Original Word: אַכְזָר
Part of Speech: Adjective
Transliteration: akzar
Pronunciation: ahk-ZAHR
Phonetic Spelling: (ak-zawr')
KJV: cruel, fierce
NASB: cruel, deadly, fierce
Word Origin: [from an unused root (apparently meaning to act harshly)]

1. violent
2. (by implication) deadly
3. (also, in a good sense) brave

cruel, fierce

From an unused root (apparently meaning to act harshly); violent; by implication deadly; also (in a good sense) brave -- cruel, fierce.

Word Origin
from an unused word
Definition
cruel, fierce
NASB Translation
cruel (2), deadly (1), fierce (1).

אַכְזָר adjective cruel, fierce, of poison (ראֹשׁ) Deuteronomy 32:33; elsewhere of men, fierce Job 41:2; as substantive = a cruel one Job 30:21 (of God), Lamentations 4:3.

Overview

The term under consideration conveys the idea of ruthless, unfeeling severity that crushes or destroys. In each of its four Old Testament appearances it marks something so pitiless that normal compassion is abandoned, whether the speaker is lamenting human behavior, describing a monstrous creature, or warning about spiritual danger.

Contextual Usage

1. Deuteronomy 32:33 – In the Song of Moses the word magnifies the treacherous nature of apostate Israel’s influence: “Their wine is the venom of serpents, the deadly poison of cobras”. The imagery of vintage turned toxin warns that rebellion eventually yields a poison too merciless to spare its drinker.

2. Job 30:21 – Job, engulfed in suffering, cries to the Lord: “You have turned on me with cruelty; with the might of Your hand You attack me”. Job’s lament does not redefine God’s character but reveals how affliction can distort human perception, tempting sufferers to suspect divine ruthlessness where sovereign love is actually at work.

3. Job 41:10 – Concerning Leviathan: “No one is so fierce that he dares to rouse Leviathan. Who then is able to stand against Me?”. The creature’s untamable ferocity serves as a foil; if man fears Leviathan, how much more should he revere the Creator whose majesty dwarfs all terrors.

4. Lamentations 4:3 – Jeremiah contrasts maternal instinct in wild animals with the siege-hardened populace: “Even jackals offer their breasts to nurse their young, but the daughter of my people has become cruel like ostriches in the wilderness”. Starvation had choked ordinary compassion, illustrating how sin and judgment harden hearts.

Theological Implications

• Sin breeds cruelty. Whether the venom of idolatry (Deuteronomy), the brutalized conscience of a starving city (Lamentations), or the oppressive might of chaos (Leviathan), ruthlessness is linked to fallenness and rebellion.
• God is never truly cruel, yet He permits circumstances that expose human frailty (Job 30:21; Romans 8:20-21). What appears merciless is often the crucible of sanctification.
• Divine justice refuses to indulge cruelty. Promises of future restoration (Lamentations 4:22) and the defeat of evil (Revelation 20:10) affirm that pitiless forces will not reign forever.

Comparative Imagery

The word’s semantic range stretches from venomous poison to predatory fierceness. Scripture frequently joins these images: serpents (Genesis 3:15), dragons (Psalm 74:13-14), and monstrous seas (Job 41) symbolize demonic opposition and human tyranny. The cruelty of such forces accentuates the covenant mercy of the LORD (Exodus 34:6-7).

Historical Insights

Ancient Near-Eastern warfare, famine, and siege tactics often produced scenes like Lamentations 4:3. The ostrich, known for seemingly neglecting its eggs (Job 39:13-17), became a cultural emblem for heartlessness. Likewise, Near-Eastern bestiaries portrayed sea monsters as embodiments of chaos, making Job’s Leviathan a fitting representative of unbridled cruelty.

Ministry Application

• Shepherding the suffering: When believers voice Job-like complaints, pastors can validate their pain while directing them to the steadfast love that lies beneath providence (Lamentations 3:21-23).
• Guarding against spiritual poison: Moses’ warning presses churches to monitor teaching and lifestyle that, like venom, silently destroys (Hebrews 12:15).
• Modeling compassion: In a culture that normalizes harshness, Christians are called to the opposite spirit—“The righteous care for the needs of their animals, but the compassion of the wicked is cruel” (Proverbs 12:10).
• Preaching Christ’s victory: Jesus bore the full sting of sin’s cruelty (Isaiah 53:4-5) and disarmed the powers typified by Leviathan (Colossians 2:15). His resurrection guarantees that mercy triumphs over ruthlessness for all who trust in Him.

Cross-References

Proverbs 11:17; Isaiah 13:9; Hosea 13:7-8; Micah 3:1-3; Zechariah 7:9-10; Matthew 9:36; Ephesians 4:32; 1 Peter 3:8.

Cruelty shadows the account of Scripture, yet every appearance ultimately drives the reader to seek the One whose lovingkindness is better than life (Psalm 63:3) and whose grace empowers His people to overcome the ruthless with Christ-like compassion.

אַ֭כְזָר אַכְזָֽר׃ אכזר אכזר׃ לְאַכְזָ֔ר לְאַכְזָ֣ר לאכזר ’aḵ·zār ’aḵzār achZar Achzor lə’aḵzār lə·’aḵ·zār leachZarInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts