1. In the sense of want (especially in feeling)
2. Destitute.
3. From 14 ( 'âbâh ).
NB: Refer to Psalm 23:1, "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want."
Parts of speech: Adjective masculine.
Brown-Driver-Briggs' Definition [ebyoen 34]
Strong #: 102 ‑ ἀδύνατος (ad‑oo'‑nat‑os); 120 ‑ ἀθυμέω (ath‑oo‑meh'‑o); 318 ‑ ἀνάγκη (an‑ang‑kay'); 435 ‑ ἀνήρ (an'‑ayr); 560 ‑ ἀπελπίζω (ap‑el‑pid'‑zo); 772 ‑ ἀσθενής (as‑then‑ace'); 1729 ‑ ἐνδεής (en‑deh‑ace'); 3993 ‑ πένης (pen'‑ace); 4434 ‑ πτωχός (pto‑khos'); 5011 ‑ ταπεινός (tap‑i‑nos'); |
| Brown-Driver-Briggs' Definition [ 'âbâh 14] to be willing, consent
|
1. This noun refers to someone who is poor in a material sense. Such a one may have lost the land of his inheritance: "But the seventh year thou shalt let it rest and lie still; that the poor of thy people may eat: and what they leave the beasts of the field shall eat. In like manner thou shalt deal with thy vineyard, and with thy oliveyard." [Exodus 23:11].
He has come into difficult financial straits. [Job 30:25], "Did not I weep for him that was in trouble? was not my soul grieved for the poor?"
Perhaps lack clothing [Job 31:19] or food [Psalm 132:15].
Job 31:19, "If I have seen any perish for want of clothing, or any poor without covering;"
Psalm 132:15, "I will abundantly bless her provision: I will satisfy her poor with bread."
Messianic Verses
Psalm 132:13-18
13 For the Lord hath chosen Zion; he hath desired it for his habitation.
14 This is my rest for ever: here will I dwell; for I have desired it.
15 I will abundantly bless her provision: I will satisfy her poor with bread.
16 I will also clothe her priests with salvation: and her saints shall shout aloud for joy.
17 There will I make the horn of David to bud: I have ordained a lamp for mine anointed.
18 His enemies will I clothe with shame: but upon himself shall his crown flourish.
2. Secondly, ebyown may refer to the lack of social standing which causes a need for protection. The first biblical occurrence bears this emphasis. God guarantees protection for such a one, "Thou shalt not wrest the judgment of thy poor in his cause." [Exodus 23:6].
The godly man defends the needy and the defenseless, "I was a father to the poor: and the cause which I knew not I searched out." [Job 29:16] (cf Proverbs 31:9; Romans 3:14-15).
Proverbs 31:9, "Open thy mouth, judge righteously, and plead the cause of the poor and needy."
Romans 3:9-31
9 What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin;
10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:
11 There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.
12 They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.
13 Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips:
14 Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness:
15 Their feet are swift to shed blood:
16 Destruction and misery are in their ways:
17 And the way of peace have they not known:
18 There is no fear of God before their eyes.
19 Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.
20 Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
21 But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;
22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:
23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:
25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;
26 To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.
27 Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith.
28 Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.
29 Is he the God of the Jews only? is he not also of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also:
30 Seeing it is one God, which shall justify the circumcision by faith, and uncircumcision through faith.
31 Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.
Divine provisions are encased in the Mosaic stipulations such as the:
- Seventh year reversion of ancestral hereditary lands. [Exodus 23:11].
- Cancellation of loans [Deuteronomy 15:4].
- Special extension of loans [Deuteronomy 15:7, 9, 11].
Save when there shall be no poor among you; for the Lord shall greatly bless thee in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee for an inheritance to possess it:
Deuteronomy 15:7, 9, 11
If there be among you a poor man of one of thy brethren within any of thy gates in thy land which the Lord thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not harden thine heart, nor shut thine hand from thy poor brother:
Beware that there be not a thought in thy wicked heart, saying, The seventh year, the year of release, is at hand; and thine eye be evil against thy poor brother, and thou givest him nought; and he cry unto the Lord against thee, and it be sin unto thee.
For the poor shall never cease out of the land: therefore I command thee, saying, Thou shalt open thine hand wide unto thy brother, to thy poor, and to thy needy, in thy land.
3. Thirdly, this noun sometimes describes one's spiritual condition before God, "Thus saith the Lord; For three transgressions of Israel, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they sold the righteous for silver, and the poor for a pair of shoes;" [Amos 2:6].
In this verse, ebyown is in synonymous parallelism to "righteous", which means that it describes a moral quality.
Lesson Learnt
Jesus came to free me from the burden of guilt and condemnation. This is so that I can carry His burden to help the poor and needy and to defend the cause of the fatherless.
Matthew 11:28-30 (NIV)
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
I am blessed to be a blessing.
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