אוֹצָר (o.tsar)
o.tsar
treasure
H:N-MQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 65 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-M
Word Overview
The Hebrew noun o.tsar refers to a storehouse or treasury, encompassing both physical buildings and the valuable contents they hold. It describes places where resources are carefully guarded, ranging from granaries filled with grain to rooms containing gold, silver, and weapons. The word appears frequently in historical books like Chronicles and Kings, often detailing the royal administration that managed these national reserves.
Its meaning extends beyond mere wealth to include essential supplies for survival. In Jeremiah 51:18, it describes storehouses of food, while Proverbs 10:2 contrasts a wicked person’s gain with a righteous person’s treasure, highlighting its value as security. The term also carries theological weight when applied to God, who is depicted as the keeper of natural forces like rain and snow in Job 38:22.
Etymologically, o.tsar derives from a root meaning to hedge in or protect, suggesting that these stores were not just collections but secured assets. This emphasis on preservation explains why the word is often linked with kings who collected tribute or priests who oversaw temple gifts, reflecting a society where stored wealth equated to stability and divine favor.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word otsar describes a secure place where valuable resources are kept safe, such as a royal treasury or a temple storehouse. In ancient Israel, these locations held more than just gold and silver; they contained grain, oil, and weapons essential for the nation's survival. This physical security mirrors a deeper spiritual reality: God is the ultimate keeper of what matters most to us.
When Deuteronomy speaks of God opening His heavenly treasure to send rain, it reminds us that our true stability comes from Him, not from our own hoarding. We are invited to trust in His provision rather than relying solely on earthly reserves. By placing our hopes in the One who guards all good things, we find a peace that no thief can steal and no enemy can take away.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 65 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- [the] treasures of8×
- [the] storehouses of6×
- [the] treasury of4×
- treasures of3×
- in/ storehouses/ my3×
- in/ [the] treasuries of3×
- from/ storehouses/ his3×
- and/ in/ [the] treasuries of3×
- and/ [the] treasures of3×
- treasures2×
- to/ [the] treasury of2×
- the/ storehouses2×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- אֹצְר֣וֹת4×
- אוֹצַ֥ר3×
- אֽוֹצְרוֹת֙3×
- מֵ/אֹצְרֹתָֽי/ו\׃2×
- לְ/אוֹצַ֣ר2×
- וְ/אֹצְר֥וֹת2×
- בְּ/אוֹצְרֹתָֽ/י\׃2×
- בְּ/אֹצְר֖וֹת2×
- אוֹצְר֣וֹת2×
- אֹצְר֖וֹת2×
- מֵ/אוֹצָ֥ר1×
- מֵ/אֽוֹצְרוֹתָֽי/ו\׃1×
Key Verses
-
Deuteronomy 28:12
Yahweh will open to you his good treasure in the sky, to give the rain of your land in its season, and to bless all the work of your hand. You will lend to many nations, and you will not borrow.
This verse shifts the focus from earthly storehouses to God’s heavenly treasury, linking divine provision directly to obedience and blessing.
-
Joshua 6:19
But all the silver, gold, and vessels of bronze and iron are holy to Yahweh. They shall come into Yahweh’s treasury.”
Here the term marks a transition where plundered wealth is consecrated to God, showing that true value lies in dedication rather than personal gain.
-
I Kings 7:51
Thus all the work that King Solomon did in Yahweh’s house was finished. Solomon brought in the things which David his father had dedicated—the silver, the gold, and the vessels—and put them in the treasuries of Yahweh’s house.
This record details Solomon bringing David’s dedicated items into the temple treasuries, emphasizing the continuity of worship and stewardship across generations.