Original Word: עָשְׁקָה
Part of Speech: Noun Feminine
Transliteration: `oshqah
Pronunciation: osh-KAH
Phonetic Spelling: (osh-kaw')
KJV: oppressed
NASB: oppressed
Word Origin: [feminine of H6233 (עוֹשֶׁק - oppression)]

1. anguish

oppressed

Feminine of osheq; anguish -- oppressed.

see HEBREW osheq

Word Origin
from ashaq
Definition
oppression, distress
NASB Translation
oppressed (1).

עָשְׁקָה noun feminine oppression, distress; — עָֽשְׁקָהֿ לִי Isaiah 38:14 [compare Ges^{§§ 9v}, 48i) oppression to me ! = I am oppressed, distressed.

Root Idea and Conceptual Scope

עָשְׁקָה portrays a state of being weighed down by harsh pressure, injury, or injustice. The term encompasses both outward acts of extortion and the inward sense of being crushed. It is therefore suitable for social, legal, emotional, or even physical forms of affliction.

Biblical Occurrence

The noun appears once, in Isaiah 38:14, embedded in King Hezekiah’s psalm of thanksgiving after his near-fatal illness. Berean Standard Bible: “Like a swallow or crane I chirp; I moan like a dove. My eyes look upward; O LORD, I am oppressed; be my security.” His disease and the looming prospect of premature death are pictured as an “oppression” so heavy that only the Lord can serve as guarantor or “security.”

Literary and Redemptive Setting

Isaiah 38 sits between the Assyrian crisis narratives (Isaiah 36–37) and the broader salvation oracles of Isaiah 40–66. The single use of עָשְׁקָה therefore links personal experience with the book’s wider concern for the oppressed nation and ultimately the oppressed Servant (Isaiah 53). Hezekiah’s song becomes a microcosm of Judah’s plight and, by extension, humanity’s.

Historical Background

Hezekiah’s illness occurred in the fourteenth year of his reign, roughly 701 BC, the same period when Assyria besieged Jerusalem. Physical sickness, political threat, and spiritual distress converged, amplifying the sense of oppression. In the Ancient Near East, monarchs were considered divinely protected; a king’s mortal frailty therefore shocked royal expectations and highlighted total dependence on God.

Theological Significance

1. Human Frailty and Divine Sufficiency. The king of Judah, defender of the covenant people, confesses that he is helpless before the ultimate oppressor—death. עָשְׁקָה becomes a lens for viewing mortality as the last and greatest tyranny (Romans 5:12).
2. Prayer as Legal Appeal. The cry “be my security” evokes the image of a kinsman-redeemer posting bond for a debtor (Proverbs 6:1–3). Hezekiah pleads for Yahweh to assume full responsibility for his release.
3. Anticipation of the Servant. Isaiah 53:7 later declares of the Messiah, “He was oppressed and afflicted.” The isolated use of עָשְׁקָה foretells a greater oppression borne by the Servant on behalf of the many.

Ministry Applications

• Pastoral Care. Believers facing terminal illness, chronic pain, or intense anxiety can legitimately name their experience as oppression and turn to God as sole guarantor of deliverance (Philippians 4:6–7).
• Intercession. Hezekiah’s example encourages intercessors to ask God not merely for relief but for divine surety, trusting His covenant faithfulness (Hebrews 7:22).
• Social Justice. Although Isaiah 38 is personal, the term invites advocacy for those crushed by systemic wrongs, reflecting God’s concern expressed elsewhere (Isaiah 1:17; Jeremiah 22:3).

Prophetic and Messianic Resonances

By adopting the vocabulary of oppression, Hezekiah unwittingly foreshadows the redemptive work of Jesus Christ, the One who would become “a pledge” for sinners (Hebrews 7:22) and break every yoke (Isaiah 9:4). The king’s temporal healing anticipates the Messiah’s ultimate victory over sin and death.

Practical Implications for Contemporary Believers

1. Lament and Hope belong together; honest acknowledgment of oppression does not negate faith.
2. Prayer should move beyond general petitions to covenant-based pleas, reminding God of His surety.
3. Testimony matters. Hezekiah published his experience for future generations (Isaiah 38:20), modeling evangelistic transparency that glorifies God’s deliverance (2 Corinthians 1:3–4).

Summary

עָשְׁקָה in Isaiah 38:14 captures the crushing weight of mortal threat and the comfort of divine guarantee. Though occurring only once, the word opens a theological corridor from Hezekiah’s sickbed to the cross and the empty tomb, assuring God’s people that every form of oppression—physical, social, or spiritual—meets its match in the Lord who pledges Himself for our salvation.

עָֽשְׁקָה־ עשקה־ ‘ā·šə·qāh- ‘āšəqāh- ashekahInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts