H5386 H5386
debt—an obligation owed, something that must be repaid
This noun means debt or something owed. It appears only in 2 Kings 4:7, where Elisha instructs the widow to sell the miraculously multiplied oil and 'pay your debt' with the proceeds. The story highlights how God provides for those in desperate financial straits. The word exists in both Ketiv (written) and Qere (read) forms in the text, showing minor textual variation. The concept emphasizes financial obligation and the relief that comes when supernatural provision enables repayment.
Senses
1. sense 1 — Refers to a financial debt or obligation requiring repayment. The term appears twice in 2 Kings 4:7 (once as Ketiv, once as Qere variant), both instances referring to the same debt the widow must pay. Elisha's instruction 'pay your debt' follows the miracle of oil multiplication, showing divine provision for financial crisis. The multilingual glosses are unanimous: 'debt' (English), 'deuda' (Spanish), 'debt' (French), all indicating a financial obligation to be satisfied, illustrating how the miracle enables the widow to clear her obligations. 2×
AR["دَيْنَكِ"]·ben["তোমার-থণ", "তোমার-ফাঁক"]·DE["[ketiv]"]·EN["[ketiv]", "your-debt"]·FR["[ketiv]", "ton-debt"]·heb["[נשיכי]", "נשייך"]·HI["[तेरा-कर्ज़]", "तेरा-कर्ज़"]·ID["(ketiv)", "utang-mu"]·IT["[ketiv]", "tuo-debito"]·jav["utang-panjenengan", "·"]·KO["(변형)", "당신의-빚"]·PT["[tua-dívida]", "tua-dívida"]·RU["долг-твой"]·ES["(kethiv)", "tu-deuda"]·SW["[k]", "deni-lako"]·TR["borcun"]·urd["اپنا-قرض"]
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
† [נְשִׁי] n.[m.] debt;—only sf. 2 fs. נשׁיכי Kt, נַשְׁיֵךְ Qr 2 K 4:7 (so Baer; van d. H. Ginsb נִשְׁיֵךְ) pay (שַׁלְּמִי) thy debt.