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בֶּצַע

𐤁𐤑𐤏

betsaʻ

H1215 noun

SILEX Entry

Root בצע to break off, cut, divide forcibly

Definition

Material profit acquired through illicit, dishonest, or violent means; can denote unjust gain, profit from exploitation, or ill-gotten wealth. The semantic range also covers broader unethical advantage, spoil, or plunder taken by force or deceit, and, in rare cases, can refer to gain or advantage generally, though typically with negative connotation.

Semantic Range

unjust gain, dishonest profit, ill-gotten wealth, plunder, spoils, material advantage acquired by force or deceit, covetousness

Root / Etymology

From the root בָּצַע (b-tz-ʻ), meaning 'to break off, cut, divide.' בֶּצַע derives from the root's sense of dividing or snatching off, extending metaphorically to gaining wealth by taking (especially through unjust or violent means). Thus, while the core root pertains to a physical act of breaking off or dividing, the noun refers to the outcome—material gain obtained through such action.

Historical & Contextual Notes

בֶּצַע appears mostly in contexts that critique the pursuit of personal profit at the expense of others, often in legal or moral indictments (e.g., Proverbs, Isaiah, Ezekiel, especially in the critique of corrupt leaders and merchants). While it can generically denote profit or advantage (e.g., Genesis 37:26, where it refers to the gain from selling Joseph), most biblical occurrences emphasize the unethical or illicit nature of the gain. The motivation for בֶּצַע is often contrasted with uprightness or justice, setting it apart from more neutral Hebrew terms for wealth or success (e.g., עֹשֶׁר 'wealth', שָׂכָר 'wages'). In later Hebrew literature and translation traditions, בֶּצַע often came to connote greed or covetousness, though its primary biblical sense is material gain via unjust means.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from בָּצַע; plunder; by extension, gain (usually unjust); covetousness, (dishonest) gain, lucre, profit.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

בצע (b-ts-ʿ) — break off, cut, divide forcibly

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H1214 בָּצַע to seize unjust gain

Word Forms

12 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H1215-02 בֶּ֗צַע betsa HNcmsa profit ill-gotten gain 6
H1215-01 בָּ֑צַע batsa HNcmsa gain ill-gotten gain 6
H1215-06 בִּצְעֵֽ/ךְ bitseekhe HNcmsc/Sp2fs of your covetousness your ill-gotten gain 2
H1215-09 לְ/בִצְע֖/וֹ levitseo HR/Ncmsc/Sp3ms to-his-gain to his ill-gotten gain 1
H1215-03 בְּ/בֶ֣צַע bevetsa HR/Ncmsc gain of in ill-gotten gain of 1
H1215-11 בֶ֝֗צַע vetsa HNcmsa covetousness ill-gotten gain 1
H1215-12 בִצְעָ֖/ם vitseam HNcmsc/Sp3mp their-gain their ill-gotten gain 1
H1215-04 בִּצְעָ֔/ם bitseam HNcmsc/Sp3mp their-gain their ill-gotten gain 1
H1215-10 בָ֑צַע vatsa HNcmsa dishonest gain ill-gotten gain 1
H1215-07 בִּצְע֛/וֹ bitseo HNcmsc/Sp3ms of his covetousness his ill-gotten gain 1

Occurrences in Scripture

23 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H1215-02 Genesis 37:26 בֶּ֗צַע betsa HNcmsa profit ill-gotten gain
H1215-10 Exodus 18:21 בָ֑צַע vatsa HNcmsa dishonest gain ill-gotten gain
H1215-02 Judges 5:19 בֶּ֥צַע betsa HNcmsc plunder ill-gotten gain
H1215-08 1 Samuel 8:3 הַ/בָּ֑צַע habatsa HTd/Ncmsa the gain the ill-gotten gain
H1215-03 Isaiah 33:15 בְּ/בֶ֣צַע bevetsa HR/Ncmsc gain of in ill-gotten gain of
H1215-09 Isaiah 56:11 לְ/בִצְע֖/וֹ levitseo HR/Ncmsc/Sp3ms to-his-gain to his ill-gotten gain
H1215-07 Isaiah 57:17 בִּצְע֛/וֹ bitseo HNcmsc/Sp3ms of his covetousness his ill-gotten gain
H1215-01 Jeremiah 6:13 בָּ֑צַע batsa HNcmsa gain ill-gotten gain
H1215-01 Jeremiah 8:10 בָּ֑צַע batsa HNcmsa gain ill-gotten gain
H1215-05 Jeremiah 22:17 בִּצְעֶ֑/ךָ bitseekha HNcmsc/Sp2ms your covetousness your ill-gotten gain
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