Lexical Summary
ebyon: Poor, needy
Original Word:אֶבְיוֹן
Part of Speech:Adjective
Transliteration:ebyown
Pronunciation:eb-yone'
Phonetic Spelling:(eb-yone')
KJV: beggar, needy, poor (man)
NASB:needy, poor, needy one, poor man
Word Origin:[fromH14 (אָבָה - willing), in the sense of want (especially in feeling)]
1. destitute
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
beggar, needy, poor man
From'abah, in the sense of want (especially in feeling); destitute -- beggar, needy, poor (man).
see HEBREW'abah
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom
abahDefinitionin want, needy, poor
NASB Translationneedy (45), needy one (2), poor (12), poor man (1).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
, — so, always absolute,
Deuteronomy 15:4 40t;
Exodus 23:6;
Deuteronomy 15:11;
Amos 4:1 14t.;
Exodus 23:11;
Isaiah 29:19;
Psalm 132:15—; (Hexateuch only J E D; mostly poetry, 23 t. Psalms)
needy, chiefly
poor (in material things); as adjective
Deuteronomy 15:7 (twice in verse);
Deuteronomy 15:9;
Deuteronomy 24:14;
Psalm 109:16 (both "" ); elsewhere substantive;
Psalm 49:3 ("" );
Deuteronomy 15:4,11; subject to oppression & abuse
Amos 2:6;
Amos 5:12 (both "" )
Amos 4:1;
Amos 8:6 (all "" )
Isaiah 32:7;
Amos 8:4;
Ezekiel 16:49;
Ezekiel 18:12;
Ezekiel 22:29;
Psalm 37:14;
Job 24:4,14;
Proverbs 30:14 — compare
Psalm 109:16 above — (all "" )
Jeremiah 5:28 ("" )
Jeremiah 2:34; cared for by good
Job 29:16;
Job 30:25 ("" )
Job 31:19;
Psalm 112:9;
Esther 9:22;
Proverbs 14:31 ("" )
Proverbs 31:20;
Jeremiah 22:16 ("" ); care of them enjoined, negatively
Exodus 23:6; — compare
Deuteronomy 24:14 above — positively
Exodus 23:11;
Deuteronomy 15:11;
Proverbs 31:9 (both "" ) — compare
Deuteronomy 15:7 (twice in verse);
Deuteronomy 15:9 above —
Psalm 82:4 ("" ); cared for by God
Jeremiah 20:13;
Psalm 107:41;
Psalm 132:15;
Job 5:15;
1 Samuel 2:8 =
Psalm 113:7;
Isaiah 14:30 (all "" )
Psalm 35:10;
Psalm 140:13 (both "" ), compare Davidic king
Psalm 72:12 ("" ) =
Psalm 72:4 (""
id.),
Psalm 72:13 (twice in verse); ("" );
needing help, deliverance from trouble, especially as delivered by God
Psalm 9:19;
Psalm 12:6;
Psalm 40:18 =
Psalm 70:6;
Psalm 74:21;
Psalm 86:1;
Psalm 109:22;
Isaiah 29:19;
Isaiah 41:17 (all "" )
Isaiah 25:4 ("" )
Psalm 69:34;
Psalm 109:31.
Topical Lexicon
Meaning and Scopeאֶבְיוֹן (’evyón) designates the materially impoverished who lack the power or resources to secure their basic needs and are therefore dependent on the compassion of others and the covenant faithfulness of God. The term carries moral and spiritual connotations: the ’evyón is not merely economically disadvantaged but is often portrayed as humble, oppressed, and consciously reliant upon the Lord.
Frequency and Distribution
Approximately sixty-one occurrences appear throughout the Old Testament, spanning the Torah (Exodus, Deuteronomy), historical narratives (1 Samuel, Esther), wisdom literature (Job, Psalms, Proverbs), and prophetic books (Isaiah, Jeremiah, Amos, Zephaniah, Ezekiel, Zechariah). Psalms alone provides more than one-third of the attestations, underscoring the theme of prayerful dependence.
Characterization of the ’Evyón
1. Economically Vulnerable:Exodus 22:25 sets the earliest legal protection—“If you lend money to My people, to the poor among you, you are not to act as a creditor; you must not charge him interest”.
2. Socially Powerless:Proverbs 31:9 calls rulers to “defend the cause of the poor and needy.”
3. Spiritually Dependent:Psalm 72:13 pictures the ideal king—“He will take pity on the weak and the needy and save the lives of the needy.”
4. Targets of Oppression:Amos 8:4 condemns those “who trample on the needy and do away with the poor of the land.”
Responsibilities Toward the ’Evyón
• Judicial Protection: Judges were commanded, “Do not deny justice to your poor people in their lawsuits” (Exodus 23:6).
• Economic Provisions: The sabbatical release and gleaning laws (Deuteronomy 15:4, 11;Leviticus 23:22) institutionalized regular relief.
• Personal Charity:Proverbs 14:21 links kindness to moral blessing—“Blessed is he who is kind to the needy.”
• Corporate Worship: The psalmist often includes petitions for the ’evyón within communal praise (Psalm 109:31; 140:12).
Theological Themes
1. Covenant Reflection: Care for the ’evyón mirrors Yahweh’s own character as defender of the defenceless (Psalm 68:5).
2. Justice and Righteousness: Prophetic rebukes (Isaiah 10:2;Ezekiel 22:29) frame neglect of the needy as covenant infidelity.
3. Divine Reversal: The motif of God exalting the humble appears inPsalm 113:7—“He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap.”
4. Eschatological Hope:Zephaniah 3:12 promises a remnant characterized as “the meek and humble,” linguistically linked to the ’evyón.
Messianic and Prophetic Dimensions
Psalm 72 andIsaiah 11 portray the Messiah’s reign as uniquely attentive to the needy. “With justice He will give decisions for the poor of the earth” (Isaiah 11:4). These texts feed into New Testament expectations of Jesus Christ, who proclaimed “good news to the poor” (Luke 4:18, citingIsaiah 61).
Applications for Ministry
• Preaching: Highlighting God’s consistent concern for the ’evyón grounds exhortations to generous discipleship.
• Diaconal Structures: Old Testament laws legitimize organized relief ministries.
• Advocacy: Prophetic models encourage the church to speak against systemic oppression.
• Spiritual Formation: Identification with the ’evyón nurtures humility and dependence on grace.
Intertestamental and New Testament Echoes
While the Hebrew term fades, its theme persists. The Greek πτωχός in the Septuagint often renders ’evyón, bridging to the Beatitudes: “Blessed are the poor in spirit” (Matthew 5:3).Acts 6 and2 Corinthians 8–9 demonstrate early-church continuity in caring for the poor.
Concluding Reflections
Across redemptive history, God measures societal righteousness by its treatment of the ’evyón. The term therefore functions as a theological touchstone, calling believers to embody covenant mercy, anticipate Messianic justice, and manifest kingdom generosity until the final consummation when “He will save the children of the needy and crush the oppressor” (Psalm 72:4).
Forms and Transliterations
אֶ֝בְיוֹנֶ֗יהָ אֶבְי֑וֹן אֶבְי֔וֹן אֶבְי֖וֹן אֶבְי֜וֹן אֶבְי֣וֹן אֶבְי֫וֹנִ֥ים אֶבְיֹנְךָ֖ אֶבְיֹנִֽים׃ אֶבְיֹנֵ֣י אֶבְיֽוֹן׃ אֶבְיוֹנִ֑ים אֶבְיוֹנִ֖ים אֶבְיוֹנִ֣ים אביון אביון׃ אביוניה אביונים אביני אבינים׃ אבינך הָֽאֶבְי֔וֹן הָאֶבְיֽוֹן׃ האביון האביון׃ וְ֝אֶבְי֗וֹן וְ֝אֶבְיוֹנִ֗ים וְ֭אֶבְיוֹן וְאֶבְי֑וֹן וְאֶבְי֖וֹן וְאֶבְי֣וֹן וְאֶבְיֽוֹן׃ וְאֶבְיוֹן֙ וְאֶבְיוֹן֮ וְאֶבְיוֹנִ֖ים וְאֶבְיוֹנֵ֣י וְהָאֶבְיוֹנִ֜ים וּלְאֶבְיֹנְךָ֖ ואביון ואביון׃ ואביוני ואביונים והאביונים ולאבינך לָֽאֶבְיֽוֹן׃ לָֽאֶבְיוֹנִ֑ים לָֽאֶבְיוֹנִֽים׃ לָאֶבְי֖וֹן לָאֶבְיֽוֹן׃ לָאֶבְיוֹנִ֗ים לאביון לאביון׃ לאביונים לאביונים׃ ’eḇ·yō·nê ’eḇ·yō·nə·ḵā ’eḇ·yō·nîm ’eḇ·yō·w·ne·hā ’eḇ·yō·w·nîm ’eḇ·yō·wn ’eḇyōnê ’eḇyōnəḵā ’eḇyōnîm ’eḇyōwn ’eḇyōwnehā ’eḇyōwnîm evYon evyoneCha evyoNei evyoNeiha evyoNim hā’eḇyōwn hā·’eḇ·yō·wn haevYon lā’eḇyōwn lā’eḇyōwnîm lā·’eḇ·yō·w·nîm lā·’eḇ·yō·wn laevYon LaevyoNim ū·lə·’eḇ·yō·nə·ḵā ūlə’eḇyōnəḵā uleevyoneCha veevYon veevyoNei veevyoNim vehaevyoNim wə’eḇyōwn wə’eḇyōwnê wə’eḇyōwnîm wə·’eḇ·yō·w·nê wə·’eḇ·yō·w·nîm wə·’eḇ·yō·wn wə·hā·’eḇ·yō·w·nîm wəhā’eḇyōwnîm
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