Betsa בֶּ֫צַע

Betsa (Hebrew בֶּ֫צַע, Strong's H1215) is a Hebrew masculine noun meaning “unjust-gain”. It occurs 23 times in 23 verses of the Old Testament.

Definition

From the STEPBible Brief Lexicon of Hebrew (based on the abridged Brown-Driver-Briggs), STEPBible.org, CC BY 4.0.

Translated as

Topics

• Bribery
• Greed

Verses

Every verse with Betsa, with the English words that translate it highlighted (KJV or BSB; other translations show the KJV here).

Genesis

• Genesis 37:26
  And Judah said unto his brethren, What profit is it if we slay our brother, and conceal his blood?Then Judah said to his brothers, “What profit will we gain if we kill our brother and cover up his blood?

Exodus

• Exodus 18:21
  Moreover thou shalt provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, and rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens:Furthermore, select capable men from among the people—God-fearing, trustworthy men who are averse to dishonest gain. Appoint them over the people as leaders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens.

Judges

• Judges 5:19
  The kings came and fought, then fought the kings of Canaan in Taanach by the waters of Megiddo; they took no gain of money.Kings came and fought; then the kings of Canaan fought at Taanach by the waters of Megiddo, but they took no plunder of silver.

1 Samuel

• 1 Samuel 8:3
  And his sons walked not in his ways, but turned aside after lucre, and took bribes, and perverted judgment.But his sons did not walk in his ways; they turned aside toward dishonest gain, accepting bribes and perverting justice.

Job

• Job 22:3
  Is it any pleasure to the Almighty, that thou art righteous? or is it gain to him, that thou makest thy ways perfect?Does it delight the Almighty that you are righteous? Does He profit if your ways are blameless?

Psalms

• Psalm 30:9
  What profit is there in my blood, when I go down to the pit? Shall the dust praise thee? shall it declare thy truth?“What gain is there in my bloodshed, in my descent to the Pit? Will the dust praise You? Will it proclaim Your faithfulness?
• Psalm 119:36
  Incline my heart unto thy testimonies, and not to covetousness.Turn my heart to Your testimonies and not to covetous gain.

Proverbs

• Proverbs 1:19
  So are the ways of every one that is greedy of gain; which taketh away the life of the owners thereof.Such is the fate of all who are greedy, whose unjust gain takes the lives of its possessors.
• Proverbs 15:27
  He that is greedy of gain troubleth his own house; but he that hateth gifts shall live.He who is greedy for unjust gain brings trouble on his household, but he who hates bribes will live.
• Proverbs 28:16
  The prince that wanteth understanding is also a great oppressor: but he that hateth covetousness shall prolong his days.A leader who lacks judgment is also a great oppressor, but he who hates dishonest profit will prolong his days.

Isaiah

• Isaiah 33:15
  He that walketh righteously, and speaketh uprightly; he that despiseth the gain of oppressions, that shaketh his hands from holding of bribes, that stoppeth his ears from hearing of blood, and shutteth his eyes from seeing evil;He who walks righteously and speaks with sincerity, who refuses gain from extortion, whose hand never takes a bribe, who stops his ears against murderous plots and shuts his eyes tightly against evil—
• Isaiah 56:11
  Yea, they are greedy dogs which can never have enough, and they are shepherds that cannot understand: they all look to their own way, every one for his gain, from his quarter.Like ravenous dogs, they are never satisfied. They are shepherds with no discernment; they all turn to their own way, each one seeking his own gain:
• Isaiah 57:17
  For the iniquity of his covetousness was I wroth, and smote him: I hid me, and was wroth, and he went on frowardly in the way of his heart.I was enraged by his sinful greed, so I struck him and hid My face in anger; yet he kept turning back to the desires of his heart.

Jeremiah

• Jeremiah 6:13
  For from the least of them even unto the greatest of them every one is given to covetousness; and from the prophet even unto the priest every one dealeth falsely.“For from the least of them to the greatest, all are greedy for gain; from prophet to priest, all practice deceit.
• Jeremiah 8:10
  Therefore will I give their wives unto others, and their fields to them that shall inherit them: for every one from the least even unto the greatest is given to covetousness, from the prophet even unto the priest every one dealeth falsely.Therefore I will give their wives to other men and their fields to new owners. For from the least of them to the greatest, all are greedy for gain; from prophet to priest, all practice deceit.
• Jeremiah 22:17
  But thine eyes and thine heart are not but for thy covetousness, and for to shed innocent blood, and for oppression, and for violence, to do it.“But your eyes and heart are set on nothing except your own dishonest gain, on shedding innocent blood, on practicing extortion and oppression.”
• Jeremiah 51:13
  O thou that dwellest upon many waters, abundant in treasures, thine end is come, and the measure of thy covetousness.You who dwell by many waters, rich in treasures, your end has come; the thread of your life is cut.

Ezekiel

• Ezekiel 22:13
  Behold, therefore I have smitten mine hand at thy dishonest gain which thou hast made, and at thy blood which hath been in the midst of thee.Now look, I strike My hands together against your unjust gain and against the blood you have shed in your midst.
• Ezekiel 22:27
  Her princes in the midst thereof are like wolves ravening the prey, to shed blood, and to destroy souls, to get dishonest gain.Her officials within her are like wolves tearing their prey, shedding blood, and destroying lives for dishonest gain.
• Ezekiel 33:31
  And they come unto thee as the people cometh, and they sit before thee as my people, and they hear thy words, but they will not do them: for with their mouth they shew much love, but their heart goeth after their covetousness.So My people come to you as usual, sit before you, and hear your words; but they do not put them into practice. Although they express love with their mouths, their hearts pursue dishonest gain.

Micah

• Micah 4:13
  Arise and thresh, O daughter of Zion: for I will make thine horn iron, and I will make thy hoofs brass: and thou shalt beat in pieces many people: and I will consecrate their gain unto the Lord, and their substance unto the Lord of the whole earth.Rise and thresh, O Daughter of Zion, for I will give you horns of iron and hooves of bronze to break to pieces many peoples. Then you will devote their gain to the LORD, their wealth to the Lord of all the earth.

Habakkuk

• Habakkuk 2:9
  Woe to him that coveteth an evil covetousness to his house, that he may set his nest on high, that he may be delivered from the power of evil!Woe to him who builds his house by unjust gain, to place his nest on high and escape the hand of disaster!

Malachi

• Malachi 3:14
  Ye have said, It is vain to serve God: and what profit is it that we have kept his ordinance, and that we have walked mournfully before the Lord of hosts?You have said, ‘It is futile to serve God. What have we gained by keeping His requirements and walking mournfully before the LORD of Hosts?

Notes

1. Definition and verse list from STEPBible's tagged Hebrew Old Testament (TAHOT) and Greek New Testament (TAGNT) and Brief Lexicons, STEPBible.org, CC BY 4.0.
2. English renderings from the public-domain KJV with Strong's numbers (eBible.org) and the Berean Standard Bible interlinear (public domain).