Lexical Summary betsa: Gain, profit, unjust gain, plunder Original Word: בֶּצַע Strong's Exhaustive Concordance covetousness, dishonest gain, lucre, profit From batsa'; plunder; by extension, gain (usually unjust) -- covetousness, (dishonest) gain, lucre, profit. see HEBREW batsa' NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom batsa Definition gain made by violence, unjust gain, profit NASB Translation dishonest gain (4), end (1), gain (7), illicitly (1), plunder (1), profit (4), unjust gain (4), unjust* (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs בֶּ֫צַע noun masculine gain made by violence, unjust gain, profit — בֶּ֫צַע Genesis 37:26 7t. (construct Judges 5:19 +); בָּ֑צַע Exodus 18:21 7t.; suffix בִּצֱע֑ךָ Jeremiah 22:17; בִּצְעֵךְ Jeremiah 51:13; Ezekiel 22:13; בִּצְעוֺ Isaiah 56:11; Isaiah 57:17; בִּצְעָם Ezekiel 33:31; Micah 4:13; — gain made by violence (nearly = plunder) Judges 5:19; Micah 4:13; more Generally, unjust gain Exodus 18:21; 1 Samuel 8:3; Psalm 119:36; Proverbs 28:16; Isaiah 33:15; Isaiah 56:11; Isaiah 57:17; Jeremiah 22:17; Jeremiah 51:13; Ezekiel 22:13; Ezekiel 33:21; as accusative of congnate meaning with verb with בָּצַע Proverbs 1:19; Proverbs 15:27; Jeremiah 6:13; Jeremiah 8:10; Ezekiel 22:27; Habakkuk 2:9; profit (with selfish suggestion) ׳מהבֿ Genesis 37:26; Malachi 3:14 compare Psalm 30:10; Job 22:3. Topical Lexicon Meaning and Semantic Range בֶּצַע speaks of “gain” or “profit,” most often with an ethical color. While it can denote simple advantage (Genesis 37:26; Malachi 3:14), its dominant shade is ill-gotten, selfish, or violent profit (Exodus 18:21; Habakkuk 2:9). Scripture therefore sets בֶּצַע in antithesis to covenant faithfulness, justice, and neighbor-love. Canonical Distribution • Torah and Former Prophets: Genesis 37:26; Exodus 18:21; Judges 5:19; 1 Samuel 8:3 The pattern is striking: narrative examples portray the lure of profit, wisdom literature warns against it, and the prophets expose it as systemic sin. Key Thematic Clusters 1. Personal Greed and Family Fallout Individual covetousness fractures family bonds and invites divine displeasure. 2. Corruption in Leadership Leadership marked by בֶּצַע erodes social trust and mirrors the idolatry of self. 3. Commercialized Violence and War Loot Warfare and governance become engines for plunder when covenant restraints are ignored. 4. Systemic Social Injustice Greed metastasizes into a culture where every vocation is monetized at the expense of the vulnerable. 5. False Religion and Pious Pretence Spiritual life is hollowed out when devotion is evaluated by material return. Representative Passages • Exodus 18:21 – “…men who fear God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain.” Historical and Cultural Background Ancient Near-Eastern economies were largely agrarian, yet trade routes and royal administrations offered opportunities for rapid enrichment through tribute, bribes, or war booty. Israel’s law distinguished permissible increase (for example, profit from labor or trade) from gain secured by violence, bribery, or exploitation (Leviticus 19:13, 35-36). Prophetic denunciations of בֶּצַע therefore indict both personal avarice and structural sin: palace building with exploited labor (Habakkuk 2:9–12), judicial bribery (Isaiah 33:15), and priestly profiteering (Jeremiah 6:13). Theological Significance 1. Covenant Holiness: God’s character is generous and just; dishonest gain contradicts His nature (Isaiah 57:17). Ministry and Discipleship Application • Leadership Selection: Exodus 18:21 remains a template for church and civic appointments—integrity outweighs competence. Intertextual and Eschatological Echoes The Septuagint renders בֶּצַע with κέρδος or πλεονεξία, linking Old Testament warnings to New Testament exhortations: “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil” (1 Timothy 6:10). Jesus’ cleansing of the temple confronts the same heart-issue—worship turned into profit (Luke 19:45-46). Revelation’s lament over Babylon (“the merchants of the earth grew rich from her excessive luxuries,” Revelation 18) universalizes the Habakkuk 2 paradigm, assuring final judgment on systemic greed and vindication of the righteous. Summary בֶּצַע unites Scripture’s narrative, wisdom, and prophetic streams in a single moral thread: profit divorced from righteousness corrupts individuals, families, institutions, and nations. God’s people are called to hate dishonest gain, trust His provision, and reflect His generosity until the coming kingdom establishes an economy of perfect justice. Forms and Transliterations בְּבֶ֣צַע בִּצְע֛וֹ בִּצְעֵ֖ךְ בִּצְעֵֽךְ׃ בִּצְעֶ֑ךָ בִצְעָ֖ם בֶ֝֗צַע בֶּ֗צַע בֶּ֝֗צַע בֶּ֥צַע בָ֑צַע בָּ֑צַע בָּֽצַע׃ בבצע בצע בצע׃ בצעו בצעך בצעך׃ בצעם הַבָּ֑צַע הבצע לְבִצְע֖וֹ לבצעו bā·ṣa‘ ḇā·ṣa‘ bāṣa‘ ḇāṣa‘ Batza bə·ḇe·ṣa‘ be·ṣa‘ ḇe·ṣa‘ bəḇeṣa‘ beṣa‘ ḇeṣa‘ Betza beVetza ḇiṣ‘ām biṣ‘êḵ biṣ‘eḵā biṣ‘ōw ḇiṣ·‘ām biṣ·‘e·ḵā biṣ·‘êḵ biṣ·‘ōw bitzEch bitzEcha bitzO hab·bā·ṣa‘ habbāṣa‘ habBatza lə·ḇiṣ·‘ōw ləḇiṣ‘ōw levitzO Vatza Vetza vitzAmLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Genesis 37:26 HEB: אֶחָ֑יו מַה־ בֶּ֗צַע כִּ֤י נַהֲרֹג֙ NAS: What profit is it for us to kill KJV: unto his brethren, What profit [is it] if we slay INT: brothers What profit for to kill Exodus 18:21 Judges 5:19 1 Samuel 8:3 Job 22:3 Psalm 30:9 Psalm 119:36 Proverbs 1:19 Proverbs 15:27 Proverbs 28:16 Isaiah 33:15 Isaiah 56:11 Isaiah 57:17 Jeremiah 6:13 Jeremiah 8:10 Jeremiah 22:17 Jeremiah 51:13 Ezekiel 22:13 Ezekiel 22:27 Ezekiel 33:31 Habakkuk 2:9 Malachi 3:14 22 Occurrences |
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