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bit´ẽr, bit´ẽr-nes (מר, mar, or מרה, maÌ„raÌ„h = “bitter†(literally or figuratively); also (noun) “bitterness†or (adverb) “bitterlyâ€; “angry,†“chafed,†“discontented,†“heavy†(; ; , , , , ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ); the derivatives מרר, maÌ„rar, מרר, meroÌ„r, and מררה, meroÌ„raÌ„h, used with the same significance according to the context, are found in ; ; ; ; . The derivatives merı̄ and merı̄rı̄ occur in ; (margin); and תּמרוּר, tamruÌ„r, is found in ; . In the New Testament the verb πικÏαιÌνω, pikraıÌnoÌ„ = “to embitterâ€; the adjective πικÏοÌÏ‚, pikroÌs = “bitter,†and the noun πικÏιÌα, pikrıÌa, “bitterness,†supply the same ideas in ; , ; ; , ): It will be noted that the word is employed with three principal spheres of application: (1) The physical sense of taste; (2) a figurative meaning in the objective sense of cruel, biting words; intense misery resulting from forsaking God, from a life of sin and impurity; the misery of servitude; the misfortunes of bereavement; (3) more subjectively, bitter and bitterness describe emotions of sympathy;' the sorrow of childlessness and of penitence, of disappointment; the feeling of misery and wretchedness, giving rise to the expression “bitter tearsâ€; (4) The ethical sense, characterizing untruth and immorality as the bitter thing in opposition to the sweetness of truth and the gospel; (5) the Revised Version (British and American) speaks of “the water of bitterness that causeth the curse.†Here it is employed as a technical term.