עָשִׁיר23 H6223
Rich, wealthy — describing a person of material abundance, often contrasted with the poor or needy
This adjective (עָשִׁיר) describes someone possessing material wealth and is frequently substantivized as 'the rich man' or 'the rich.' Its most famous appearance is Nathan's parable to David, where the rich man with vast flocks takes the poor man's only lamb (2 Sam 12:1-4). Proverbs explores the social dynamics of wealth: the rich man's city is his fortress (Prov 10:15), the rich has many friends (Prov 14:20), and rich and poor alike are made by the Lord (Prov 22:2). Micah accuses Jerusalem's wealthy of violence (Mic 6:12). The consistent pairing with terms for the poor — דַּל, רָשׁ, אֶבְיוֹן — gives this word its moral edge throughout Scripture.
Senses
1. rich, wealthy — Adjective for material wealth, often substantivized as 'the rich person.' Nathan's parable pits the עָשִׁיר against the רָשׁ (2 Sam 12:1-4); Proverbs pairs it with דַּל and רָשׁ (Prov 10:15; 14:20; 22:2); Micah condemns Jerusalem's rich for violence (Mic 6:12). The half-shekel law treats rich and poor equally (Exod 30:15). Translations converge straightforwardly (spa 'rico,' fra 'riche,' deu 'Reicher'). 23×
AR["أَغْنياءُ", "الغَنِيُّ", "الغَنِيِّ", "الْغَنِيِّ", "عَشِير", "غَنِيًّا", "غَنِيٌّ", "غَنِيٍّ", "غَنِيّ", "لِلغَنِيِّ", "وَ-عَشِيرِيم", "وَ-غَنِيٌّ"]·ben["এবং-ধনী", "এবং-ধনীরা", "ধনী", "ধনীকে", "ধনীদের", "ধনীর", "ধনীর-জন্য", "ধনীরা"]·DE["Reicher", "[עשיר]", "der-reich", "reich", "richest-von", "und-Reicher", "zu-der-reich-eins"]·EN["and-the-rich", "but-rich", "rich", "rich-man", "richest-of", "the-rich", "to-the-rich-one"]·FR["[עשיר]", "et-riche", "le-riche", "riche", "à-le-riche-un"]·heb["ה-עשיר", "ו-עשיר", "ו-עשירים", "ל-עשיר", "עשיר", "עשירי"]·HI["और-धनी", "धनवान-का", "धनवान-के", "धनी", "धनी-के", "धनी-के-लिए", "धनीके-साथ", "धनी।", "परंतु-धनी"]·ID["Orang-kaya", "bagi-orang-kaya", "dan-orang-orang-kaya", "kaya", "orang-kaya", "tetapi-orang-kaya", "yang-kaya"]·IT["[עשיר]", "a-il-ricco-uno", "e-ricco", "il-ricco", "ricco"]·jav["Kanggé-sang-sugih", "Tiyang-sugih", "jagad", "lan-tiyang-sugih", "nanging-tiyang-sugih", "para-tiyang-sugih", "sang-sugih", "sugih", "tiyang-sugih"]·KO["그-부한", "그러나-부자는", "그리고-부자들", "부유하다", "부유하든지", "부유한", "부유한-자-와", "부유한-자가", "부유한-자들-이", "부유한-자와-함께", "부자", "부자-의", "부자는", "부자도", "부자와", "부자요", "에게-부자"]·PT["O-rico", "Para-o-rico", "Rico", "e-rico", "e-ricos", "o-rico", "os-ricos-do", "rico"]·RU["-богатому", "Богатый", "а-богатые", "а-богатый", "богатого", "богатого;", "богатые", "богатый", "богатым", "у-богатого"]·ES["Al-rico", "El-rico", "Rico", "el-rico", "los-ricos-de", "rico", "y-rico", "y-ricos"]·SW["Tajiri", "lakini-tajiri", "matajiri-wa", "na-matajiri", "tajiri", "tajiri-huyo"]·TR["fakat-zengin", "ve-zenginler", "zengin", "zengine", "zengini", "zenginin", "zenginle", "zenginleri"]·urd["-امیر", "امیر", "امیر-کا", "امیر-کو", "امیر-کی", "امیر-کے", "امیر-ہے", "اور-امیر", "دولتمند", "دولتمند-کے-پاس"]
Exod 30:15, Ruth 3:10, 2 Sam 12:1, 2 Sam 12:2, 2 Sam 12:4, Job 27:19, Ps 45:12, Ps 49:2, Prov 10:15, Prov 14:20, Prov 18:11, Prov 18:23 (+11 more)
Related Senses
H5414 1. give, bestow (1855×)H3947 1. take, seize, grasp (Qal) (940×)G2192 1. possess / have (680×)G1325 1. give, bestow (336×)H5159 1. inherited land or property (170×)G2983 1. receive, obtain (134×)H3423 1. Qal: take possession of land (130×)G2983 2. take, take up (113×)G2398 1. one's own, belonging to oneself (91×)G3860 1. hand over, deliver to custody (78×)H7998 1. spoil, plunder, booty (74×)G1325 2. be given, be granted (70×)H5414 2. put, place, set (68×)H7999a 1. pay, repay, recompense (63×)H7069 1. Buy, purchase (59×)H1892 1. vanity, futility, absurdity (58×)H5159 2. heritage as covenant portion (52×)H6299 1. redeem or ransom (Qal active) (49×)H4376 1. Sell (Qal active) (47×)H1350a 1. Redeem, buy back (46×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
עָשִׁיר23 adj. et n. rich;—abs. ע׳ Ex 30:15 + 19 times; pl. abs. עֲשִׁירִים Ec 10:6; cstr. עֲשִׁירֵי ψ 45:13; sf. עֲשִׁירֶיהָ Mi 6:12;—adj.m. 2 S 12:1, 4 (opp. רָאשׁ), Ru 3:10 (opp. דַּל); usually n.m. the rich, opp. דִּל Pr 10:15 + 3 times; opp. רָשׁ 2 S 12:2; Pr 14:20 + 4 times; opp. אֶבְיוֹן ψ 49:3; alone Je 9:22 Mi 6:12 + 5 times, + עֲשִׁירֵי עָם ψ 45:13; ע׳ Is 53:9 is prob. crpt., cf. ‖ רְשָׁעִים; Bö Ry Di-Kit עֹשֵׂי רַע; Krochm Gr CheHpt conj. רְשָׁעִים for ע׳, and פֹּשְׁעִים for ר׳.