CategoryArchaic Word / Suffering Term
Modern Equivalentlabor; painful effort; childbirth pains.
KJV Word TypeNoun / verb
DefinitionPainful labor, toil, distress, or childbirth pains. In the KJV, it can describe physical birth pangs, deep anguish, or strenuous effort.
Key Verses"A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow, because her hour is come." (John 16:21); "He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied." (Isaiah 53:11)
KJV Usage NoteOften connects suffering and labor with a later result, such as birth, deliverance, or fulfillment.
Common MisunderstandingIt does not mean travel; it means painful labor, toil, or anguish.
EtymologyFrom Old French travail, meaning labor, toil, or suffering.