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עֹשֶׁר

𐤏𐤔𐤓

ʻôsher

H6239 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

Material abundance, wealth, or riches—chiefly tangible assets such as property, livestock, or precious metals and resources. In various biblical passages, עֹשֶׁר signifies a state of financial or material prosperity and is contrasted with poverty. Occasionally the term extends metaphorically to mean general prosperity or well-being, but the primary reference is concrete, visible wealth rather than abstract or qualitative success.

Semantic Range

wealth, riches, material abundance, prosperity, tangible assets, financial means

Root / Etymology

Root עשר (ʿ-š-r), meaning 'to be or become rich.' The noun עֹשֶׁר derives directly from this root and denotes the state or result of that process. The underlying root meaning ('to be rich, to have abundance') forms the nominal abstraction 'wealth' in עֹשֶׁר.

Historical & Contextual Notes

עֹשֶׁר is most often used in narrative and poetic books of the Hebrew Bible to describe material wealth, often in contrast with עֹנִי ('poverty'). In wisdom literature (e.g., Proverbs, Ecclesiastes), it is a central concept in discussions of the moral implications of wealth and poverty; these texts frequently juxtapose עֹשֶׁר with righteousness and sometimes question its value or permanence. In early Israelite society, עֹשֶׁר referred principally to tangible assets—crops, livestock, silver, and land—rather than currency or abstract affluence. Later, particularly post-exile, the term begins to appear in broader reflections on the impermanence of material prosperity. English translations typically render עֹשֶׁר as 'wealth' or 'riches,' but these words may sometimes carry connotations (such as financial capital) not always present in the ancient Israelite context, where wealth was closely tied to land and family resources rather than cash. Do not confuse עֹשֶׁר with עֲשֶׁרֶת (ʿăśéret, 'ten' or 'tenth'), which is derived from a numerically related but lexically distinct usage of the root. The King James and many later translations occasionally use 'riches' or idioms such as 'far richer' for emphasis, which reflects the comparative sense in Hebrew usage as well.

Translation Consistency

primary "wealth" 34 occurrences

Wealth is the most natural, common English noun that captures tangible material abundance, riches, and financial means. It covers both concrete assets (property, livestock, metals) and the occasional metaphorical sense of prosperity, and is preferable to the adjective “material.” Using the mass noun “wealth” yields consistent, natural renderings across all occurrences.

Alternatives (3 occurrences):
"riches" (3x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from עָשַׁר; wealth; [idiom] far (richer), riches.

Bantu Hebrew

No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been recorded for this word yet.

Root Family

עשר (Asheterah) — to count as ten, to be ten, to form a group of ten

Root עשר to be rich, to prosper, to have abundance
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H4643 מַעֲשֵׂר the tenth-portion
H6218 עָשׂוֹר group of ten
H6223 עָשִׁיר wealthy man
H6224 עֲשִׂירִי tenth
H6235 עֶשֶׂר ten

Word Forms

11 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H6239-07 עֹ֣שֶׁר osher HNcmsa riches material wealth material wealth 20
H6239-02 עָשְׁר֖/וֹ ashero HNcmsc/Sp3ms of his riches his wealth his wealth 3
H6239-01 עָשְׁרָ֑/ם asheram HNcmsc/Sp3mp is their riches their wealth their wealth 2
H6239-03 בְּ/עָשְׁרֽ/וֹ beashero HR/Ncmsc/Sp3ms in his riches in his wealth in his riches 2
H6239-04 הָ/עֹ֥שֶׁר haosher HTd/Ncmsa the wealth the wealth the wealth 2
H6239-05 לְ/עֹ֖שֶׁר leosher HR/Ncmsa in riches to wealth in riches 2
H6239-08 וָ֭/עֹשֶׁר vaosher HC/Ncmsa and-riches and material wealth and material wealth 2
H6239-06 מֵ/עֹ֣שֶׁר meosher HR/Ncmsa than riches from wealth than wealth 1
H6239-09 בְ/עָשְׁר֔/וֹ veashero HR/Ncmsc/Sp3ms by his riches in his wealth and by his wealth 1
H6239-10 וְ/הָ/עֹ֤שֶׁר vehaosher HC/Td/Ncmsa and-the-riches and the wealth and the wealth 1

Occurrences in Scripture

37 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H6239-04 Genesis 31:16 הָ/עֹ֗שֶׁר haosher HTd/Ncmsa the wealth the wealth the wealth
H6239-07 1 Samuel 17:25 עֹ֣שֶׁר osher HNcmsa riches material wealth material wealth
H6239-07 1 Kings 3:11 עֹ֔שֶׁר osher HNcmsa riches material wealth material wealth
H6239-07 1 Kings 3:13 עֹ֖שֶׁר osher HNcmsa riches material wealth material wealth
H6239-05 1 Kings 10:23 לְ/עֹ֖שֶׁר leosher HR/Ncmsa in riches to wealth in wealth
H6239-03 Jeremiah 9:22 בְּ/עָשְׁרֽ/וֹ beashero HR/Ncmsc/Sp3ms in his riches in his wealth in his riches
H6239-07 Jeremiah 17:11 עֹ֖שֶׁר osher HNcmsa riches material wealth material wealth
H6239-01 Psalms 49:7 עָ֝שְׁרָ֗/ם asheram HNcmsc/Sp3mp of their riches their wealth their wealth
H6239-02 Psalms 52:9 עָשְׁר֑/וֹ ashero HNcmsc/Sp3ms of his riches his wealth his wealth
H6239-08 Psalms 112:3 וָ/עֹ֥שֶׁר vaosher HC/Ncmsa and-riches and material wealth and material wealth
H6239-07 Proverbs 3:16 עֹ֣שֶׁר osher HNcmsa riches material wealth material wealth
H6239-07 Proverbs 8:18 עֹֽשֶׁר osher HNcmsa Riches material wealth material wealth
H6239-07 Proverbs 11:16 עֹֽשֶׁר osher HNcmsa riches material wealth material wealth
H6239-03 Proverbs 11:28 בְּ֭/עָשְׁר/וֹ beashero HR/Ncmsc/Sp3ms in his riches in his wealth in his riches
H6239-02 Proverbs 13:8 עָשְׁר֑/וֹ ashero HNcmsc/Sp3ms is his wealth his wealth his wealth
H6239-01 Proverbs 14:24 עָשְׁרָ֑/ם asheram HNcmsc/Sp3mp is their riches their wealth their wealth
H6239-06 Proverbs 22:1 מֵ/עֹ֣שֶׁר meosher HR/Ncmsa than riches from wealth than wealth
H6239-07 Proverbs 22:4 עֹ֖שֶׁר osher HNcmsa riches material wealth material wealth
H6239-08 Proverbs 30:8 וָ֭/עֹשֶׁר vaosher HC/Ncmsa nor riches and material wealth and material wealth
H6239-07 Ecclesiastes 4:8 עֹ֑שֶׁר osher HNcmsa material wealth material wealth
H6239-07 Ecclesiastes 5:12 עֹ֛שֶׁר osher HNcmsa material wealth material wealth
H6239-04 Ecclesiastes 5:13 הָ/עֹ֥שֶׁר haosher HTd/Ncmsa the wealth the wealth
H6239-07 Ecclesiastes 5:18 עֹ֨שֶׁר osher HNcmsa material wealth material wealth
H6239-07 Ecclesiastes 6:2 עֹשֶׁר֩ osher HNcmsa material wealth material wealth
H6239-07 Ecclesiastes 9:11 עֹ֔שֶׁר osher HNcmsa wealth material wealth material wealth
H6239-07 Esther 1:4 עֹ֨שֶׁר֙ osher HNcmsc riches material wealth material wealth
H6239-02 Esther 5:11 עָשְׁר֖/וֹ ashero HNcmsc/Sp3ms of his riches his wealth his wealth
H6239-07 Daniel 11:2 עֹֽשֶׁר osher HNcmsa riches material wealth material wealth
H6239-09 Daniel 11:2 בְ/עָשְׁר֔/וֹ veashero HR/Ncmsc/Sp3ms by his riches in his wealth and by his wealth
H6239-10 1 Chronicles 29:12 וְ/הָ/עֹ֤שֶׁר vehaosher HC/Td/Ncmsa and-the-riches and the wealth and the wealth
H6239-07 1 Chronicles 29:28 עֹ֣שֶׁר osher HNcmsa riches material wealth material wealth
H6239-07 2 Chronicles 1:11 עֹ֣שֶׁר osher HNcmsa riches material wealth material wealth
H6239-11 2 Chronicles 1:12 וְ/עֹ֨שֶׁר veosher HC/Ncmsa and riches material wealth and material wealth
H6239-05 2 Chronicles 9:22 לְ/עֹ֖שֶׁר leosher HR/Ncmsa in riches to wealth in riches
H6239-07 2 Chronicles 17:5 עֹֽשֶׁר osher HNcmsa riches material wealth material wealth
H6239-07 2 Chronicles 18:1 עֹ֥שֶׁר osher HNcmsa riches material wealth material wealth
H6239-07 2 Chronicles 32:27 עֹ֥שֶׁר osher HNcmsa riches material wealth material wealth
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