← H6230 H6232 →

עָשַׁק

𐤏𐤔𐤒

ʻâshaq

H6231 verb

SILEX Entry

Definition

To oppress or exploit, particularly through the unjust withholding of what rightfully belongs to another, such as wages, property, or legal rights. The word primarily conveys a sense of ruthless or forceful deprivation, typically of the vulnerable by those in power. In some contexts it can denote extortion or acts of exploitation, and, more rarely, the act of forcibly consuming or draining resources from another.

Semantic Range

to oppress, to exploit, to extort, to withhold wages or rights, to mistreat (in a legal or economic sense), to drain or consume resources forcibly, to defraud

Root / Etymology

From the triliteral root עשק (ʿ-š-q), meaning 'to press, squeeze, oppress.' The verbal form עָשַׁק (ʿāshaq) carries a nuance of pressure leading to abuse, especially in economic or legal relationships. It is related in sound but likely not in direct derivation to עָשַׂק (ʿāsaq, H6232), which has a similar meaning in some dialectal forms.

Historical & Contextual Notes

עָשַׁק appears chiefly in legal, prophetic, and wisdom texts to denote social or economic oppression, especially of vulnerable groups such as laborers, widows, and orphans (e.g., Leviticus 19:13, Jeremiah 21:12). The term emphasizes acts where power is used to deprive others of what is due to them, or to exploit them for personal gain. In poetic texts it may be broadened figuratively to the idea of consuming or draining. English translations often use the word 'oppress,' but this can obscure the economic or legal focus of the term in biblical contexts. The cognate Aramaic and Northwest Semitic roots reinforce the notion of unjust gain or harsh use of power. In post-exilic texts, the term retains this nuance but may appear in broader lists describing types of ethical wrongdoing, sometimes overlapping with other terms for violence or injustice. The verb is sometimes juxtaposed with terms for 'robbery' (גזל, gazal) or 'violence' (חמס, ḥamas), but specifically highlights injustice through misuse of authority rather than outright theft or violent assault.

Translation Consistency

primary "oppress" 29 occurrences

'oppress' best captures the broad, primarily social/economic sense of עָשַׁק — ruthless exploitation, extortion, and withholding of rights or wages. It is the most common and natural English rendering in the P2 data and fits the typical biblical usage while allowing related senses (exploit, extort, defraud) to be handled as contextual variants.

Alternatives (7 occurrences):
"oppressor" (4x) "oppressors" (2x) "oppressors of" (1x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a primitive root (compare עָשַׂק); to press upon, i.e. oppress, defraud, violate, overflow; get deceitfully, deceive, defraud, drink up, (use) oppress(-ion), -or), do violence (wrong).

Bantu Hebrew

No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been recorded for this word yet.

Root Family

עַשַׁק (ʻâshaq) — to oppress, to exploit, to extort

Root עַשַׁק to oppress, to exploit, to extort

Word Forms

22 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H6231-06 עָשׁ֧וּק ashuq HVqsmsa oppressed oppressed one oppressed one 4
H6231-14 עוֹשֵׁ֑ק osheq HVqrmsa oppresses ruthless oppression oppressor 4
H6231-01 עָ֣שַׁק ashaq HVqp3ms he oppressed he oppressed he oppressed 3
H6231-16 תַעֲשֹׁ֥ק taashoq HVqi2ms you oppress you oppress you oppress 3
H6231-05 עָ֣שְׁקוּ ashequ HVqp3cp have oppressed they oppressed they oppressed 2
H6231-07 עֲשׁוּקִ֛ים ashuqim HVqsmpa are oppressed oppressed ones oppressed ones 2
H6231-12 לְ/עָשְׁקָ֔/ם leasheqam HR/Vqc/Sp3mp to oppress them to oppress them to oppress them 2
H6231-17 תַֽעֲשֹׁ֔קוּ taashoqu HVqi2mp oppress you oppress oppress 2
H6231-02 עֲשַׁקְתָּ֖/נוּ ashaqetanu HVqp2ms/Sp1cp defrauded us you oppressed us you oppressed us 1
H6231-03 עָשַׁ֨קְתִּי֙ ashaqeti HVqp1cs have I oppressed I oppressed have I oppressed 1

Occurrences in Scripture

36 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H6231-01 Leviticus 5:21 עָשַׁ֥ק ashaq HVqp3ms he-oppresses he oppressed he oppressed
H6231-01 Leviticus 5:23 עָשָׁ֔ק ashaq HVqp3ms he oppressed he oppressed he oppressed
H6231-16 Leviticus 19:13 תַעֲשֹׁ֥ק taashoq HVqi2ms you-shall-oppress you oppress you oppress
H6231-16 Deuteronomy 24:14 תַעֲשֹׁ֥ק taashoq HVqi2ms you shall oppress you oppress you oppress
H6231-06 Deuteronomy 28:29 עָשׁ֧וּק ashuq HVqsmsa oppressed oppressed one oppressed one
H6231-06 Deuteronomy 28:33 עָשׁ֥וּק ashuq HVqsmsa oppressed oppressed one oppressed one
H6231-03 1 Samuel 12:3 עָשַׁ֨קְתִּי֙ ashaqeti HVqp1cs have I oppressed I oppressed have I oppressed
H6231-02 1 Samuel 12:4 עֲשַׁקְתָּ֖/נוּ ashaqetanu HVqp2ms/Sp1cp defrauded us you oppressed us you oppressed us
H6231-08 Isaiah 23:12 הַֽ/מְעֻשָּׁקָ֞ה hameushaqah HTd/VPsfsa O oppressed one the oppressed woman the oppressed woman
H6231-04 Isaiah 52:4 עֲשָׁקֽ/וֹ ashaqo HVqp3ms/Sp3ms oppressed them he exploited him he oppressed him
H6231-17 Jeremiah 7:6 תַֽעֲשֹׁ֔קוּ taashoqu HVqi2mp you oppress you oppress you (pl) will oppress
H6231-14 Jeremiah 21:12 עוֹשֵׁ֑ק osheq HVqrmsa of oppressor ruthless oppression the oppressor
H6231-07 Jeremiah 50:33 עֲשׁוּקִ֛ים ashuqim HVqsmpa are oppressed oppressed ones oppressed ones
H6231-01 Ezekiel 18:18 עָ֣שַׁק ashaq HVqp3ms he oppressed he oppressed he oppressed
H6231-05 Ezekiel 22:29 עָ֣שְׁקוּ ashequ HVqp3cp have oppressed they oppressed they oppressed
H6231-05 Ezekiel 22:29 עָשְׁק֖וּ ashequ-2 HVqp3cp they oppressed they oppressed they oppressed
H6231-06 Hosea 5:11 עָשׁ֥וּק ashuq HVqsmsa oppressed oppressed one oppressed one
H6231-10 Hosea 12:8 לַ/עֲשֹׁ֥ק laashoq HR/Vqc for oppression to oppress to oppress
H6231-09 Amos 4:1 הָ/עֹשְׁק֣וֹת haosheqot HTd/Vqrfpa oppress the oppressing women the oppressing ones
H6231-19 Micah 2:2 וְ/עָֽשְׁקוּ֙ veashequ HC/Vqq3cp and oppress and they oppressed and they oppressed
H6231-17 Zechariah 7:10 תַּעֲשֹׁ֑קוּ taashoqu HVqj2mp oppress you oppress oppress
H6231-18 Malachi 3:5 וּ/בְ/עֹשְׁקֵ֣י uveosheqey HC/R/Vqrmpc and-against-oppressors-of oppressors of against oppressors of
H6231-14 Psalms 72:4 עוֹשֵֽׁק osheq HVqrmsa the oppressor ruthless oppression the oppressor
H6231-07 Psalms 103:6 עֲשׁוּקִֽים ashuqim HVqsmpa oppressed oppressed ones oppressed ones
H6231-12 Psalms 105:14 לְ/עָשְׁקָ֑/ם leasheqam HR/Vqc/Sp3mp to-oppress-them to oppress them to oppress them
H6231-13 Psalms 119:121 לְ/עֹֽשְׁקָֽ/י leosheqay HR/Vqrmpc/Sp1cs to my oppressors to my oppressors to my oppressors
H6231-21 Psalms 119:122 יַעַשְׁקֻ֥/נִי yaashequni HVqj3mp/Sp1cs oppress me may they oppress me may they oppress me
H6231-11 Psalms 146:7 לָ/עֲשׁוּקִ֗ים laashuqim HRd/Vqsmpa for the oppressed to the oppressed ones to the oppressed ones
H6231-14 Proverbs 14:31 עֹ֣שֵֽׁק osheq HVqrmsa oppresses ruthless oppression oppressor
H6231-14 Proverbs 22:16 עֹ֣שֵֽׁק osheq HVqrmsa oppresses ruthless oppression oppressor
H6231-20 Proverbs 28:3 וְ/עֹשֵׁ֣ק veosheq HC/Vqrmsa who oppresses oppression and oppresses
H6231-06 Proverbs 28:17 עָשֻׁ֣ק ashuq HVqsmsa burdened oppressed one oppressed one
H6231-16 Job 10:3 תַעֲשֹׁ֗ק taashoq HVqi2ms you oppress you oppress you oppress
H6231-22 Job 40:23 יַעֲשֹׁ֣ק yaashoq HVqi3ms it oppresses he oppresses it oppresses
H6231-15 Ecclesiastes 4:1 עֹֽשְׁקֵי/הֶם֙ osheqeyhem HVqrmpc/Sp3mp their oppressors their oppressors
H6231-12 1 Chronicles 16:21 לְ/עָשְׁקָ֔/ם leasheqam HR/Vqc/Sp3mp to oppress them to oppress them to oppress them
← H6230 Hebrew Lexicon H6232 →