Lexical Summary ashaq: To oppress, to extort, to exploit Original Word: עָשַׁק Strong's Exhaustive Concordance get deceitfully, deceive, defraud, drink up, use oppression do violence wrong A primitive root (compare asaq); to press upon, i.e. Oppress, defraud, violate, overflow -- get deceitfully, deceive, defraud, drink up, (use) oppress((-ion)), -or), do violence (wrong). see HEBREW asaq NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origina prim. root Definition to oppress, wrong, extort NASB Translation crushed (1), defrauded (2), extorted (1), got (1), laden (1), oppress (11), oppressed (9), oppresses (3), oppressor (2), oppressors (2), practiced (2), rages (1), rob (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs עָשַׁק verb oppress, wrong, extort (ᵑ7 עֲשַׁק = Biblical Hebrew, so Old Aramaic עשק; Syriac  accuse, slander; Assyrian adjective eš‡u, strong; Arabic  roughness, injustice); — Qal Perfect ׳ע Leviticus 5:21; Ezekiel 18:18; 2masculine singular suffix עֲשַׁקְתָּ֫נוּ 1 Samuel 12:4, etc.; Imperfect3masculine singular suffix יַעַשׁקֻנִי Psalm 119:122; 2masculine singular תַּעֲשֹׁק Leviticus 19:13 +, etc.; Infinitive construct עֲשֹׁק Hosea 12:8, suffix עָשְׁקָם 1 Chronicles 16:21; Psalm 105:14; Participle active עשֵׁק Proverbs 14:31 +, feminine plural הָעשְׁקוֺת Amos 4:1, etc.; passive עָשׁוּק Deuteronomy 28:29 +, etc.; — 1 oppress, wrong (often by extortion, "" גָּזַל), with accusative of person 1 Samuel 12:3,4; Micah 2:2; Leviticus 5:21; Leviticus 19:13; especially the poor and helpless Amos 4:1; Deuteronomy 24:14; Jeremiah 7:6; Ezekiel 22:29; Zechariah 7:10; Proverbs 14:31; Proverbs 22:16; Proverbs 28:3; Ecclesiastes 4:1; also with accusative of congnate meaning with verb עשֶׁק (וְ)גָזַל גָּזֵל ׳ע Ezekiel 18:18 practise extortion, Ezekiel 22:29, take by extortion Leviticus 5:23 and (with accusative of thing) Malachi 3:5; absolute Hosea 12:8 practise extortion; Job 10:3 deal tyrannically (of God); participle oppressor, extortioner Jeremiah 21:12; Psalm 72:4; Ecclesiastes 4:1; passive participle as substantive the oppressed Psalm 103:6; Psalm 146:7. 2 oppress a nation Isaiah 52:4, compare Psalm 105:14 = 1 Chronicles 16:21; Psalm 119:122, participle act. oppressor Psalm 119:121, passive participle oppressed Jeremiah 50:33, in predict. וְגָזוּל ׳ע Deuteronomy 28:29, וְרָצּוּץ ׳ע Deuteronomy 28:23; Hosea 5:11. 3 dubious are: יַעְשֹׁק נָהָר Job 40:23 a river oppresses him, i.e. rushes violently upon him (that is, the hippopotamus; Du יָשֹׁק, from שׁוּק; > Gunk Bu יִשְׁקַע falls, sinks); עָשֻׁק בְּדַם נֶפֶשׁ Proverbs 28:17 oppressed (? burdened) with the blood of a person. Pu`al Participle feminine הַמְּעֻשָּׁקָה Isaiah 23:12 crushed (of conquered Sidon under figure of woman). Topical Lexicon Root Idea and Semantic Range עָשַׁק (ʿashaq) portrays the forceful taking of what belongs to another—whether wages, property, legal rights, or personal dignity. It focuses on exploitation by power rather than by stealth, stressing the moral outrage of denying a neighbor his due. Hence English translations render it “oppress,” “defraud,” “rob,” “exploit,” or “extort.” Canonical Distribution The verb appears about thirty-five times, spread across Torah (Leviticus, Deuteronomy), Historical Books (1 Samuel), Wisdom Literature (Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes), the Prophets (Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Micah, Zechariah, Malachi), and in covenantal summaries such as Nehemiah 5 and Psalm 72. This breadth shows that oppression is not an isolated sin but a perennial threat to covenant life. Literary Contexts 1. Legal prohibitions (Leviticus 19:13; Deuteronomy 24:14) forbid withholding wages or wronging a hired servant. Theological Themes 1. Covenant Fidelity: Oppression violates the second great commandment by denying love of neighbor and demonstrates contempt for God, “the Maker” of the poor (Proverbs 14:31). Social and Ethical Implications The poor day-laborer waiting for sundown wages (Deuteronomy 24:14-15), the resident alien without land rights (Jeremiah 7:6), and the widow or orphan (Zechariah 7:10) are repeatedly singled out. Scripture places the burden on those with economic and judicial power to protect, not exploit. The verb ʿashaq reminds every generation of Israel—and by extension the Church—that worship divorced from justice is unacceptable (Isaiah 1:17; Jeremiah 7:9-11). Prophetic Indictments • Micah 2:2: “They covet fields and seize them; they also take houses. They defraud a man of his home, a fellow man of his inheritance.” Wisdom Reflections Job wrestles with unexplained suffering and charges, “Does it please You to oppress me?” (Job 10:3). While Job misreads his situation, the book affirms that true wisdom condemns exploitation (Job 36:15). Proverbs 22:16 warns that enriching oneself by oppression is self-defeating: “He who oppresses the poor to increase his wealth, and he who gives gifts to the rich—both will surely come to poverty.” Legal Framework in Torah Leviticus 6:2-5 treats oppression as a breach requiring restitution plus a guilt offering, underscoring that sin against one’s neighbor is sin against God. Deuteronomy 24 integrates social compassion into daily labor practice, anticipating modern wage ethics. Historical Narratives Nehemiah 5 records internal oppression when wealthy Jews seized lands and children from their poorer brethren. Nehemiah contends, “You are exacting usury, each from his brother!” and restores equity, modeling godly leadership in post-exilic renewal. New Covenant Resonances Though עָשַׁק does not appear in the Greek New Testament, its ideas surface in James 5:4, “The wages you withheld from the workmen who mowed your fields are crying out against you,” echoing Levitical law. Jesus’ proclamation, “The Spirit of the Lord… has anointed Me to proclaim freedom for the oppressed” (Luke 4:18, citing Isaiah 61), positions the gospel as the ultimate answer to ʿashaq. Pastoral and Homiletical Applications 1. Integrity in Employment: Prompt, fair compensation models divine justice. Key References Leviticus 19:13; Deuteronomy 24:14-15; 28:29; 1 Samuel 12:3-4; Job 10:3; 19:7; 35:9; 36:15; Psalms 72:4; 119:121; 146:7; Proverbs 14:31; 22:16; Ecclesiastes 5:8; Isaiah 1:17 (conceptual); Jeremiah 7:6; Ezekiel 18:7, 12, 16; 22:29; Micah 2:2; Zechariah 7:10; Malachi 3:5. Forms and Transliterations הַֽמְעֻשָּׁקָ֞ה הָעֹשְׁק֣וֹת המעשקה העשקות וְעָֽשְׁקוּ֙ וְעֹשֵׁ֣ק וּבְעֹשְׁקֵ֣י ובעשקי ועשק ועשקו יַעֲשֹׁ֣ק יַעַשְׁקֻ֥נִי יעשק יעשקני לְעָשְׁקָ֑ם לְעָשְׁקָ֔ם לְעֹֽשְׁקָֽי׃ לַעֲשֹׁ֥ק לָעֲשׁוּקִ֗ים לעשוקים לעשק לעשקי׃ לעשקם עֲשַׁקְתָּ֖נוּ עֲשָׁקֽוֹ׃ עֲשׁוּקִ֛ים עֲשׁוּקִֽים׃ עָ֣שְׁקוּ עָ֣שַׁק עָשְׁק֖וּ עָשַׁ֙קְתִּי֙ עָשַׁ֥ק עָשָׁ֔ק עָשֻׁ֣ק עָשׁ֥וּק עָשׁ֧וּק עֹ֣שֵֽׁק עֹ֣שֵֽׁק־ עֹֽשְׁקֵיהֶם֙ עוֹשֵֽׁק׃ עוֹשֵׁ֑ק עושק עושק׃ עשוק עשוקים עשוקים׃ עשק עשק־ עשקו עשקו׃ עשקיהם עשקתי עשקתנו תַּעֲשֹׁ֑קוּ תַֽעֲשֹׁ֔קוּ תַעֲשֹׁ֗ק תַעֲשֹׁ֥ק תעשק תעשקו ‘ă·šā·qōw ‘ā·šaq ‘ā·šāq ‘ă·šaq·tā·nū ‘ā·šaq·tî ‘ā·šə·qū ‘ă·šū·qîm ‘ā·šuq ‘ā·šūq ‘āšaq ‘āšāq ‘ăšāqōw ‘ăšaqtānū ‘āšaqtî ‘āšəqū ‘āšuq ‘āšūq ‘ăšūqîm ‘ō·šə·qê·hem ‘ō·šêq ‘ō·šêq- ‘ō·wō·šêq ‘ōšêq ‘ōšêq- ‘ōšəqêhem ‘ōwōšêq aShak ashaKo ashakTanu aShakti Asheku aShuk ashuKim hā‘ōšəqōwṯ hā·‘ō·šə·qō·wṯ ham‘uššāqāh ham·‘uš·šā·qāh hamushshaKah haosheKot la‘ăšōq lā‘ăšūqîm la·‘ă·šōq lā·‘ă·šū·qîm laaShok laashuKim lə‘āšəqām lə‘ōšəqāy lə·‘ā·šə·qām lə·‘ō·šə·qāy leasheKam leOsheKai oShek oshekeiHem ṯa‘ăšōq ta‘ăšōqū ṯa‘ăšōqū ta·‘ă·šō·qū ṯa·‘ă·šō·qū ṯa·‘ă·šōq taaShok taaShoku ū·ḇə·‘ō·šə·qê ūḇə‘ōšəqê uveosheKei veasheKu veoShek wə‘āšəqū wə‘ōšêq wə·‘ā·šə·qū wə·‘ō·šêq ya‘ăšōq ya‘ašqunî ya·‘ă·šōq ya·‘aš·qu·nî yaashKuni yaaShokLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Leviticus 6:2 HEB: בְגָזֵ֔ל א֖וֹ עָשַׁ֥ק אֶת־ עֲמִיתֽוֹ׃ NAS: or [if] he has extorted from his companion, KJV: or in a thing taken away by violence, or hath deceived his neighbour; INT: robbery or has extorted his companion Leviticus 6:4 Leviticus 19:13 Deuteronomy 24:14 Deuteronomy 28:29 Deuteronomy 28:33 1 Samuel 12:3 1 Samuel 12:4 1 Chronicles 16:21 Job 10:3 Job 40:23 Psalm 72:4 Psalm 103:6 Psalm 105:14 Psalm 119:121 Psalm 119:122 Psalm 146:7 Proverbs 14:31 Proverbs 22:16 Proverbs 28:3 Proverbs 28:17 Ecclesiastes 4:1 Isaiah 23:12 Isaiah 52:4 Jeremiah 7:6 35 Occurrences |
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