Lexical Definition

‎עָצָר‎ ʻâtsâr (aw-tsar') to restrain ^H:V
a primitive root

[idiom] be able, close up, detain, fast, keep (self close, still), prevail, recover, refrain, [idiom] reign, restrain, retain, shut (up), slack, stay, stop, withhold (self).

• to inclose
• by analogy, to hold back
• also to maintain, rule, assemble

1) to restrain, retain, close up, shut, withhold, refrain, stay, detain
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to restrain, halt, stop
1a2) to retain
1b) (Niphal) to be restrained, be stayed, be under restraint

See Greek: ἀπέχει · ἀπέχομαι · ἀπέχω · ἄρχω · βιάζω · δέω · δύναμαι · ἐντέλλομαι · ἐπέχω · ἔχω · θησαυρίζω · ἰσχύω · καταλαμβάνω · κατέχω · κατισχύω · κοπάζω · κρατέω · κωλύω · παύω · στείρος · συνάγω · συνέχω · φυλάσσω

Brown-Driver-Briggs

‎עָצַר‎₄₆ verb restrain, retain (Late Hebrew id.; compare probably Assyrian eƒêru, retain, restrain, Dl^{HWB 122} Jäger^{BAS i. 483} Zehnpf^{ib. 500}; Ethiopic press, Arabic ; ᵑ7 ‎עֲצַר‎ Syriac id.); **compare Assyrian usƒurtu, taboo SAC^{JA, 1904, 754}. —

Qal Perfect 3 masculine singular ‎׳‎‎ע‎ Gen 20:18 +, suffix ‎עֲצָרַנִי‎ Gen 16:2 1 singular ‎יָצַרְתִּי‎ Dan 10:8; Dan 10:16 etc.; Imperfect 3 masculine singular ‎יַעְצֹר‎ 1Sam 9:17 +, ‎יַעְצָרֿ‎ 2Chr 2:5* suffix ‎יַעֲצָרְכָה‎ 1Kgs 18:44, etc.; Infinitive absolute ‎עָצֹר‎ Gen 20:18, construct ‎לַעִצֹר‎ 2Chr 22:9, ‎וַעְצֹר‎ Job 4:2 (Ges^{«GKC:28b»§ 28b}); Passive participle ‎עָצוּר‎ Jer 33:1 +, etc.; —

1. restrain, with accusative of person Gen 16:2 (J; + ‎מִן‎, i.e. prevent), ‎עָצֹר עָצַר‎ ‎בְּעֵד כָּלרֶֿחֶם‎ Gen 20:18 (E), compare absolute Isa 66:9 (opposed to ‎מוֺלִיד‎); followed by infinitive 2Kgs 4:24 with accusative of person alone 1Kgs 18:44 hinder, stop; with accusative of sky (hindering rain) Deut 11:17; 2Chr 7:13 passive participle absolute shut up, or hindered (for reasons not given) Jer 36:5; Neh 6:10 (? by a vow, or by ceremonial uncleanness, compare Rs^{Sem i. 436 f., 2nd ed. 455 f.}); = shut up (with ‎ב‎, in prison) 2Kgs 17:4, passive participle Jer 33:1; Jer 39:15, figurative Jer 20:9 on ‎עָצוּר וְעָזוּב‎ (5 t.) see I. ‎עזב‎; ‎עֲצֻרָה לָנוּ‎ 1Sam 21:6* women have been kept away with reference to us (compare RS^l.c.); ‎עָצוּר‎ ‎מִפְּנֵי‎ 1Chr 12:1 kept away from before Saul; = detain, with accusative Judg 13:15; Judg 13:16 in Job with ‎בְּ‎, ‎בְּמִלִּין‎ ‎׳‎‎ע‎ Job 4:2, compare Job 29:9, so ‎בַּמַּיִם‎ Job 12:5 ‎בְּעַמִּי‎ ‎׳‎‎ע‎ 1Sam 9:17 is rule over, etc. (si vera lectio); insert also (with other words) 1Sam 10:1 ᵐ5 We Dr and others

2. (late) retain, with accusative ‎כֹּחַ‎ 2Chr 13:20; 2Chr 22:9; Dan 10:8; Dan 10:16; Dan 11:6 + infinitive = be able to 1Chr 29:14; 2Chr 2:5* omit ‎כֹּחַ‎ 2Chr 14:10* (+ ‎עִמְּךָ‎), 2Chr 20:37 (+ infinitive). Niph`al be restrained, stayed, of plague: Perfect 3 feminine singular ‎נֶעֱצָ֑רָה‎ Num 17:15* Imperfect 3 feminine singular ‎תֵּעָצַר‎ 2Sam 24:27 = 1Chr 21:22, ‎וַתֵּעָצַר‎ Num 17:13*; Num 25:8 (P) 2Sam 24:25; Ps 106:30 be shut up (of sky), Infinitive construct ‎בְּהֵעָצֵר‎ 1Kgs 8:35 = 2Chr 6:26 be under restraint or detention Participle ‎נֶעְצָר‎ 1Sam 21:8* + ‎׳‎‎לִפְחנֵי י‎ (? i.e. kept by a vow, compare HPS and Neh 6:10 above).

Brown-Driver-Briggs References