When Life is Endangered

This paper aims to shed new light on the understudied classical Hebrew formulaic expression יום/עת צרה, “day/time of distress,” by investigating the Hebrew Bible, the Hebrew texts of Ben Sira, and the Dead Sea Scrolls. After describing the formulaic dimension of this phrase and its fixed linguistic and conceptual patterns, it will be argued that the concept of narrowness usually attributed to צרה does not stand out when this lexeme is in collocation with יום/עת. The formulaic expression יום/עת צרה indicates the inner turmoil caused by threats to life. The notion of narrowness may belong to the etymology and meaning potential of צרה, but is insufficient to describe the patchwork of emotional states that assaults on life cause in those who go through the יום/עת צרה. It will also be shown that sometimes the idiomatic expression יום/עת צרה is replaced by cognate phrases that, although semantically similar, are usually used to convey ideas that are not intrinsic to the widely used phrase יום/עת צרה.