The term "impoverished" refers to a state of poverty or lack, often characterized by insufficient resources to meet basic needs. In the biblical context, poverty is a recurring theme, and the Scriptures address both the physical and spiritual dimensions of being impoverished. The Bible provides guidance on how the community of believers should respond to those in need, emphasizing compassion, justice, and generosity.

Old Testament Context

In the Old Testament, poverty is often seen as a condition that requires the community's attention and care. The Law of Moses includes numerous provisions to protect and support the impoverished. For example, the Israelites were commanded to leave the gleanings of their harvest for the poor and the foreigner: "When you reap the harvest of your land, you are not to reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Leave them for the poor and the foreigner. I am the LORD your God" (Leviticus 23:22).

The concept of the Year of Jubilee, described in Leviticus 25, also reflects God's concern for the impoverished. Every fiftieth year, debts were to be forgiven, and land that had been sold was to be returned to its original owners, ensuring that families who had fallen into poverty could regain their inheritance and means of livelihood.

The wisdom literature, particularly the Book of Proverbs, frequently addresses the causes and consequences of poverty. Proverbs 14:31 states, "Whoever oppresses the poor taunts their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors Him" . This verse highlights the moral responsibility to treat the impoverished with dignity and respect.

New Testament Context

In the New Testament, Jesus' ministry is marked by a profound concern for the impoverished. He identifies with the poor and marginalized, as seen in His declaration in the synagogue: "The Spirit of the Lord is on Me, because He has anointed Me to preach good news to the poor" (Luke 4:18). Jesus' teachings often emphasize the blessedness of the poor in spirit, as in the Beatitudes: "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 5:3).

The early Christian community exemplified a radical approach to addressing poverty. Acts 4:34-35 describes how believers shared their possessions to ensure that "there was no needy one among them" . This communal sharing reflects the transformative power of the Gospel in creating a community where the needs of the impoverished are met through mutual love and generosity.

The Apostle Paul also addresses the issue of poverty, encouraging the churches to support those in need. In 2 Corinthians 8:13-14, he writes, "Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality. At the present time, your surplus will supply their need, so that in turn their surplus will supply your need. Then there will be equality" . This passage underscores the principle of mutual aid and the importance of balancing resources within the body of Christ.

Spiritual Impoverishment

Beyond material poverty, the Bible also speaks to spiritual impoverishment. This condition is characterized by a lack of spiritual vitality and a need for God's grace and truth. Jesus' call to the "poor in spirit" in the Beatitudes highlights the blessedness of recognizing one's spiritual need and dependence on God. The impoverished in spirit are those who acknowledge their need for God's mercy and are open to receiving His kingdom.

In Revelation 3:17-18, the church in Laodicea is admonished for their spiritual poverty despite their material wealth: "You say, ‘I am rich; I have grown wealthy and need nothing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked. I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich" . This passage serves as a warning against complacency and self-reliance, urging believers to seek true riches in Christ.

Conclusion

The biblical perspective on impoverishment encompasses both material and spiritual dimensions, calling believers to respond with compassion, justice, and generosity. The Scriptures provide a framework for understanding poverty and offer guidance on how to address the needs of the impoverished within the community of faith.(imp. & p. p.) of Impoverish.5302. hustereo -- to come late, be behind, come short
... come late, be behind, come short NASB Word Usage am...lacking (1), come short (1),
comes short (1), destitute (1), fall short (1), impoverished (1), inferior (2 ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/5302.htm - 8k1809. dalal -- to hang, be low, languish
... wistfully (1), thin (1). bring low, dry up, be emptied, be not equal, fail,
be impoverished, be made thin. A primitive root (compare ...
/hebrew/1809.htm - 6k

5532b. sakan -- to be poor
... to be poor. Transliteration: sakan Short Definition: impoverished. Word Origin a
prim. root Definition to be poor NASB Word Usage impoverished (1). ...
/hebrew/5532b.htm - 5k

4134. muk -- to be low or depressed, to grow poor
... be waxen poorer. A primitive root; to become thin, ie (figuratively) be impoverished --
be (waxen) poor(-er). 4133, 4134. muk. 4135 . Strong's Numbers.
/hebrew/4134.htm - 6k

3423. yarash -- to take possession of, inherit, dispossess
... 6), driving (3), drove (4), expel (1), given us as an inheritance (1), gives you
to possess (1), heir (6), heirs (1), impoverish (1), impoverished (1), inherit ...
/hebrew/3423.htm - 7k

Eccles. 12:12 Simplicity in Preaching.
... Once he gave out for his text, "He that is so impoverished that he hath no oblation,
chooseth unto him a tree that will not rot" (Isa.40:20). ...
/.../chapter iii eccles 12 12 simplicity.htm

Jowett -- Apostolic Optimism
... I do not think that Richard Baxter's labors were thinned or impoverished by his
contemplation of "The Saint's Everlasting Rest." When I consider his mental ...
/.../various/the worlds great sermons volume 10/jowett apostolic optimism.htm

The First Chaldaean Empire and the Hyksos in Egypt
... country between the Orontes and the Euphrates is nothing but a rocky table-land,
ridged with low hills and dotted over with some impoverished oases, excepting ...
/.../chapter ithe first chaldaean empire.htm

Naparima and Montserrat
... I say inexhaustibly; for as fast as the upper layer is impoverished, it will be
swept over by the tropic rains, to mingle with the vegas, or alluvial flats ...
//christianbookshelf.org/kingsley/at last/chapter x naparima and montserrat.htm

See Where we were when the Republic Arose: Happy was it that the ...
... A day will come when they will see that they are impoverished under the pretext
of being enriched; that, when they are robbed of their souls and of God, both ...
/.../lamartine/atheism among the people/xvi see where we were.htm

Guelf and Ghibelline. (ii)
... But he found that the royal rights in the kingdom of Sicily had been much
impoverished during his minority and his subsequent absence. ...
/.../medley/the church and the empire/chapter xv guelf and ghibelline.htm

The Planting of the Church in New England --Pilgrim and Puritan.
... Those who read the copious records of the early New England colonization are again
and again surprised at finding that the impoverished little company of ...
/.../bacon/a history of american christianity/chapter viii the planting of.htm

Organized Beneficence.
... century from the achievement of independence there is no more distinguished monument
than the increase, through those troubled and impoverished years, of the ...
/.../bacon/a history of american christianity/chapter xv organized beneficence.htm

Reconstruction.
... SEVEN years of war left the American people exhausted, impoverished, disorganized,
conscious of having come into possession of a national existence, and ...
/.../bacon/a history of american christianity/chapter xiii reconstruction.htm

Rest for the Weary
... How soon would the greatest earthly monarch be impoverished, and his treasures utterly
exhausted, if all, that are poor and miserable, had encouragement to ...
//christianbookshelf.org/newton/messiah vol 1/sermon xiv rest for the.htm

Impoverished (4 Occurrences)
...Impoverished (4 Occurrences). ... Judges 6:6 And Israel was greatly impoverished because
of the Midianites; and the children of Israel cried unto the LORD. ...
/i/impoverished.htm - 7k

Liberality (7 Occurrences)
... 2. (n.) A gift; a gratuity; -- sometimes in the plural; as, a prudent man is not
impoverished by his liberalities. Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia. ...
/l/liberality.htm - 10k

Imprecation (2 Occurrences)

/i/imprecation.htm - 7k

Impoverish (3 Occurrences)

/i/impoverish.htm - 7k

Rot (15 Occurrences)
... to nothing. (See NAS RSV). Isaiah 40:20 He who is too impoverished for such
an offering chooses a tree that will not rot. He seeks ...
/r/rot.htm - 13k

Maintain (50 Occurrences)
... Genesis 45:11 And there will I maintain thee; for yet there are five years of famine;
in order that thou be not impoverished, thou, and thy household, and all ...
/m/maintain.htm - 21k

Poverty (25 Occurrences)
... Proverbs 18:23 well illustrates the general meaning of "poverty" as found in this
book: "The poor (rush, "to be impoverished," "destitute") useth entreaties ...
/p/poverty.htm - 21k

Poor (276 Occurrences)
... lowly (Exodus 23:3, etc.); dallah, "poverty," "weakness" (2 Kings 25:12, etc.);
rush, perhaps "to shake," "tremble," "to be poor," "impoverished" (1 Samuel 18 ...
/p/poor.htm - 60k

Cease (138 Occurrences)
... labor); pauomai, "to make to cease." Few words illustrate better the fertility of
the Hebrew in expressing limitless shades of meaning, impoverished by the use ...
/c/cease.htm - 40k

Chooseth (19 Occurrences)
... Isaiah 40:20 He that is so impoverished that he hath no oblation chooseth a tree
that will not rot; he seeketh unto him a cunning workman to prepare a graven ...
/c/chooseth.htm - 12k

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