H4542 H4542
poor, needy (likely a loan-word)
An adjective describing poverty, appearing only in Ecclesiastes. The 'poor wise youth' surpasses the old foolish king (Ecclesiastes 4:13). A poor wise man delivered his city by wisdom, yet was forgotten afterward (Ecclesiastes 9:15-16). The term likely entered Hebrew as a loan-word from Akkadian (muškênu, 'beggar'), suggesting it may have carried nuances of social class or legal status beyond simple economic poverty. Ecclesiastes uses it to highlight the paradox that wisdom in a poor man is despised despite its efficacy.
Senses
1. sense 1 — Describing someone who is poor or needy, used exclusively by Qoheleth to explore the relationship between wisdom, poverty, and social power. The cross-linguistic glosses ('poor,' 'pobre,' 'pauvre') render straightforward economic status, though the term's loan-word origin might suggest specific social categories. The Teacher's point is ironic: a poor man's wisdom can save a city, yet society quickly forgets him because poverty confers no lasting honor. 4×
AR["فَقِيرٌ", "مِسْكِين", "هَ-مِّسْكِين"]·ben["দরিদ্র", "দরিদ্রের"]·DE["[המסכן]", "[מסכן]"]·EN["poor", "the-poor"]·FR["le-pauvre", "pauvre"]·heb["ה-מסכן", "מסכן"]·HI["गरीब", "गरीब-की"]·ID["miskin", "orang-miskin"]·IT["il-il-povero", "povero"]·jav["miskin", "mlarat", "tiyang-mlarat"]·KO["가난한", "가난한-그", "가난한-자-의"]·PT["o-pobre", "pobre"]·RU["бедного", "бедный", "бедняка"]·ES["el-pobre", "pobre"]·SW["maskini"]·TR["yoksul", "yoksulun"]·urd["غریب", "غریب-کی"]
Related Senses
G2962 1. Lord (divine title) (661×)H0136 1. Lord (divine title) (440×)H0113 1. lord, human superior (249×)G1849 1. authority, power (91×)H6485a 2. Qal: punish, bring judgment (63×)H8198 1. maidservant, female slave (63×)G2962 2. master, lord (human authority) (61×)H0034 1. needy, poor, destitute (61×)H0519 1. female servant, maidservant (56×)H6041 1. poor, needy person (55×)H0113 2. master, owner of servants (49×)H4910 1. Qal: to have dominion, exercise power over (44×)H1800 1. poor, needy (socioeconomic) (38×)H3515 1. heavy, severe, grievous (36×)G4434 1. (34×)G5092 1. honor, esteem, respect (33×)H6485a 4. Qal: visit, attend to, care for (32×)H3513 1. honor / show respect (Piel) (30×)H4910 2. Qal: to rule, govern (administrative authority) (27×)H4513 1. withhold, restrain, hold back (25×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† מִסְכֵּן adj. poor, only Ec. (NH id.; Aramaic id., ܡܶܣܟܶܝܢ PS2632; Arabic مِسْكِينٌ; Ethiopic ምስኪን Di382; √ dub.; usually der. from III. סכן q.v.; perhaps loan-wd.; according to JenZA iv (1889), 271 f Zimib. vii (1892), 353=Assyrian muškênu, beggar, needy one);—always abs. מ׳:—יֶלָד מ׳ וְחָכָם Ec 4:13 (opp. מֶלֶךְ זָקִן וּכְסִיל); אִישׁ מ׳ חָכָם 9:15, הָאִישׁ הַמּ׳ v 15; as subst. הַמּ׳ v 16 the poor man.