בֶּ֫צַע

Genesis 37:26 בֶּ֗צַע [is the] profit

Then Judah said to his brothers, “What profit will we gain if we kill our brother and cover up his blood?

Exodus 18:21 בָ֑צַע <of> unjust gain

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.

Here: Literally a 'cut' or slice taken for yourself: profit grabbed by illegitimate means. For someone who judges cases, the obvious form is a bribe or a 'gift' from one side.

Judges 5:19 בֶּ֥צַע profit of

Kings came and fought; then the kings of Canaan fought at Taanach by the waters of Megiddo, but they took no plunder of silver.

Here: "Gain, profit, cut." The word usually means gain grabbed by force or greed. Here it means the plunder the kings came to collect. It comes from a root meaning "to cut off," which may also call up a cut piece or scrap of silver.

1 Samuel 8:3 הַבָּ֑צַע <the> unjust gain

But his sons did not walk in his ways; they turned aside toward dishonest gain, accepting bribes and perverting justice.

Here: 'The gain' means profit cut off for yourself, usually at someone else's expense. The word nearly always carries a sense of greed or extortion. Here it means personal profit from the judge's seat.

Job 22:3 בֶּ֝֗צַע profit

Does it delight the Almighty that you are righteous? Does He profit if your ways are blameless?

Psalm 30:9 בֶּ֥צַע [is the] profit

“What gain is there in my bloodshed, in my descent to the Pit? Will the dust praise You? Will it proclaim Your faithfulness?

Here: "Profit" or "advantage." The word usually means gain cut off or taken by force, so it carries a hard, transactional edge: what would you get out of this? It echoes Judah's question over Joseph's life in Genesis 37:26.

Psalm 119:36 בָּֽצַע׃ unjust gain

Turn my heart to Your testimonies and not to covetous gain.

Here: Profit, especially gain grabbed by cutting corners or cutting others out: bribes, extortion, exploitation. It names the loot itself, and the heart's leaning toward it is what makes it a rival destination to God's testimonies.

Proverbs 1:19 בָּ֑צַע unjust gain

Such is the fate of all who are greedy, whose unjust gain takes the lives of its possessors.

Here: The noun from the same root as the verb before it. The pair sounds like 'one who cuts a cut' or 'who takes his take.' It is the loot of v. 13, 'all kinds of precious wealth.'

Proverbs 15:27 בָּ֑צַע unjust gain

He who is greedy for unjust gain brings trouble on his household, but he who hates bribes will live.

Here: The noun from the same root: 'gains gain', or 'takes his cut'. Repeating the root sharpens the phrase and gives it a sound-play (bôṣēaʿ bāṣaʿ). The phrase names someone whose way of life is illicit profit.

Proverbs 28:16 בֶ֝֗צַע <of> unjust gain

A leader who lacks judgment is also a great oppressor, but he who hates dishonest profit will prolong his days.

Isaiah 33:15 בְּבֶ֣צַע <in> unjust gain of

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—

Here: The preposition marks what is rejected; the noun is 'gain', usually profit taken at someone else's expense, a 'cut' taken from them.

Isaiah 56:11 לְבִצְע֖וֹ to own unjust gain his

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:

Here: 'To his gain', meaning profit taken illegitimately, a person's 'cut'. Almost always negative in the Hebrew Bible: bribes, extortion, profit made at others' expense.

Isaiah 57:17 בִּצְע֛וֹ unjust gain his

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.

Here: 'His gain.' The word means a cut or share taken, and is used mostly for profit got by extortion, bribery or violence. It names a concrete act of grabbing, not only a greedy feeling.

Jeremiah 6:13 בָּ֑צַע unjust gain

“For from the least of them to the greatest, all are greedy for gain; from prophet to priest, all practice deceit.

Here: The noun from the same root as the verb: 'cutting a cut', 'profiting a profit'. Repeating the root makes the point heavier. In most Old Testament uses this word means gain taken dishonestly, by bribery, extortion or violence.

Jeremiah 8:10 בָּ֑צַע unjust gain

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.

Here: 'A cut'. Verb and noun from the same root ('cutting a cut') stress the point: they are all on the take, each skimming a share.

Jeremiah 22:17 בִּצְעֶ֑ךָ unjust gain your

“But your eyes and heart are set on nothing except your own dishonest gain, on shedding innocent blood, on practicing extortion and oppression.”

Here: 'Your gain/cut': profit actually taken, especially by unfair means. 'Your' makes it personal. This is the king's own take, not the nation's welfare.

Jeremiah 51:13 בִּצְעֵֽךְ׃ cutting off your

You who dwell by many waters, rich in treasures, your end has come; the thread of your life is cut.

Here: The root means 'to cut off' (a weaver cutting finished cloth from the loom) and, as a noun, 'gain gotten by cutting a share', usually violent or dishonest gain. Either 'the measure of your plunder (is full)' or 'the length at which you are cut off'. Both may be heard (see debates).

Ezekiel 22:13 בִּצְעֵ֖ךְ unjust gain your

Now look, I strike My hands together against your unjust gain and against the blood you have shed in your midst.

Ezekiel 22:27 בָּֽצַע׃ unjust gain

Her officials within her are like wolves tearing their prey, shedding blood, and destroying lives for dishonest gain.

Here: 'A cut' of ill-gotten profit. 'Gaining gain' echoes 'tearing prey' and closes the verse on the motive: money.

Ezekiel 33:31 בִצְעָ֖ם unjust gain their

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.

Here: Profit taken at someone else's expense. The root means to cut off, as a weaver cuts a piece from the loom. Ezekiel uses the word for the extortion and violence of Jerusalem's leaders (22:13, 27).

Micah 4:13 בִּצְעָ֔ם unjust gain their

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.

Here: 'Their gain'. The word usually means profit taken by violence or fraud. The nations' plunder, gathered by force, is taken from them.

Habakkuk 2:9 בֶּ֥צַע unjust gain

Woe to him who builds his house by unjust gain, to place his nest on high and escape the hand of disaster!

Here: The noun from the same root as the verb before it, so the line literally says 'gaining gain'. The repeated sound hammers the point that his whole life is about getting. In the Hebrew Bible the word almost always means profit taken by extortion, bribery or violence.

Malachi 3:14 בֶּ֗צַע [is the] profit

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?

Here: "Profit," literally a "cut," a person's share of the take. It is a trader's word, and in the Bible it usually means greedy or dishonest gain. Using it for religion gives the complaint a hard, transactional edge.