H5828 H5828
Help, assistance, succor; also concretely a helper or one who gives aid, especially as a divine epithet.
One of the Bible's most theologically loaded words for help, 'ezer famously appears in Gen 2:18 where God declares He will make an 'ezer kenegdo — a helper corresponding to the man. Far from implying subordination, the same word is repeatedly applied to God Himself as Israel's help and shield (Ps 33:20; 115:9–11; Deut 33:26, 29). The pilgrim's confession in Ps 121:1–2, 'My help comes from the LORD,' uses 'ezer to name the most fundamental human need: dependence on divine aid. The shift between abstract help and personal helper is fluid, as French and German glosses show — 'aide' and 'Hilfe' can mean either.
1. help, assistance — Abstract help, assistance, or succor — the act or quality of giving aid. This dominant sense (19 occurrences) appears with possessive suffixes indicating whose help is meant: 'my help' (Ex 18:4, where Moses names his son Eliezer, 'my God is help'), 'your help' (Deut 33:29), 'our help' (Ps 124:8). The Psalms cluster is especially rich: 'My help comes from the LORD' (121:1–2), 'He is our help and our shield' (33:20; 115:9–11). Isa 30:5 uses it negatively — Egypt's help is worthless. Dan 11:34 speaks of 'a little help' during persecution. Spanish 'socorro' (succor) and French 'aide' preserve the abstract, non-personal quality. 19×
AR["بِـ-عَوْنِهِ","عَوني","عَونُكَ","عَونُنا","عَونُهُم","عَوْني","عَوْنًا","عَوْنَكَ","عَوْنَهُ","عَوْنُنَا","عَوْنِكَ","فِي-عَوْنِي","لِعَوْنِكَ","لِلْعَوْنِ","مَعُونَةً"]·ben["আমাদের-সাহায্য","আমার-সাহায্য","আমার-সাহায্যে","ও-তাদের-ঢাল","তাদের-সাহায্য","তার-সাহায্যকারী","তার-সাহায্যে","তোমার-সাহায্য","তোমার-সাহায্যে","তোমার-সাহায্যের","সাহায্য","সাহায্য-আমাদের","সাহায্য-আমার","সাহায্য-আমার?","সাহায্য-রূপে","সাহায্যকারী"]·DE["[בעזרך]","[לעזר]","[עזר]","[עזרה]","[עזרו]","dein-helfen","helfen","ihr-helfen","in-dein-helfen","in-sein-helfen","mein-helfen","unser-helfen"]·EN["(help-of-him)","[help-of-him]","a-help","for-profit","help","in-his-help","in-your-help","is-your-help","my-help","our-help","their-help","your-help"]·FR["[לעזר]","aide","aider","dans-aide","dans-ton-aider","leur-aide","mon-aider","mon-secours","notre-aide","ton-aider"]·heb["[עזרה]","ב-עזרו","ב-עזרי","ב-עזרך","ל-עזר","עזר","עזרו","עזרי","עזרך","עזרם","עזרנ-ו","עזרנו"]·HI["(उसकी-सहायता)","[सहायता]","उनकी-सहायता","उसकी-सहायता-में","के-लिए-सहायता","तुझे-सहायता","तेरी-सहायता","तेरी-सहायता-की","तेरी-सहायता-में","में-सहायता-मेरी","मेरी-सहायता","सहायक-हमारा","सहायता","हमारी-सहायता"]·ID["Pertolongan-kami","Pertolonganku","penolongku","penolongnya","pertolongan","pertolongan-mereka","pertolonganku","pertolonganmu","untuk-menolongmu","untuk-pertolongan"]·IT["[בעזרך]","[לעזר]","[עזר]","[עזרה]","[עזרו]","aiutaci","aiuto","in-tuo-aiutare","mio-aiutare","tuo-aiutare"]·jav["Pitulungan-kita","Pitulungan-kula","[ketib]","dados-pitulungan","ing-pitulungan-panjenengan","pambiyantu-kita","pambiyantu-piyambakipun","pitulung-panjenengan","pitulungan","pitulungan-ipun","pitulungan-kula","pitulungan-panjenengan","pitulungané","tulung-kawula","wonten-ing-pitulungan-kawula"]·KO["(그의-도움을)","[도움을]","그들-의-도움-이시요","나-의-도움-은","나-의-도움-이","나-의-도움-이시도다","나의-도움-에","네-도움에","네-도움의","네-도움이라","도움-을","도움을","에-그의-도움으로","에-도움이","우리-의-도움","우리-의-도움-은"]·PT["O-meu-socorro","O-nosso-socorro","ajuda-deles","com-ajuda","em-ajuda-tua","em-minha-ajuda,","meu-auxílio","nosso-socorro","o-meu-socorro","para-ajuda","para-tua-ajuda","socorro","sua-ajuda","tua-ajuda","é-seu-socorro"]·RU["(помощь-его)","[помощь]","Помощь-моя","Помощь-наша","в-помощь-тебе","для-помощи","помощи-твоей","помощник-его","помощь","помощь-их","помощь-моя","помощь-наша","помощь-твоя","помощь-тебе"]·ES["(ayuda-de-él)","Socorro-mío","Socorro-nuestro","[ayuda]","ayuda","en-ayuda-mía","en-tu-ayuda","mi-ayuda","nuestra-ayuda","para-ayuda","socorro-mío","su-ayuda","tu-ayuda"]·SW["(wasaidizi)","Msaada-wangu","Msaada-wetu","[wasaidizi]","kwa-msaada","kwa-msaada-wako","msaada","msaada-wake","msaada-wako","msaada-wangu","msaada-wao","msaada-wetu"]·TR["ve-tüm","yardim-icin","yardım","yardımcım","yardımcımda","yardımcısı","yardımcısıdır","yardımları","yardımı","yardımım","yardımımız","yardımın","yardımında","yardımını","yardımının"]·urd["(اُس-کی-مدد)","[مدد]","اُن-کی-مدد","بِ-اُس-کی-مدد-میں","تیری-مدد","تیری-مدد-میں","تیری-مدد-کی","مدد","مدد-کے-لیے","میری-مدد","میری-مدد-میں","ہماری-مدد"]
Exod 18:4, Deut 33:26, Deut 33:29, Ps 20:2, Ps 33:20, Ps 70:5, Ps 89:19, Ps 115:9, Ps 115:10, Ps 115:11, Ps 121:1, Ps 121:2 (+7 more)
▼ 1 more sense below
Senses
2. helper, one who helps — A concrete, personal sense: a helper, one who provides aid. Gen 2:18 and 2:20 use the beth essentiae construction be'ezer ('as a helper') for the woman God creates as a counterpart to the man — not a subordinate but a corresponding ally. Deut 33:7 applies it to God as Judah's helper in battle. The personal quality is confirmed by multilingual evidence: English 'helper,' French 'helper,' and Spanish 'ayuda' all shift toward an agent rather than an abstraction. Hosea 13:9 likely belongs here as well (reading mi be'ezer, 'who is your helper?'), underscoring that God alone fills this role. 3×
AR["مُعِينًا","وَعَوْنًا"]·ben["এবং-সাহায্যকারী","সাহায্যকারী"]·DE["eine-Hilfe","und-helper"]·EN["and-helper","helper"]·FR["et-helper","helper"]·heb["ו-עזר","עזר"]·HI["और-सहायता","सहायक"]·ID["dan-pertolongan","penolong"]·IT["e-helper","helper"]·jav["lan-pitulungan","pambiyantu"]·KO["그리고-도우시는-자가","도우는-자"]·PT["ajudadora","e-ajuda"]·RU["и-помощью","помощника"]·ES["ayuda","y-ayuda"]·SW["msaidizi","na-msaada"]·TR["ve-yardım","yardımcı"]·urd["اور-مدد","مددگار"]
Related Senses
H8104 1. Qal: keep, observe (law/covenant) (399×)G3101 1. disciple, learner (263×)H5647 1. worship, serve (God/deity) (203×)H5826 1. Qal: to help, aid (53×)H8334 1. to minister, serve (52×)H8334 2. minister, servant, attendant (46×)G5083 1. observe or obey commands (41×)H8104 2. Niphal: beware, take heed (34×)G1247 1. to serve or minister to (32×)H3256 1. discipline, chastise (Piel active) (27×)H5833 1. help, aid, assistance (26×)H8104 3. Qal: watch, look out (26×)H5341 1. keep, observe (commandments) (24×)G5083 2. guard or protect someone (23×)H5647 2. serve, minister to (a person) (21×)H5826 2. Qal participle: helper (21×)G5219 1. obey, be obedient to (20×)H5341 2. guard, protect, preserve (a person) (20×)G1398 1. serve, render service to (19×)H5411 1. Nethinim, temple servants (18×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† I. עֵ֫זֶר n.m. ψ 121:1 help, succour;—ע׳ abs. Gn 2:18 +, sf. עֶזְרִי Ex 18:4, עֶזְרֹה Ez 12:14, etc.;— 1. help, succour Is 30:5 (‖ הוֹעִיל, opp. בּשֶׁת, חֶרְפָּה), Dn 11:34; from י׳ ψ 20:3; 121:1, 2; 124:8; in 89:20 read; נֵזֶר for ע׳ Dy Gr Kau (עֹז Bi Che), cf. Hup; מָגֵן עֶזְר֑ךָ Dt 33:29) = י׳). 2. concr. = one who helps (cf. i. עֶזְרָה 2) בְּע׳ (בְּ essent., v. ב I 7 b, Ges§ 119 h, i) Gn…