Destitute
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The Hebrew term ebyon identifies a person in material need, lacking resources, protection, or social power. Scripture does not present such need as proof of laziness, moral failure, cursed status, or weak faith.
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Full entry for אֶבְיוֹן (H34) · Open the biblical lexicon
The Hebrew term ebyon identifies a person in material need, lacking resources, protection, or social power. Scripture does not present such need as proof of laziness, moral failure, cursed status, or weak faith.
The BSB source-word alignment has 61 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include and needy (19), the needy (10), of the needy (6), and the needy (4), to the needy (3).
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Exodus 23:6. Its strongest book concentrations include Psalms (23), Deuteronomy (7), Job (6), Amos (5).
The Hebrew term ebyon identifies a person in material need, lacking resources, protection, or social power. Scripture does not present such need as proof of laziness, moral failure, cursed status, or weak faith. Torah commands openhanded provision, fair treatment of hired workers, access to food, and justice in legal disputes. The prophets condemn those who trample needy people, manipulate markets, shed innocent blood, or use lies to destroy a just plea.
Jeremiah describes defending poor and needy people as part of what it means to know the Lord, while the Psalms confess that God hears, rescues, and stands beside those without a helper. Responsible teaching therefore moves from sentiment to concrete justice, wages, food, housing, safety, and access to fair process. It listens to people experiencing poverty rather than treating them as illustrations or projects.
It also avoids romanticizing deprivation or promising automatic wealth. The word calls communities to open hands, truthful systems, protection from exploitation, and hope grounded in God's attentive justice.
Ebyon names people facing serious material and social need. Across Torah, Wisdom, Prophets, and Psalms, their presence tests covenant faithfulness through provision, wages, legal justice, protection from exploitation, and trust in God's hearing.
If there is a poor man among your brothers within any of the gates in the land that the Lord your God is giving you, then you are not to harden your heart or shut your hand from your poor brother.
Israel must not harden the heart or close the hand when a poor brother is present.
Do not oppress a hired hand who is poor and needy, whether he is a brother or a foreigner residing in one of your towns.
The command forbids oppressing a poor hired worker, including a foreign resident living in Israel's towns.
You shall not deny justice to the poor in their lawsuits.
Poverty must not become a reason to deny someone justice in a legal dispute.
Hear this, you who trample the needy, who do away with the poor of the land,
The prophet summons exploiters who trample needy people and seek to eliminate the poor from the land.
He took up the cause of the poor and needy, and so it went well with him. Is this not what it means to know Me?” declares the Lord.
Josiah's defense of poor and needy people is identified with knowing the Lord rightly.
For he will deliver the needy who cry out and the afflicted who have no helper.
The royal prayer expects the righteous king to deliver needy people who cry without another helper.
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders ItA compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
Hebrew word. One reduced to absolute destitution and dependence; carries covenantal obligation for Israel to protect the vulnerable
One reduced to absolute destitution and dependence; carries covenantal obligation for Israel to protect the vulnerable
destitute BDB: in want Usage: beggar, needy, poor (man).
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Showing 2 selected witnesses from 61 lexical occurrence verses.
אֶבְיוֹן is built from this root:
Compound and idiomatic phrases that include this word. Follow a link to study the phrase and how its parts work together.
Ebyon makes poverty a covenant and justice question. Deuteronomy 15 holds promise and persistent need together: God's abundance is not a pretext for denying present poverty, and the response is an open heart and hand rather than blame. Deuteronomy 24 brings employment and migration into view by forbidding oppression of a poor hired worker whether the worker is a brother or foreign resident.
Exodus 23 protects legal standing; a person's lack of money must not decide a lawsuit. Amos exposes commercial practice that tramples needy people and treats them as disposable, so worship cannot be separated from markets and power. Jeremiah 22 says that taking up the cause of poor and needy people belonged to Josiah's knowledge of God. Psalm 72 places their deliverance within the portrait of righteous rule.
Faithful application pays fairly and promptly, removes barriers to food and shelter, provides accessible legal and pastoral support, includes affected people in decisions, and resists exploitation. It offers hope in God's justice without promising that a donation, prayer, or moral improvement will produce automatic wealth.
Jer.22.16
Ebyon is a Hebrew nominal description commonly rendered poor or needy. It identifies material and social want in relation to food, wages, courts, oppressors, and helpers, so the surrounding covenant and institutional setting is essential.
Jesus announces good news to poor people, receives those excluded by status, and teaches disciples to give without seeking honor. The early churches organize material sharing and warn wealthy believers against withholding wages, extending Scripture's concern for provision and justice.