H4642 H4642
extortionate acts, violent oppression, or unjust exactions of wealth
This feminine plural noun describes acts of extortion or oppression. Proverbs 28:16 warns that a ruler 'great in extortions' will have shortened days, contrasting violent gain with righteous longevity. Isaiah 33:15 blesses the one who 'shakes his hands from holding the gain of extortions,' depicting righteous refusal of ill-gotten wealth. Both texts link extortionate practices with moral corruption and divine judgment. The word captures not mere theft but systematic oppression of the vulnerable for financial gain, a sin repeatedly condemned by the prophets.
Senses
1. sense 1 — Acts of extortion or violent oppression, particularly economic exploitation. The Proverbs context pairs 'great in extortions' with lack of understanding, suggesting that oppressive rulers act foolishly as well as wickedly. Isaiah's righteous person physically shakes his hands free from extortion's gain, a vivid gesture of moral refusal. The Spanish glosses ('extorsiones,' 'opresiones') and French parallel capture the coercive economic violence inherent in the term. This is wealth gained by crushing others, a practice antithetical to covenant justice. 2×
AR["الْمَظالِمِ", "الْمَظَالِمِ"]·ben["জুলুমের", "নিপীড়ন"]·DE["[מעשקות]"]·EN["of-oppressions"]·FR["[מעשקות]", "מעשקות"]·heb["מעשקות"]·HI["अत्याचार-उसके", "अत्याचारों-के"]·ID["pemerasan", "penindasan"]·IT["[מעשקות]", "di-oppressions"]·jav["panindhasanipun", "saking-pemerasan"]·KO["압제들이다", "압제의"]·PT["opressões"]·RU["притеснений", "притеснения"]·ES["extorsiones", "opresiones"]·SW["uonevu", "ya-ukandamizaji"]·TR["zulumleerin", "zulümleri"]·urd["ظلم-اُس-کا", "ظلم-کے"]
Related Senses
H4421 1. war, battle, armed conflict (319×)H0341 1. enemy, adversary, foe (284×)H3898a 1. Nifal: to fight, wage war (167×)H2026 1. kill, slay (active) (146×)H2451 1. wisdom, discernment (146×)H5483b 1. horse (the animal) (138×)H0006 1. to perish, be destroyed (105×)H7843 1. Hifil: destroy, annihilate (83×)H2491a 1. slain, fatally pierced (74×)H6862c 1. adversary, enemy, foe (69×)H8045 1. destroy, exterminate (69×)G0615 1. kill, put to death (60×)H6571b 1. horseman, cavalryman (52×)H8077a 1. desolation, waste (abstract state) (52×)G4678 1. of wisdom (51×)G4717 1. crucify, fasten to a cross (46×)H2763a 1. utterly destroy (Hifil active) (44×)G0622 1. perish, be destroyed (intransitive) (41×)H0006 2. to destroy, annihilate (Piel) (38×)H8074 1. be desolate, lie waste (36×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† [מַעֲשַׁקָּה] n.f. extortionate act;—pl. abs. רַב מַעֲשַׁקּוֹת Pr 28:16 great in extortions; בֶּצַע מ׳ Is 33:15 gain of extortions.