H1215 H1215
Unjust gain, covetousness; profit or advantage; plunder or spoils of war
The noun בֶּצַע denotes gain — but almost always gain that is tainted, dishonest, or violently seized. The prophets thunder against it: Jeremiah condemns those who 'pursue their own dishonest gain' (Jer 6:13), and Ezekiel indicts leaders who 'shed blood to get dishonest gain' (Ezek 22:27). Exodus 18:21 defines the ideal judge as one who 'hates unjust gain.' Yet a few passages use the word in a neutral or interrogative tone — 'What profit is it?' asks Judah about selling Joseph (Gen 37:26), and Job ponders what advantage God gains (Job 22:3). Once, in the Song of Deborah, it refers concretely to battlefield plunder (Judg 5:19).
Senses
1. unjust gain, covetousness — Unjust gain, dishonest profit, covetousness — gain obtained through exploitation, bribery, or violence. This is the dominant sense (15 occurrences), running through prophetic indictment and wisdom instruction alike. Exodus 18:21 requires leaders who hate בֶּצַע; Prov 1:19 warns that greedy gain 'takes away the life of its owners.' Spanish 'codicia/ganancia deshonesta' and French 'injuste gain' capture the moral condemnation that saturates this usage in Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and the Psalms. 15×
AR["الرِّشْوَةَ", "الطَّمَعِ", "الـ-مَكْسَبِ", "جَشَعِهِ", "رِبْحٍ", "طَمَعًا", "طَمَعِكِ", "كَسْبَهُمْ", "كَسْبِكِ", "مَكْسَبِهِمْ", "مَكْسِبِكَ"]·ben["অন্যায়-লাভ", "তাদের-লাভ", "তাদের-লাভের", "তার-লোভের", "তোমার-লাভের", "তোমার-লোভের", "লাভ", "লাভের", "লাভের-তোমার", "লোভ", "লোভের"]·DE["[בצע]", "[בצעו]", "[בצעך]", "[בצעם]", "der-gain", "gain", "unjust-gain"]·EN["gain", "gain-your", "his-gain", "the-gain", "their-gain", "unjust-gain", "your-unjust-gain"]·FR["dans-gain", "gain", "injuste-gain", "le-gain"]·heb["בצע", "בצעו", "בצעך", "בצעם", "ה-בצע"]·HI["उन-का-लाभ", "उसके-लालचके", "तेरे-लालच", "तेरे-लोभ-की", "पाने", "पीछे", "लाभ-का", "लाभ-की", "लालच", "लालच-अपनी", "लालच-के", "लालच-से"]·ID["keserakahannya", "keuntungan", "keuntungan-haram", "keuntungan-mereka", "keuntungan-tidak-halal", "keuntungan-tidak-jujur", "keuntunganmu", "secara-tidak-jujur"]·IT["[בצע]", "[בצעך]", "[בצעם]", "guadagno", "il-gain", "unjust-gain"]·jav["bathi", "bathi-ipun", "bathi.", "kabathèn-panjenengan", "kasugihan", "kauntungan", "kauntungan-awon", "kauntungan-ipun", "kauntungan-panjenengan", "keuntungan-boten-adil", "murkinipun"]·KO["그-이득", "그들의-이득의", "그의-탐욕의", "너의-탐욕에", "네-부당한-이익을", "부당한-이익을", "부정한-이익을", "이익-그들의-을", "이익-을", "이익을", "탐욕", "탐욕을", "탐욕의-너의"]·PT["cobiça", "de-ganho", "ganho-deles", "ganho-ilícito", "ganho-injusto", "ganho-injusto;", "ganho-seu", "ganância", "o-lucro", "seu-ganho", "teu-ganho-ilícito", "teu-lucro", "tua-ganância"]·RU["алчности-твоей", "добычу-их", "корысти", "корысти-его", "корысть", "корысть-твою", "корысть:", "корыстью", "корыстью-их", "о-", "ради-"]·ES["codicia", "ganancia", "ganancia-deshonesta", "ganancia-injusta", "ganancia-tuya", "ganar", "la-ganancia", "su-codicia", "su-ganancia", "tu-codicia", "tu-ganancia-deshonesta"]·SW["cha-tamaa-yako", "faida", "faida-haramu", "faida-ya-udhalimu", "faida-yako", "faida-yako-isiyo-halali", "faida-yao", "rushwa", "tamaa", "wa-uchoyo-wake"]·TR["-kazanç", "haksız-kazancı", "haksız-kazancında", "haksız-kazanç", "haksız-kazançlarının", "kazanca", "kazancinin", "kazancının-senin", "kazanç", "kazançlarını-onların", "kazançlarının", "rüşvetten"]·urd["اُس-کے-لالچ-کی", "اُن-کا-نفع", "اپنے-لالچ-کے", "تیرے-لالچ-کا", "لالچ", "لالچ-سے", "لالچ-کا", "لالچ-کے", "ناجائز-نفع-تیرے", "ناجائز-نفع-کا", "نفع", "کمائیں"]
Exod 18:21, 1 Sam 8:3, Ps 119:36, Prov 1:19, Prov 15:27, Prov 28:16, Isa 57:17, Jer 6:13, Jer 8:10, Jer 22:17, Jer 51:13, Ezek 22:13 (+3 more)
2. profit, gain — Profit, gain, or advantage in a neutral or questioning sense — 'what profit is there?' This sense (7 occurrences) strips away the moral judgment, leaving a straightforward economic or existential question. Judah asks 'What gain is it if we kill our brother?' (Gen 37:26), Job demands 'What profit to the Almighty if you are righteous?' (Job 22:3), and the Psalmist asks 'What profit in my blood?' (Ps 30:9). Spanish 'ganancia' (without 'deshonesta') and French 'profit' reflect the uncolored usage. 7×
AR["الفَائِدَةُ", "الْفائِدَةُ", "رِبْحٌ", "رِبْحَ", "فَائِدَةٌ", "كَسباً", "لِ-رِبْحِهِ"]·ben["তার-লাভের-জন্য", "লাভ", "লাভকে-", "লাভে"]·DE["[בבצע]", "[בצע]", "[לבצעו]", "ein-Gewinn", "profit"]·EN["gain", "profit", "the-gain", "to-his-gain"]·FR["dans-gain", "gain", "profit"]·heb["ב-בצע", "בצע", "ל-בצעו"]·HI["-के-लाभ-में", "अपने-लाभको", "लाभ", "लाभ-है"]·ID["keuntungan", "keuntungan-dari", "untuk-keuntungannya"]·IT["[בצע]", "gain", "guadagno", "profit"]·jav["bathi", "dhateng-bathi-ipun", "paedé"]·KO["에-이득을", "이득-이뇨", "이익", "이익-을", "이익이", "이익이냐", "자기-이익으로-"]·PT["em-lucro-de", "ganho", "lucro", "para-ganho-seu", "proveito"]·RU["выгода", "к-корысти-своей", "пользы", "прибыль", "прибыль-от-", "приобретение"]·ES["a-su-ganancia", "en-ganancia-de", "ganancia", "hay-ganancia", "provecho"]·SW["faida", "kwa-faida-yake"]·TR["kazancina-", "kazancinida", "kazanç"]·urd["اپنے-فائدے-کو", "فائدہ", "فائدے-کو", "ناجائز-نفع", "نفع"]
3. plunder, spoils — Plunder or spoils taken in battle — concrete material gain seized through warfare. This sense appears once in the Song of Deborah (Judg 5:19), where the kings of Canaan fought at Taanach but 'took no plunder of silver.' Spanish 'ganancia de' and English 'plunder of' distinguish this battlefield-specific, tangible usage from the abstract moral and economic senses. 1×
AR["غَنيمَةَ"]·ben["লাভ"]·DE["-pluendern-von"]·EN["-plunder-of"]·FR["-piller-de"]·heb["בצע"]·HI["लूट"]·ID["jarahan"]·IT["-saccheggiare-di"]·jav["bathi"]·KO["이익"]·PT["lucro-de"]·RU["добычи"]·ES["ganancia-de"]·SW["faida-ya"]·TR["ganimetini"]·urd["فائدہ"]
Related Senses
H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)G1537 1. from, out of (source/origin) (886×)H8034 1. Name (designation / identifier) (856×)G3361 1. subjective negation (not) (834×)G1909 1. on, upon (spatial surface) (757×)H0369 1. existential negation: there is not (738×)H5869a 1. in the eyes/sight of (evaluative) (734×)H5650 1. Servant, attendant, subject (723×)H0408 1. prohibitive negation do-not (712×)G2443 1. so that, in order that (purpose/result) (665×)G0575 1. from (649×)G1223 1. through, by means of (582×)H3541 1. thus, so, in this manner (569×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† בֶ֫צַע n.m. gain made by violence, unjust gain, profit—בֶּ֫צַע Gn 37:26 + 7 times (cstr. Ju 5:19 +); בָּ֑צַע Ex 18:21 + 7 times; sf. בִּצְעֶ֑ךָ Je 22:17; בִּצְעֵךְ Je 51:13 Ez 22:13; בִּצְעוֹ Is 56:11; 57:17; בִּצְעָם Ez 33:31 Mi 4:13;—gain made by violence (nearly = plunder) Ju 5:19 Mi 4:13; more generally, unjust gain Ex 18:21 1 S 8:3 ψ 119:36 Pr 28:16 Is 33:15; 56:11; 57:17 Je 22:17; 51:13…