What does בֶּצַע (beṣaʿ) mean in the Bible?
בֶּצַע (beṣaʿ): Gain acquired through violence or exploitation; carries moral condemnation when used of human profit-seeking behavior.
Hebrew · H1215
בֶּצַע
Plunder ; by extension, gain (usually unjust)
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בֶּצַע H1215
Pronunciation beṣaʿ
What does בֶּצַע (beṣaʿ) mean in the Bible?
בֶּצַע (beṣaʿ): Gain acquired through violence or exploitation; carries moral condemnation when used of human profit-seeking behavior.
Full entry for בֶּצַע (H1215) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H1215?
The BSB source-word alignment has 23 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include dishonest gain (2), for gain (2), gain (2), . . . (1), covetous gain (1).
Where does בֶּצַע (beṣaʿ) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Genesis 37:26. Its strongest book concentrations include Jeremiah (4), Ezekiel (3), Isaiah (3), Proverbs (3).
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 dishonest gain 2× 1 Samuel 8:3, Ezekiel 33:31
for gain 2× Jeremiah 6:13, Jeremiah 8:10
gain 2× Isaiah 33:15, Habakkuk 2:9
. . . 1× Ezekiel 22:27
covetous gain 1× Psalms 119:36
dishonest profit 1× Proverbs 28:16
Does He profit 1× Job 22:3
for unjust gain 1× Proverbs 15:27
gain [is there] 1× Psalms 30:9
greed 1× Isaiah 57:17
have we gained 1× Malachi 3:14
is cut 1× Jeremiah 51:13
plunder 1× Judges 5:19
profit will we gain 1× Genesis 37:26
seeking his own gain 1× Isaiah 56:11
their gain 1× Micah 4:13
to dishonest gain 1× Exodus 18:21
whose unjust gain 1× Proverbs 1:19
your own dishonest gain 1× Jeremiah 22:17
your unjust gain 1× Ezekiel 22:13
Show sample aligned rows
Genesis 37:26 בֶּ֗צַע to profit will we gain Noun - masculine singular Exodus 18:21 בָ֑צַע to to dishonest gain Noun - masculine singular Judges 5:19 בֶּ֥צַע to plunder Noun - masculine singular construct 1 Samuel 8:3 הַבָּ֑צַע to dishonest gain Article | Noun - masculine singular Job 22:3 בֶּ֝֗צַע to Does He profit Noun - masculine singular Psalms 30:9 בֶּ֥צַע to gain [is there] Noun - masculine singular Psalms 119:36 בָּֽצַע׃ to covetous gain Noun - masculine singular Proverbs 1:19 בָּ֑צַע to whose unjust gain Noun - masculine singular Proverbs 15:27 בָּ֑צַע to for unjust gain Noun - masculine singular Proverbs 28:16 בֶ֝֗צַע to dishonest profit Noun - masculine singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Genesis 37:26
Aligned rows 23
Books represented 13
Genesis 1 Exodus 1 Judges 1 1 Samuel 1 Job 1 Psalms 2 Proverbs 3 Isaiah 3 Jeremiah 4 Ezekiel 3 Micah 1 Habakkuk 1 Malachi 1
Source forms
בָּ֑צַע 4x bā·ṣa‘ Proverbs 1:19, Proverbs 15:27, Jeremiah 6:13, Jeremiah 8:10
בֶּ֥צַע 3x be·ṣa‘ Judges 5:19, Psalms 30:9, Habakkuk 2:9
בֶּ֗צַע 2x be·ṣa‘ Genesis 37:26, Malachi 3:14
בָּֽצַע׃ 2x bā·ṣa‘ Psalms 119:36, Ezekiel 22:27
בְּבֶ֣צַע 1x bə·ḇe·ṣa‘ Isaiah 33:15
בֶ֝֗צַע 1x ḇe·ṣa‘ Proverbs 28:16
בֶּ֝֗צַע 1x be·ṣa‘ Job 22:3
בָ֑צַע 1x ḇā·ṣa‘ Exodus 18:21
Parsing patterns
Noun - masculine singular 13x Genesis 37:26, Exodus 18:21, Job 22:3, Psalms 30:9
Noun - masculine singular construct | second person feminine singular 2x Jeremiah 51:13, Ezekiel 22:13
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine plural 2x Ezekiel 33:31, Micah 4:13
Article | Noun - masculine singular 1x 1 Samuel 8:3
Noun - masculine singular construct 1x Judges 5:19
Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular 1x Jeremiah 22:17
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular 1x Isaiah 57:17
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct 1x Isaiah 33:15
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Gain acquired through violence or exploitation; carries moral condemnation when used of human profit-seeking behavior.
Source Gloss
plunder ; by extension, gain (usually unjust)
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Gain acquired through violence or exploitation; carries moral condemnation when used of human profit-seeking behavior.
plunder; by extension, gain (usually unjust) BDB: gain made by violence Usage: covetousness, (dishonest) gain, lucre, profit.
Grammatical Forms
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
Selected Scripture Witnesses
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Biblical Witnesses
Unjust profit from violent crime, specifically bloodshed and robbery
Dishonest profit pursued by prophets and priests with greed and deceit
Covetous pursuit of unjust profit that troubles one's household
Greedy acquisition of dishonest profit by corrupt leaders and watchmen
Showing 4 selected witnesses from 23 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
בֶּצַע is built from this root:
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