Topic Study

1) עָנִי aniy (H6041) means “afflicted” (cf. Exodus 22:25; Leviticus 19:10; Leviticus 23:22; Deuteronomy 15:11; Deuteronomy 24:12-15) and is a person who is oppressed or depressed by affliction. עָנִי aniy comes from a root word which means “to watch” and is concretely represented as an eye in the sense that one who is oppressed or depressed forms a furrow between their eyes. עָנִי aniy is used 80 times in the Hebrew Bible and is most often translated as poor (58x), afflicted (15x), lowly (1x), man (1x), or as a variant (3x).

Exodus 22:25 “If you lend silver to any of my people with you who is afflicted, you shall not be to him [like a deceiver].^(MTT)

Leviticus 19:10 Do not glean your vineyard, neither shall you gather the fallen grapes of your vineyard. You shall leave them for the afflicted and for the foreigner. I am YHWH your Elohim.

Leviticus 23:22 When you reap the harvest of your land, you must not finish the corner of your field. You must not gather the gleanings of your harvest. You must leave them for the afflicted and for the foreigner. I am YHWH your Elohim.

Deuteronomy 15:11 For the needy will never cease out of the land. Therefore I command you to surely open your hand to your brother, to your afflicted, and to your needy, in your land.

Deuteronomy 24:12 If he is an afflicted man, you shall not sleep with his pledge. 13 You shall surely restore to him the pledge when the sun goes down, that he may sleep in his garment and bless you. It shall be righteousness to you before YHWH your Elohim. 14 You shall not oppress a hired-servant who is afflicted and needy, whether he is one of your brothers or one of the sojourners who are in your land within your gates. 15 In his day you shall give him his wages, neither shall the sun go down on it, for he is afflicted and sets his heart on it, lest he cry against you to YHWH, and it be sin to you.

2) דַּל dal (H1800) means “helpless” (cf. Genesis 41:19; Exodus 23:3; Exodus 30:15; Leviticus 14:21; Leviticus 19:15) and is a person who is weak and dangles their head in poverty or hunger.  דַּל dal comes from a root word that means to hang or dangle back and forth and is concretely represented as a door (cf. Genesis 19:6). In ancient times, tent and house doors were hung down on a rod as a curtain to cover the entrance. דַּל dal is used 48 times in the Hebrew Bible and most often translates as, poor (43x), needy (2x), weaker (2x), lean (1x).

Genesis 41:19 and behold, seven other cattle came up after them, helpless and very ugly and thin, such as I never saw in all the land of Egypt for ugliness.

Exodus 23:3 You shall not favor a helpless man in his cause.

Exodus 30:15 The rich shall not give more, and the helpless shall not give less, than the half shekel, when they give the offering of YHWH, to make atonement for your souls.

Leviticus 14:21 “If he is helpless and his hand is not able to overtake, then he shall take one male lamb for a trespass offering to be waved, to make atonement for him, and one tenth of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering, and a log of oil; 22 and two turtledoves, or two sons of a dove, which his hand will overtake; and the one shall be a sin offering, and the other a burnt offering.”

Leviticus 19:15 You shall do no injustice in judgment. Do not lift up the face of the helpless and do not give honor to the face of the great one; but you shall judge your fellow in righteousness.

3) אֶבְיוֹן evyon (H34) means “needy” (cf. Exodus 23:11; Deuteronomy 15:4-8) and is a person who is in need with an empty hand desiring to be filled. אֶבְיוֹן evyon is used 61 times in the Hebrew Bible and most often translated as, needy (35x), poor (24x), beggar (1x), poor man (1x).

Exodus 23:10 For six years you shall sow your land, and shall gather in its increase, 11 but the seventh year you shall let it rest and lie fallow, that the needy of your people may eat; and what they leave the animal of the field shall eat. In the same way, you shall deal with your vineyard and with your olive grove.

Deuteronomy 15:4 However there will be no needy among you, for YHWH will surely bless you in the land which YHWH your Elohim gives you for an inheritance to possess. 5 Only if you diligently listen to YHWH your Elohim’s voice, to guard to do all this commandment which I command you today. 6 For YHWH your Elohim will bless you, as he promised you, and you will cause an abundance of nations to make a pledge, but you will not make a pledge, and you will rule in the abundance of nations, but in you they will not rule. 7 If a needy, one of your brothers, is with you within any of your gates in your land which YHWH your Elohim gives you, you shall not harden your heart, nor shut your hand from your needy brother; 8 but you shall surely open your hand to him, and shall surely lend him sufficient for his lacking which will diminish for him.

4) מַחְסוֹר machsor (H4270) means “lacking” (cf. Deuteronomy 15:8; Proverbs 11:24-25) and is a person who needs support because they are lacking or diminished in quantity or quality. מַחְסוֹר machsor is used 13 times in the Hebrew Bible and most often translated as want (8x), lack (1x), need (1x), poor (1x), poverty (1x), penury (1x).

Deuteronomy 15:8 but you shall surely open your hand to him, and shall surely lend him sufficient for his lacking which will diminish for him.

Proverbs 11:24 There is one who scatters, and increases yet more. There is one who withholds more than is appropriate, only to lacking. 25 The liberal soul shall be made fat. He who waters shall be watered also himself.

5) מוּךְ mukh (H4134) means “low” (cf. Leviticus 25:25-47; Leviticus 27:8) and is a person who is brought down low in humility or ruin. מוּךְ mukh is used 5 times in the Hebrew Bible and most often translated as wax poor (4x), poorer (1x).

Leviticus 25:25 If your brother becomes low, and sells his possession, then a near one shall come, and redeem that which his brother has sold. 26 If a man has no one to redeem it, and he becomes prosperous and finds sufficient means to redeem it, 27 then let him reckon the years since its sale, and restore the surplus to the man to whom he sold it; and he shall return to his property. 28 But if he isn’t able to get it back for himself, then what he has sold shall remain in the hand of him who has bought it until the Year of Yovel. In the Yovel it shall go out, and he shall return to his property. 29 If a man sells a dwelling house in a walled city, then he may redeem it within a whole year after it has been sold. For a full year he shall have the right of redemption. 30 If it isn’t redeemed within the space of a full year, then the house that is in the walled city shall rise permanently to him who bought it, throughout his generations. It shall not go out in the Yovel. 31 But the houses of the villages which have no wall around them shall be accounted for with the fields of the country: they may be redeemed, and they shall go out in the Yovel. 32 In the cities of the Levites, the Levites may redeem the houses in the cities of their possession at any time. 33 The Levites may redeem the house that was sold, and the city of his possession, and it shall go out in the Yovel; for the houses of the cities of the Levites are their possession among the sons of Israel. 34 But the field of the pasture lands of their cities may not be sold, for it is their forever possession. 35 If your brother has become low, and his hand totters among you, then you shall uphold him. He shall live with you like a sojourner and a settler. 36 Take no interest from him or profit; but fear your Elohim, that your brother may live among you. 37 You shall not lend him your money at interest, nor give him your food for profit. 38 I am YHWH your Elohim, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, to give you the land of Canaan, and to be your Elohim. 39 If your brother becomes low with you, and will be sold to you, you shall not make him to serve [as service of a house-servant].(LXX) 40 As a hired-servant, and as a settler, he shall be with you; he shall serve with you until the Year of Yovel. 41 Then he shall go out from you, he and his sons with him, and shall return to his own family, and to the possession of his fathers. 42 For they are my servants, whom I brought out of the land of Egypt. They shall not be sold [in a sale of a house-servant].(LXX) 43 You shall not [oppress him with labor],(LXX) but shall fear your Elohim. 44 As for your servant and your maid, whom shall be to you from the nations that are around you, from them you may buy servants and maids. 45 Moreover, of the sons of the sojourning settlers among you, of them you may buy, and of their families who are with you, which they bear in your land; and they will be your possession. 46 You may [divide them to](DSS, LXX) your sons after you, to inherit for a possession. Of them you may take your servants [to the age],(LXX) but over your brothers the sons of Israel [one shall not oppress his brother with labors].(LXX) 47 If the hand of a sojourner or settler with you shall attain, and your brother with him becomes low and will be sold to the sojourner settling with you, or to a member of the sojourners family

Leviticus 27:7 If from a son of sixty years old and upward; if he is a male, then your valuation shall be fifteen shekels, and for a female ten shekels. 8 If he will become low from your valuation, then he shall be set before the priest, and the priest shall assign a value to him. The priest shall value by the mouth of what the hand making a vow will reach.

6) רוּשׁ rush (H7326) means “to inherit or possess” so when referring to poverty, it means “dispossessed” (cf. Proverbs 30:9; Deuteronomy 15:4; 1 Samuel 2:7) where what has been inherited is taken away, thus making the person poor (cf. Genesis 45:11). רוּשׁ rush is used 24 times in the Hebrew Bible and most often translated as poor (19x), poor man (3x), lack (1x), needy (1x).

Proverbs 30:8 Remove far from me falsehood and lies. Give me neither poverty nor riches. Feed me with the food that is needful for me, 9 lest I be full, deny you, and say, ‘Who is YHWH?’ or lest I be dispossessed, and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God.

Deuteronomy 15:4 However there will be no needy among you, for YHWH will surely bless you in the land which YHWH your Elohim gives you for an inheritance to possess.

1 Samuel 2:7 YHWH dispossesses and makes rich. He brings low, he also lifts up.

7) חֵלְכָה cheleka (H2489) means “hapless” (cf. Psalms 10:8-14) and may be from an unused root probably meaning to be dark or unhappy; a wretch (an unfortunate person). חֵלְכָה cheleka is used 4 times in the Hebrew Bible and most often translated as poor (2x), as a variant (2x).

Psalms 10:8 He lies in wait near the villages. From ambushes, he murders the innocent. His eyes are secretly set against the hapless. 9 He lurks in secret as a lion in his ambush. He lies in wait to catch the afflicted. He catches the afflicted when he draws him in his net. 10 The hapless are crushed. They collapse. They fall under his strength. 11 He says in his heart, “God has forgotten. He hides his face. He will never see it.” 12 Arise, YHWH! God, lift up your hand! Don’t forget the afflicted. 13 Why does the wicked person condemn God, and say in his heart, “God won’t call me into account?” 14 But you do see trouble and grief. You consider it to take it into your hand. You help the hapless and the fatherless.

8) דַּךְ dakh (H1790) means “crushed” (cf. Psalms 9:9; Psalms 10:18; Psalms 74:21) and is concretely represented by a mortar as in something that is crushed thin into smaller pieces (cf. Exodus 30:36). דַּךְ dakh is used 4 times in the Hebrew Bible and most often translated as oppressed (3x), afflicted (1x).

Psalms 9:9 YHWH will also be a high tower for the crushed; a high tower in times of trouble.

Psalms 10:17 YHWH, you have heard the desire of the afflicted. You will prepare their heart. You will cause your ear to hear, 18 to judge the fatherless and the crushed, that man who is of the earth may terrify no more.

Psalms 74:21 Don’t let the crushed return ashamed. Let the afflicted and needy praise your name.