Original Word: יְהָב
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: yhab
Pronunciation: yeh-hawb'
Phonetic Spelling: (ye-hawb')
KJV: burden
NASB: burden
Word Origin: [from H3051 (יָהַב - give)]

1. (properly) what is given (by Providence), i.e. a lot

burden

From yahab; properly, what is given (by Providence), i.e. A lot -- burden.

see HEBREW yahab

Word Origin
from yahab
Definition
a lot, what is given
NASB Translation
burden (1).

[יְהָב] noun [masculine] lot (as that which is given) — יְהָֽבְךָ ׳הַשְׁלֵךְ עַל י Psalm 55:23 cast on ׳י thy lot (the care, anxiety, etc. which are thy portion; compare ׳גּוֺל עַליֿ דרכך Psalm 37:5). **compare ᵑ7 יַהֲבַת Psalm 11:6, יְהָבִית Ecclesiastes 5:10.

Definition and Basic Meaning

Although the term appears only once in the Hebrew canon, יְהָב (yehāḇ) conveys the idea of a personal load—anything that weighs on the heart, body, or mind—which can be transferred to another party better equipped to carry it.

Canonical Context

Psalm 55:22 stands at the theological summit of David’s lament over betrayal: “Cast your burden upon the LORD and He will sustain you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken.”. יְהָב signals a deliberate movement from self-reliance to God-reliance, turning lament into confident trust.

Theological Significance

1. Divine Burden-Bearing

The verse reveals God’s character as One who lifts, rather than adds to, the weight of His people (compare Psalm 68:19).
2. Righteous Stability

God’s promise to keep the righteous unshaken grounds security in divine faithfulness, not personal strength.
3. Foreshadowing Christ’s Ministry

The invitation is echoed in 1 Peter 5:7 and Matthew 11:28-30, where ultimate rest is found in Jesus, who bears sin itself (Isaiah 53:4-6).

Historical Background

In the ancient Near East “burden” often referred to forced tribute. Psalm 55 inverts the image: Israel’s King relieves, He does not exploit. The psalm likely served in temple liturgies of lament, teaching worshipers to relinquish grief and injustice to the LORD.

Intertextual Echoes

Job 31:36—Job offers to shoulder his own indictment.

Psalm 68:19—God “daily bears our burdens.”

These passages, together with Psalm 55:22, trace a biblical arc from human self-bearing to divine burden-bearing, climaxing at the cross (2 Corinthians 5:21).

Practical and Pastoral Applications

Counseling: Guide counselees to name and surrender burdens in prayer.

Leadership: Encourage ministers to delegate first to God, preventing burnout (Numbers 11:14-17; Acts 6:1-4).

Intercession: Use Psalm 55:22 as a framework for corporate “casting” of congregational needs.

Homiletical and Devotional Insights

Illustration: A pack animal rises only after its load is lifted; believers stand firm when God shoulders their yehāḇ.

Sermon Outline:

A. Identify the Burden (Psalm 55:4-8)

B. Cast the Burden (Psalm 55:22a)

C. Trust the Bearer (Psalm 55:22b)

D. Walk Unshaken (Psalm 55:23)

Conclusion

יְהָב captures the gospel pattern: what overwhelms us is overcome when surrendered to the LORD. From David’s crisis to the believer’s daily walk, the word calls for continual transfer of weight from human shoulders to divine, ensuring that those who trust Him “will never be shaken.”

יְהָבְךָ֮ יהבך yə·hā·ḇə·ḵā yəhāḇəḵā yehaveChaInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts