חֶ֫סֶר (che.ser)
che.ser
poverty
H:N-MQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 2 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-M
Word Overview
The Hebrew noun che.ser denotes a state of want or poverty. It appears only twice in the Old Testament, both within the wisdom literature of Job and Proverbs. In these contexts, it describes the tangible reality of lacking basic necessities rather than an abstract concept.
Its usage is straightforward, focusing on material deprivation. The word does not carry complex theological baggage about wealth or poverty but simply identifies the condition of need. This clarity allows the texts to highlight how such circumstances test human character and reliance on divine provision.
Translators typically render che.ser as "poverty" or "want." Its rarity in Scripture suggests it was a specific term for acute lack, distinct from general financial difficulty. By appearing in books that explore suffering and justice, it grounds abstract questions of faith in the concrete experience of those who have nothing.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The Hebrew word che.ser describes a stark reality of material lack. It is not an abstract idea but a tangible state of needing basic necessities. When we encounter this term in Scripture, it reminds us that poverty is a concrete human experience, often involving hunger and desolation.
In Proverbs 28:22, we see how the pursuit of wealth can lead directly to this state. The text warns that stinginess blinds people to the consequences of their actions. This clarity helps us understand that our choices have real-world impacts on our security and well-being.
Yet, these passages also ground our faith in reality. They show that God sees those who lack. Rather than offering easy answers, Scripture invites us to recognize the dignity of those in need and to trust in divine provision when our own resources run dry.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 2 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- poverty1×
- in/ poverty1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- חֶ֥סֶר1×
- בְּ/חֶ֥סֶר1×
Key Verses
-
Job 30:3
They are gaunt from lack and famine. They gnaw the dry ground, in the gloom of waste and desolation.
This verse uses che.ser to depict the physical starvation and desperation of Job's former peers, grounding the abstract concept of suffering in the concrete reality of hunger.
-
Proverbs 28:22
A stingy man hurries after riches, and doesn’t know that poverty waits for him.
Here the word illustrates the inevitable consequence of greed, showing how a focus on accumulating riches can ironically lead to the very poverty one seeks to avoid.