitter and hasty nation” (Hab. 1:6). The “gall of bitterness” expresses a state of great wickedness (Acts 8:23). A “root of bitterness” is a wicked person or a dangerous sin (Heb. 12:15). The Passover was to be eaten with “bitter herbs” (Ex. 12:8; Num. 9:11). The kind of herbs so designated is not known. Probably they were any bitter herbs obtainable at the place and time when the Passover was celebrated. They represented the severity of the servitude under which the people groaned; and have been regarded also as typical of the sufferings of Christ.

Scripture references

Exodus 1:14Ruth 1:20Jeremiah 9:15Habakkuk 1:6Acts 8:23Hebrews 12:15Exodus 12:8Numbers 9:11

Source: Easton’s Bible Dictionary (1897). Historical dictionary wording reflects the scholarship and language of its era.

Compare other reference traditions

Look up Bitter in Smith’s Bible Dictionary and ISBE →