H1214 H1214
To cut off, break off; to be greedy for unjust gain; to finish or complete a task
The Hebrew verb batsa' carries the vivid physical image of severing or cutting off, which then extends in two distinct directions. On one side it develops the moral sense of 'cutting off' profit for oneself — coveting unjust gain, as Jeremiah repeatedly denounces (Jer 6:13; 8:10). On the other it moves toward the idea of 'cutting through' to completion, as when Zechariah declares that the hands of Zerubbabel will finish the Temple (Zech 4:9). Arabic basaa ('to cut') and Ethiopic cognates confirm the physical root, while the moral sense dominates prophetic literature. The weaver's image in Isa 38:12, where God cuts Hezekiah off from the loom of life, beautifully bridges the literal and figurative.
Senses
1. be greedy for gain, covet — The moral-acquisitive sense: to be greedy for gain, to covet dishonest profit. The participial form botse'a functions almost as a technical term for the unjust profiteer. Proverbs warns that the one greedy for gain troubles his own house (Prov 15:27), and Jeremiah indicts prophet and priest alike: 'everyone is greedy for gain' (Jer 6:13). Spanish codiciar ('to covet') and the Arabic root for cutting wealth by force both illuminate this semantic domain. 8×
AR["رِبْحِ", "طامِعٌ", "طَامِعٍ", "لِلكاسِبِ", "وَ-الطَّمَّاعُ", "وَابْتَزَزْتِ", "يَطْمَعُ", "يَطْمَعُونَ"]·ben["এবং-লাভলোভী", "এবং-শোষণ-করেছ-তুমি", "যারা-লাভ-করে", "যে-লাভ-করে-", "যে-লোভ-করে", "লাভের", "লোভ-করে"]·DE["[בוצע]", "[בצע]", "[ותבצעי]", "und-der-einer-greedy-für-gain"]·EN["and-the-one-greedy-for-gain", "and-you-gained-unjustly-from", "by-greedy-gain", "gaining", "gains", "greedy-for", "is-greedy-for", "to-him-who-gains"]·FR["[ותבצעי]", "convoiter", "et-dans-couper", "gain", "בוצע", "בצע"]·heb["בוצע", "בצוע", "ו-בוצע", "ו-תבצעי"]·HI["और-लूटा-तूने", "और-लोभी", "कमाने-वाला", "लालच", "लालची", "लालची-हैं", "लोभ-करनेवाले-के"]·ID["dan-kau-menindas", "dan-yang-serakah", "mencari-keuntungan", "mengejar", "tamak", "yang-mencari-keuntungan-dengan-tidak-halal", "yang-mengambil-untung", "yang-merampas"]·IT["[בצע]", "[ותבצעי]", "da-greedy-gain", "e-guadagno", "gains", "tagliare"]·jav["angsal", "lan-panjenengan-nyiksa", "rakus", "saha-ingkang-rakus", "tiyang-kang-angsal", "tiyang-kang-melik"]·KO["그-탐하는-자-여", "그리고-취했다", "그리고-탐욕스러운-자-가", "취하기-", "취한다", "탐하는-자-의", "탐하는-자이니라", "탐하는-자이다"]·PT["do-que-cobiça", "e-exploraste", "e-o-avarento", "ganham", "o-ganancioso-de", "obter", "que-obtém-ganho"]·RU["алчущие", "алчущий", "души", "и-корыстолюбец", "и-обирала", "корыстолюбивый", "постигающего", "приобретающему"]·ES["codician", "del-que-gana", "el-que-codicia", "ganancia", "y-defraudaste", "y-el-codicioso"]·SW["anayepata", "atamaniaye", "kupata", "kwa-kupata", "na-mchoyo", "na-umewadhulumu", "wanatafuta"]·TR["haksız-kazanç-peşinde-koşan", "kazanan", "kazanana", "kazanmak", "kazanıyor", "ve-açgözlü", "ve-sömürdün"]·urd["اور-لالچی", "اور-لوٹا", "حاصل-کرنے-والے", "حرص-کرنے-والے-کی", "لالچی", "لالچی-ہے", "ناجائز-نفع"]
2. cut off, break off — The concrete physical sense: to cut off, sever, or break away. Isaiah's Hezekiah laments that God cuts him off like a weaver severing thread from the loom (Isa 38:12), and the Psalmist prays for enemies to be 'cut off' (Ps 76:12). In Joel 2:8 the locust-army does not break off its course. The Piel intensifies the action but does not shift the meaning. This is the etymological core from which the other senses derive. 6×
AR["وَ-اقْطَعْهَا", "وَيَقْطَعْني", "يَتَوَقَّفونَ", "يَقطَعُ", "يَقْطَعُ", "يَقْطَعُنِي"]·ben["এবং-আমাকে-কেটে-ফেলুন", "ও-খণ্ড-করো-তাদের", "তারা-থামে", "তিনি-কেটে-দেন", "তিনি-কেটে-ফেলবেন-আমাকে", "সে-কেটে-ফেলে?"]·DE["[ובצעם]", "[ויבצעני]", "[יבצע]", "[יבצעו]", "[יבצעני]", "er-wird-abgeschnitten-weg"]·EN["He-cuts-me-off", "He-will-cut-off", "and-cut-me-off", "and-cut-them-off", "he-cuts-off", "they-break-ranks"]·FR["[ובצעם]", "convoiter", "et-ויבצעני-moi", "fortifier", "ils-achèveront", "יבצע"]·heb["ו-יבצעני", "וּ-בצעם", "יִבצעוּ", "יבצור", "יבצע", "יבצעני"]·HI["और-काट-डाले-मुझे", "और-तोड़-दे-उन्हें", "यिव्त्सोर", "रुकते।", "वह-काटेगा-मुझे", "वह-लाभ-उठाता-है"]·ID["Dia-memotong", "Dia-memotongku", "dan-memutuskan-aku", "ia-memotong", "mereka-berhenti."]·IT["[ובצעם]", "[יבצעו]", "e-e-cut-me-off-mio", "fortifico'", "he-cuts-off", "tagliare"]·jav["Panjenengan-badhé-medhot", "ambang-nginggil", "angsal-kauntungan", "gesang-kawula", "lan-ngrampungaken-kawula", "piyambakipun-mecah-barisan"]·KO["그가-끊으시리라-나를", "그리고-나를-끊으시기를", "그리고-부수라", "꺽으시리이다", "상하게-하리라", "취하면"]·PT["Ele-corta", "cortar?", "cortará-me", "e-corta-os", "e-cortasse-me", "se-ferem"]·RU["и-отсекал-бы-меня", "и-срази-их", "останавливаются", "отрежет-меня", "приобретёт", "смирит"]·ES["Cortará", "corta", "me-cortará", "se-detienen", "y-córtalos", "y-me-cortara"]·SW["Atakata", "atakapopata", "atanikata", "hawakatiki", "na-kunikatilia-mbali", "na-viangukie"]·TR["kazancı-kesilir", "kesecek", "kesecek-beni", "ve-kesse-beni", "ve-kır", "yarılırlar"]·urd["اور-توڑ-ڈال-اُنہیں", "اور-مجھے-کاٹ-ڈالے", "رُکتے", "نفع کمائے", "وہ-کاٹے-گا-مجھے", "کاٹ-ڈالے-گا"]
3. finish, complete, fulfill — The completive sense: to finish, bring to an end, fulfill. When Zechariah prophesies that Zerubbabel's hands will finish the Temple (Zech 4:9), and when Lamentations declares that the LORD has fulfilled his word of judgment (Lam 2:17), batsa' has moved from 'cutting off' to 'cutting through to completion.' Spanish terminar and ha cumplido capture this sense. Isaiah 10:12 uses it of God finishing his work on Mount Zion. 3×
AR["أَتَمَّ", "تُتِمُّانِهِ", "يُتَمِّمُ"]·ben["সম্পন্ন-করবে", "সম্পন্ন-করবেন", "সম্পন্ন-করেছেন"]·DE["[בצע]", "[יבצע]", "[תבצענה]"]·EN["He-fulfilled", "finishes", "will-finish-it"]·FR["convoiter", "elles-achèveront"]·heb["ביצע", "יבצע", "תבצענה"]·HI["पूरा-करेंगे।", "पूरा-करेगा", "पूरी-की"]·ID["Ia-menyelesaikan", "akan-menyelesaikannya", "menyelesaikan"]·IT["[תבצענה]", "tagliare"]·jav["Panjenengan-sampun-ngrampungaken", "ngrampungaken", "sampun-ngrampungaken"]·KO["그-가-완수하셨네", "끝내리라", "마치시면"]·PT["completar", "completarão", "cumpriu"]·RU["завершат", "завершит", "исполнил"]·ES["ha-cumplido", "la-terminarán", "termine"]·SW["Ametimiza", "atakapomaliza", "itaimaliza"]·TR["tamamladiginda", "tamamladı", "tamamlayacaklar"]·urd["تکمیل-کریں-گے", "مکمل-کرے-گا", "پورا-کیا"]
Related Senses
G0846 1. third-person pronoun reference (5552×)H???? 1. (4670×)H6213a 1. do, perform, act (2383×)G4160 1. do, act, perform (473×)H5221 1. Hifil: to strike in battle, smite enemies (362×)H0899b 1. garment, article of clothing (216×)G2309 1. want, desire (166×)H6213a 2. make, construct, fabricate (148×)G0025 1. to love actively (133×)H0157 1. love (verb, active Qal) (129×)H8055 1. Qal: rejoice, be glad (123×)H7453 1. neighbor, fellow man (120×)G0026 1. of love (115×)H1058 1. Qal: to weep, cry (112×)H3772 1. cut a covenant / make a pact (97×)H5060 1. touch physically (Qal) (96×)H0954 1. to be ashamed, feel shame (Qal) (95×)H8057 1. joy, gladness, delight (90×)H3615 1. complete a task (Piel) (85×)H3772 2. cut off / destroy (Hifil causative) (81×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† [בָּצַע] vb. cut off, break off, gain by violence (so NH, Arabic بَضَعَ, Ethiopic በጽዐ Aramaic בְּצַע)— Qal Impf. יִבְצָ֑ע Jb 27:8, יִבְצָ֑עוּ Jo 2:8; Imv. sf. בְּצַ֫עַם בְּרֹאשׁ (K3) Am 9:1; Inf. בְּצֹעַ Ez 22:27; Pt. בּוֹצֵעַ Pr 15:27 Je 6:13, בֹּצֵעַ ψ 10:3 + 3 times;—cut off, break off (c. acc. capitals of pillars) Am 9:1 (but LagProv. v, vi בְּצַעַם = בְּזַעַם Hb 3:12 in wrath); so fig. Jb…