Hebrew word · H5916

עָכַר

'okher

to trouble

To stir up, disturb in a destructive sense: to bring disaster or ruin on, to make someone a social or ritual outcast.

Appears 14 times in 13 verses of the Hebrew Old Testament. ·

What it means

1) to trouble, stir up, disturb, make (someone) taboo

1a) (Qal) to disturb, trouble

1b) (Niphal)

1b1) to be disturbed, be stirred up

1b2) disturbance, calamity (participle)

Abridged from Brown, Driver and Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (1906), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

In depth

From the study of Proverbs 15:27

Range of meaning

To stir up, disturb in a destructive sense: to bring disaster or ruin on, to make someone a social or ritual outcast. Used for a person or community suffering catastrophe because of someone's act (Gen 34:30, Jacob to Simeon and Levi: 'you have brought trouble on me, making me stink to the inhabitants'; Judg 11:35, Jephthah's vow; 1 Sam 14:29, Saul 'has troubled the land'; 1 Kgs 18:17–18, Elijah as 'troubler of Israel').

Against the English

KJV and WEB 'troubles/troubleth' and ESV 'troubles' keep the traditional word, but modern 'trouble' has weakened to 'bother, inconvenience'. NIV 'bring ruin' and BSB 'brings trouble on' come closer. NLT 'brings grief' softens the destructive, objective side.

How it drifted

English 'trouble' once carried strong senses of affliction and disaster (as in KJV usage generally). In everyday modern speech it has faded toward mild difficulty.

Used elsewhere in the period

The classic text is Joshua 7. Achan takes devoted plunder (silver, gold, a garment). Joshua says, 'Why have you troubled (ʿăkartānû) us? The LORD will trouble (yaʿkorkā) you this day.' Achan and his household are destroyed in the Valley of Achor ('Trouble Valley'), and 1 Chr 2:7 calls him 'Achar, the troubler of Israel'. Proverbs itself: 11:17 'the cruel man troubles his own flesh'; 11:29 'whoever troubles his house will inherit wind'.

From the study of Joshua 6:18

Range of meaning

To stir up or make turbid. Socially, it means to bring disaster or ruin on a group, making it 'stink' with its neighbours or wrecking its welfare. In Gen 34:30 Jacob tells Simeon and Levi, 'You have brought ruin on me (ʿăkartem), making me stink to the Canaanites.' In 1 Sam 14:29 Jonathan says, 'My father has ruined (ʿākar) the land' with his rash oath. In 1 Kgs 18:17–18 Ahab calls Elijah 'troubler of Israel' (ʿōkēr yiśrāʾēl), and Elijah throws it back at him.

Against the English

KJV, WEB and YLT have 'trouble it.' BSB has 'bring disaster upon it,' which is closer. Modern English 'trouble' suggests inconvenience or worry. The Hebrew means communal catastrophe: in chapter 7 it leads to 36 dead at Ai, a defeated army, and the execution of a household.

How it drifted

'Trouble' was a stronger word in early modern English (to disturb, afflict, overthrow). It has since weakened.

Used elsewhere in the period

In every case the word describes one person's act bringing ruin on the whole group: Gen 34:30; Judg 11:35; 1 Sam 14:29; 1 Kgs 18:17–18; Prov 11:17, 29; 15:27 ('he who is greedy for gain troubles his own house'). In 1 Chr 2:7 Achan is called 'Achar, the troubler (ʿōkēr) of Israel, who broke faith in the matter of the ḥerem.' The verse uses his name to pun on this word.

From the study of Genesis 34:30

Range of meaning

To bring disaster or ruin on someone, to make a community's life go wrong. It is often linked to breaking a sacred, covenant or social boundary, so that the guilt or danger spreads to the whole group. It describes damage done to a community, not a feeling.

Against the English

KJV, WEB and YLT: 'you have troubled me.' BSB and most modern versions: 'brought trouble upon me.' NLT: 'You have ruined me!' Modern English 'troubled' tends to mean worried or bothered, which misses the sense of real, shared disaster.

How it drifted

In 1611, 'trouble' still carried a stronger sense of affliction and harm. In current English 'troubled' mostly describes an inner state ('I'm troubled by this'), so the KJV wording now sounds like Jacob was upset, not that his sons had put the clan in mortal danger.

Used elsewhere in the period

Joshua 7:25: Joshua says to Achan, 'Why have you brought trouble (ʿăkartānû) on us? The LORD brings trouble on you today.' The place is then named the Valley of Achor ('Trouble'), and 1 Chronicles 2:7 calls him 'Achar, the troubler of Israel.' In 1 Kings 18:17–18 Ahab calls Elijah 'troubler of Israel,' and Elijah throws the charge back at him. Judges 11:35: Jephthah tells his daughter she has become one of 'those who bring me disaster.' 1 Samuel 14:29: Jonathan says, 'My father has troubled the land.' Proverbs 11:29: 'Whoever troubles his own household will inherit wind.' HALOT gives senses such as 'bring into disaster, ruin.'

Where it appears

Genesis · 1

  1. Genesis 34:30 עֲכַרְתֶּ֣ם you have troubled

    Then Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, “You have brought trouble upon me by making me a stench to the Canaanites and Perizzites, the people of this land. We are few in number; if they unite against me and attack me, I and my household will be destroyed.”

    Here: A heavy word. It means bringing disaster on a group, often by breaking a sacred or social boundary (Achan in Joshua 7:25). It is not 'you upset me.' The verb is plural: both sons did it.

Joshua · 3

  1. Joshua 6:18 וַעֲכַרְתֶּ֖ם and you will trouble

    But keep away from the things devoted to destruction, lest you yourself be set apart for destruction. If you take any of these, you will set apart the camp of Israel for destruction and bring disaster upon it.

    Here: 'And you would bring ruin on.' This is much stronger than modern 'trouble': it means bringing disaster on a community. It sets up the wordplay on Achan/Achar and the Valley of Achor in 7:25–26.

  2. Joshua 7:25 עֲכַרְתָּ֔נוּ יַעְכֳּרְךָ֥ have you brought trouble to us, he will bring trouble to you

    “Why have you brought this trouble upon us?” said Joshua. “Today the LORD will bring trouble upon you!” And all Israel stoned him to death. Then they stoned the others and burned their bodies.

    Here: 'You have brought ruin on us.' It names the defeat at Ai and the 36 dead (7:5), and the threat to Israel's whole standing with God. The word also echoes Achan's name, which is the point.

Judges · 1

  1. Judges 11:35 בְּעֹֽכְרָ֑י among [those who] trouble me

    As soon as Jephthah saw her, he tore his clothes and said, “No! Not my daughter! You have brought me to my knees! You have brought great misery upon me, for I have given my word to the LORD and cannot take it back.”

1 Samuel · 1

  1. 1 Samuel 14:29 עָכַ֥ר he has troubled

    “My father has brought trouble to the land,” Jonathan replied. “Just look at how my eyes have brightened because I tasted a little of this honey.

1 Kings · 2

  1. 1 Kings 18:17 עֹכֵ֥ר O [one who] troubles

    When Ahab saw Elijah, he said to him, “Is that you, O troubler of Israel?”

    Here: A participle ("one who is bringing ruin"), used as a title. It is not "troublemaker" in the sense of nuisance. It means the one who has brought disaster on the whole community, as Achan did in Joshua 7. Here the disaster is the drought.

  2. 1 Kings 18:18 עָכַ֙רְתִּי֙ I have troubled

    “I have not troubled Israel,” Elijah replied, “but you and your father’s house have, for you have forsaken the commandments of the LORD and have followed the Baals.

    Here: The same root as Ahab's 'troubler' (ʿokher) in v. 17, thrown straight back at him. The verb means bringing disaster on a whole community, not merely annoying it. Here the disaster is the three-year drought and famine.

1 Chronicles · 1

  1. 1 Chronicles 2:7 עוֹכֵ֣ר [who] troubled

    The son of Carmi: Achar, who brought trouble upon Israel by violating the ban on devoted things.

    Here: A participle (a verb form used like a noun) that works as a title: 'the troubler'. The verb means to bring ruin or disaster on a group, not merely to annoy it.

Psalms · 1

  1. Psalm 39:2 נֶעְכָּֽר׃ it was stirred up

    I was speechless and still; I remained silent, even from speaking good, and my sorrow was stirred.

Proverbs · 4

  1. Proverbs 11:17 וְעֹכֵ֥ר and [is] troubling

    A kind man benefits himself, but a cruel man brings trouble on himself.

    Here: 'But is bringing ruin on.' This is a strong verb. It is used of Achan, whose sin brought disaster on Israel (Joshua 7:25), and of the 'troubler of Israel' (1 Kings 18:17–18). It means real damage, not mere annoyance.

  2. Proverbs 11:29 עוֹכֵ֣ר [one who] troubles

    He who brings trouble on his house will inherit the wind, and the fool will be servant to the wise of heart.

  3. Proverbs 15:6 נֶעְכָּֽרֶת׃ trouble

    The house of the righteous has great treasure, but the income of the wicked is trouble.

    Here: A passive form ('is troubled / is ruined'), feminine to match 'yield'. The verb means bringing disaster on a person or household, as with Achan, whose stolen loot brought ruin on his family (Joshua 7). The income is not merely worrying. It is poisoned and brings calamity.

  4. Proverbs 15:27 עֹכֵ֣ר [is] troubling

    He who is greedy for unjust gain brings trouble on his household, but he who hates bribes will live.

    Here: An active participle, 'the one who brings disaster on'. It comes first for emphasis. This is the verb of the Achan story (Joshua 7:25), where taking forbidden plunder brought death on a whole household. It means real calamity, not bother.

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.