עַבְטִיט (av.tit)
av.tit
debt
H:N-MQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-M
Word Overview
The Hebrew noun avtit refers to a pledge or collateral that carries such weight it becomes a "heavy debt." It describes something given as security for a loan that is so burdensome, or perhaps so valuable, that its loss would be devastating. The term itself suggests intensity, pointing to the gravity of what is held in trust.
This word appears only once in the Hebrew Bible, in Habakkuk 2:6. There, it is part of a taunt against the wicked who accumulate wealth through exploitation. The imagery highlights the crushing nature of their obligations and the inevitable collapse that follows when such heavy burdens are finally called in.
Translators often render avtit as "pledge" or "collateral," but the context emphasizes the oppressive weight involved. It is not merely a legal term but a vivid picture of financial and moral pressure, where what is held as security becomes a source of ruin for those who rely on unjust gain.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word avtit describes a pledge or collateral so heavy it becomes a crushing debt. In Habakkuk 2:6, this term highlights the burden of those who gain wealth through exploitation. It reminds us that unjust gains carry a weight that eventually collapses under their own pressure.
For your daily life, this offers comfort against greed and anxiety. When you see others chasing easy riches, remember that such paths lead to ruin. True peace comes from integrity, not from holding onto what does not belong to you. God sees the hidden costs of dishonesty.
This single occurrence in Scripture serves as a warning against hoarding. It invites us to trust in honest work and generous living. The weight of a bad debt is temporary, but the peace of a clear conscience lasts forever. Let this truth guide your financial decisions with wisdom and grace.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- pledge[s]1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- עַבְטִֽיט\׃1×
Key Verses
-
Habakkuk 2:6
Won’t all these take up a parable against him, and a taunting proverb against him, and say, ‘Woe to him who increases that which is not his, and who enriches himself by extortion! How long?’
This verse uses the term to describe the crushing burden of wealth gained through extortion, showing how unjust accumulation becomes a heavy debt that cannot be sustained.