What does עֹשֶׁר (osher) mean in the Bible?
עֹשֶׁר (osher): Wealth viewed as accumulated possessions; often carries theological ambivalence regarding trust and spiritual faithfulness in OT
Hebrew · H6239
עֹשֶׁר
Wealth
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עֹשֶׁר H6239
Pronunciation osher
What does עֹשֶׁר (osher) mean in the Bible?
עֹשֶׁר (osher): Wealth viewed as accumulated possessions; often carries theological ambivalence regarding trust and spiritual faithfulness in OT
Full entry for עֹשֶׁר (H6239) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H6239?
The BSB source-word alignment has 37 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include riches (12), wealth (4), in his riches (2), in riches (2), of his wealth (2).
Where does עֹשֶׁר (osher) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Genesis 31:16. Its strongest book concentrations include Proverbs (9), 2 Chronicles (6), Ecclesiastes (6), 1 Kings (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 riches 12× 1 Samuel 17:25, 1 Kings 3:13, 1 Chronicles 29:28, 2 Chronicles 1:11
wealth 4× 1 Kings 3:11, Esther 5:11, Ecclesiastes 5:13, Ecclesiastes 5:14
in his riches 2× Proverbs 11:28, Jeremiah 9:23
in riches 2× 1 Kings 10:23, 2 Chronicles 9:22
of his wealth 2× Psalms 52:7, Daniel 11:2
of riches 2× 2 Chronicles 17:5, 2 Chronicles 18:1
the wealth 2× Genesis 31:16, Ecclesiastes 9:11
[are] riches 1× Proverbs 3:16
[are] wealth 1× Proverbs 22:4
a fortune 1× Jeremiah 17:11
and riches 1× Psalms 112:3
are riches 1× Proverbs 8:18
Both riches 1× 1 Chronicles 29:12
is their wealth 1× Proverbs 14:24
nor riches 1× Proverbs 30:8
only wealth 1× Proverbs 11:16
who will be 1× Daniel 11:2
with his wealth 1× Ecclesiastes 4:8
Show sample aligned rows
Genesis 31:16 הָעֹ֗שֶׁר to the wealth Article | Noun - masculine singular 1 Samuel 17:25 עֹ֣שֶׁר to riches Noun - masculine singular 1 Kings 3:11 עֹ֔שֶׁר to wealth Noun - masculine singular 1 Kings 3:13 עֹ֖שֶׁר to riches Noun - masculine singular 1 Kings 10:23 לְעֹ֖שֶׁר to in riches Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular 1 Chronicles 29:12 וְהָעֹ֤שֶׁר to Both riches Conjunctive waw, Article | Noun - masculine singular 1 Chronicles 29:28 עֹ֣שֶׁר to riches Noun - masculine singular 2 Chronicles 1:11 עֹ֣שֶׁר to riches Noun - masculine singular 2 Chronicles 1:12 וְעֹ֨שֶׁר to riches Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular 2 Chronicles 9:22 לְעֹ֖שֶׁר to in riches Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Genesis 31:16
Aligned rows 37
Books represented 11
Genesis 1 1 Samuel 1 1 Kings 3 1 Chronicles 2 2 Chronicles 6 Esther 2 Psalms 3 Proverbs 9 Ecclesiastes 6 Jeremiah 2 Daniel 2
Source forms
עֹ֣שֶׁר 4x ‘ō·šer 1 Samuel 17:25, 1 Chronicles 29:28, 2 Chronicles 1:11, Proverbs 3:16
עֹ֖שֶׁר 3x ‘ō·šer 1 Kings 3:13, Proverbs 22:4, Jeremiah 17:11
עֹֽשֶׁר־ 3x ‘ō·šer- 2 Chronicles 17:5, Proverbs 8:18, Daniel 11:2
לְעֹ֖שֶׁר 2x lə·‘ō·šer 1 Kings 10:23, 2 Chronicles 9:22
עֹ֔שֶׁר 2x ‘ō·šer 1 Kings 3:11, Ecclesiastes 9:11
עֹ֥שֶׁר 2x ‘ō·šer 2 Chronicles 18:1, 2 Chronicles 32:27
עָשְׁר֑וֹ 2x ‘ā·šə·rōw Psalms 52:7, Proverbs 13:8
בְעָשְׁר֔וֹ 1x ḇə·‘ā·šə·rōw Daniel 11:2
Parsing patterns
Noun - masculine singular 19x 1 Samuel 17:25, 1 Kings 3:11, 1 Kings 3:13, 1 Chronicles 29:28
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular 3x 2 Chronicles 1:12, Psalms 112:3, Proverbs 30:8
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular 3x Esther 5:11, Psalms 52:7, Proverbs 13:8
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular 3x Proverbs 11:28, Jeremiah 9:23, Daniel 11:2
Article | Noun - masculine singular 2x Genesis 31:16, Ecclesiastes 5:14
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine plural 2x Psalms 49:6, Proverbs 14:24
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular 2x 1 Kings 10:23, 2 Chronicles 9:22
Conjunctive waw, Article | Noun - masculine singular 1x 1 Chronicles 29:12
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Wealth viewed as accumulated possessions; often carries theological ambivalence regarding trust and spiritual faithfulness in OT
Source Gloss
wealth
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Wealth viewed as accumulated possessions; often carries theological ambivalence regarding trust and spiritual faithfulness in OT
wealth BDB: riches Usage: × far (richer), riches.
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.
Old Testament Witnesses
wealth or material abundance
material wealth or abundance
Showing 2 selected witnesses from 37 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
עֹשֶׁר is built from this root:
Why This Word Matters
The proverb contrasts material wealth with the greater value of honor. Proverbs 11:16
The term represents the false security people often place in possessions. Proverbs 11:4
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