What does בָּצַע (bāṣaʿ) mean in the Bible?
בָּצַע (bāṣaʿ): Breaking off or severing for gain; dominantly used of greedy acquisition and covetous plunder rather than neutral cutting.
Hebrew · H1214
בָּצַע
To break off, i.e. (usually) plunder ; figuratively, to finish , or (intransitively) stop
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בָּצַע H1214
Pronunciation bāṣaʿ
What does בָּצַע (bāṣaʿ) mean in the Bible?
בָּצַע (bāṣaʿ): Breaking off or severing for gain; dominantly used of greedy acquisition and covetous plunder rather than neutral cutting.
Full entry for בָּצַע (H1214) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H1214?
The BSB source-word alignment has 16 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include are greedy (2), and cut me off (1), breaking ranks (1), dishonest gain (1), has completed (1).
Where does בָּצַע (bāṣaʿ) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Job 6:9. Its strongest book concentrations include Ezekiel (2), Isaiah (2), Jeremiah (2), Job (2).
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders It are greedy 2× Jeremiah 6:13, Jeremiah 8:10
and cut me off 1× Job 6:9
breaking ranks 1× Joel 2:8
dishonest gain 1× Ezekiel 22:27
has completed 1× Isaiah 10:12
He cuts me off 1× Isaiah 38:12
He has accomplished 1× Lamentations 2:17
he is cut off 1× Job 27:8
He who is greedy 1× Proverbs 15:27
take 1× Ezekiel 22:12
the greedy 1× Psalms 10:3
to him who builds 1× Habakkuk 2:9
Topple them 1× Amos 9:1
who are greedy 1× Proverbs 1:19
will complete it 1× Zechariah 4:9
Show sample aligned rows
Job 6:9 וִֽיבַצְּעֵֽנִי׃ to and cut me off Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Conjunctive imperfect - third person masculine singular | first person common singular Job 27:8 יִבְצָ֑ע to he is cut off Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular Psalms 10:3 וּבֹצֵ֥עַ to the greedy Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular Proverbs 1:19 בֹּ֣צֵֽעַ to who are greedy Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular Proverbs 15:27 בּוֹצֵ֣עַ to He who is greedy Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular Isaiah 10:12 יְבַצַּ֤ע to has completed Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person masculine singular Isaiah 38:12 יְבַצְּעֵ֔נִי to He cuts me off Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person masculine singular | first person common singular Jeremiah 6:13 בּוֹצֵ֣עַ to are greedy Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular Jeremiah 8:10 בֹּצֵ֣עַ to are greedy Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular Lamentations 2:17 בִּצַּ֤ע to He has accomplished Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Job 6:9
Aligned rows 16
Books represented 11
Job 2 Psalms 1 Proverbs 2 Isaiah 2 Jeremiah 2 Lamentations 1 Ezekiel 2 Joel 1 Amos 1 Habakkuk 1 Zechariah 1
Source forms
בּוֹצֵ֣עַ 2x bō·w·ṣê·a‘ Proverbs 15:27, Jeremiah 6:13
בְּצֹ֥עַ 1x bə·ṣō·a‘ Ezekiel 22:27
בִּצַּ֤ע 1x biṣ·ṣa‘ Lamentations 2:17
בֹּ֣צֵֽעַ 1x bō·ṣê·a‘ Proverbs 1:19
בֹּצֵ֣עַ 1x bō·ṣê·a‘ Jeremiah 8:10
בֹּצֵ֛עַ 1x bō·ṣê·a‘ Habakkuk 2:9
וּבֹצֵ֥עַ 1x ū·ḇō·ṣê·a‘ Psalms 10:3
וּבְצַ֙עַם֙ 1x ū·ḇə·ṣa·‘am Amos 9:1
Parsing patterns
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular 5x Proverbs 1:19, Proverbs 15:27, Jeremiah 6:13, Jeremiah 8:10
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Conjunctive imperfect - third person masculine singular | first person common singular 1x Job 6:9
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - second person feminine singular 1x Ezekiel 22:12
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular | third person masculine plural 1x Amos 9:1
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular 1x Psalms 10:3
Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person feminine plural 1x Zechariah 4:9
Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person masculine singular 1x Isaiah 10:12
Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person masculine singular | first person common singular 1x Isaiah 38:12
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Breaking off or severing for gain; dominantly used of greedy acquisition and covetous plunder rather than neutral cutting.
Strong's H1214
Lexical occurrences 16 verses Word forms 2 forms 11 references Verse guides 0 guides
Study link Isaiah 56:9-12 Source Gloss
to break off, i.e. (usually) plunder ; figuratively, to finish , or (intransitively) stop
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Breaking off or severing for gain; dominantly used of greedy acquisition and covetous plunder rather than neutral cutting.
to break off, i.e. (usually) plunder; figuratively, to finish, or (intransitively) stop BDB: cut off Usage: (be) covet(-ous), cut (off), finish, fulfill, gain (greedily), get, be given to (covetousness), greedy, perform, be wounded.
Grammatical Forms
How the stem changes the meaning of this verb across the biblical text.
This verb appears through different tense, voice, mood, or stem patterns. Those forms help readers see how the action is presented in context.
Form groups 2 Aligned forms 11
Qal basic active stem — the word in its most common, direct sense 8×
Participle active Hab 2:9 · Jer 6:13 · Jer 8:10 · Prov 1:19 · Prov 15:27 5×
Imperfect Job 27:8 · Joel 2:8 2×
Infinitive construct Ezek 22:27 1×
Piel intensive active — emphasizes thoroughness or repeated action 3×
Imperfect Isa 10:12 · Zech 4:9 2×
Perfect Lam 2:17 1×
Selected Scripture Witnesses
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Biblical Witnesses
Dogs described as greedy, unable to be satisfied, consuming excessively
One who is greedy for gain troubles his own house, showing destructive consequences
Showing 2 selected witnesses from 16 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
בָּצַע is a primitive root - no further derivation.
Part of These Phrases
Compound and idiomatic phrases that include this word. Follow a link to study the phrase and how its parts work together.
Sources
MorphGNT Strong's Dictionary XML — CC0 1.0 Public Domain
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (morphhb/OSHB) — CC BY 4.0
Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon — CC BY 4.0
Berean Standard Bible (BSB) source-word alignment - CC0 Public Domain