Word study
Rich
9 Hebrew and 4 Greek words behind this English word
The original-language words that the Berean Standard Bible translates with one of these: rich, riches. English often uses one word where Hebrew or Greek has several, each with its own shade of meaning. Under each word are verses where it is translated this way; choose the word itself for its full study: every verse, how else it is translated, the forms it takes and what the dictionaries say.
At a glance
How often each original word is translated “rich” or one of its forms.
Compare the Hebrew words side by side Compare the Greek words side by side
Hebrew and Aramaic words (Old Testament)
- עֹשֶׁר ôsherbe or become richtranslated this way 23 times of its 37 uses · Strong’s H6239Noun · Translated: riches 23, wealth 12, fortune 1, who will be 1Full study and all 36 verses →
1 Samuel 17:25 Now the men of Israel had been saying, “Do you see how this man keeps coming out to defy Israel? To the man who kills him the king will give great riches. And he will give him his daughter in marriage and exempt his father’s house from taxation in Israel.”
1 Kings 3:13 Moreover, I will give you what you did not request — both riches and honor — so that during all your days no man in any kingdom will be your equal.
- עָשִׁיר âshîrrichtranslated this way 19 times of its 23 uses · Strong’s H6223Adjective · Translated: rich 14, rich man 5, wealthy 1, wealth 1Full study and all 23 verses →
Exodus 30:15 In making the offering to the LORD to atone for your lives, the rich shall not give more than a half shekel, nor shall the poor give less.
Ruth 3:10 Then Boaz said, “May the LORD bless you, my daughter. You have shown more kindness now than before, because you have not run after the younger men, whether rich or poor.
- עָשַׁר âsharbe or become richtranslated this way 10 times of its 17 uses · Strong’s H6238Verb · Translated: rich 5Full study and all 17 verses →
Genesis 14:23 that I will not accept even a thread, or a strap of a sandal, or anything that belongs to you, lest you should say, ‘I have made Abram rich.’
Job 15:29 He will no longer be rich; his wealth will not endure. His possessions will not overspread the land.
- שָׁמֵן shâmênfat, robusttranslated this way 3 times of its 10 uses · Strong’s H8082Adjective · Translated: rich 3, fertile 3, robust 1, plentiful 1Full study and all 10 verses →
Genesis 49:20 Asher’s food will be rich; he shall provide royal delicacies.
1 Chronicles 4:40 There they found rich, good pasture, and the land was spacious, peaceful, and quiet; for some Hamites had lived there formerly.
- רַב rabmuch, many, greattranslated this way 3 times of its 445 uses · Strong’s H7227Adjective · Translated: many 171, great 65, captain 24, long 14Full study and all 426 verses →
Nehemiah 9:17 They refused to listen and failed to remember the wonders You performed among them. They stiffened their necks and appointed a leader to return them to their bondage in Egypt. But You are a forgiving God, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in loving devotion, and You did not forsake them.
Psalm 86:5 For You, O Lord, are kind and forgiving, rich in loving devotion to all who call on You.
- טוֹב ṭôbpleasant, agreeable, goodtranslated this way 3 times of its 538 uses · Strong’s H2896Adjective · Translated: good 249, better 72, prosperity 19, good things 12Full study and all 499 verses →
Psalm 21:3 For You welcomed him with rich blessings; You placed on his head a crown of pure gold.
- חֶמְדָּה chemdâhid.translated this way 3 times of its 23 uses · Strong’s H2532Noun · Translated: pleasant 3, precious 3, highly precious 2, riches 2Full study and all 23 verses →
Daniel 10:3 I ate no rich food, no meat or wine entered my mouth, and I did not anoint myself with oil until the three weeks were completed.
Daniel 11:38 And in their place, he will honor a god of fortresses— a god his fathers did not know— with gold, silver, precious stones, and riches.
- דָּשֵׁן dâshênfattranslated this way 2 times of its 3 uses · Strong’s H1879Adjective · Translated: rich 2, healthy 1Full study and all 3 verses →
Psalm 22:29 All the rich of the earth will feast and worship; all who go down to the dust will kneel before Him— even those unable to preserve their lives.
Isaiah 30:23 Then He will send rain for the seed that you have sown in the ground, and the food that comes from your land will be rich and plentiful. On that day your cattle will graze in open pastures.
- הוֹן hônwealth, sufficiencytranslated this way 2 times of its 26 uses · Strong’s H1952Noun · Translated: wealth 15, Enough 2, wealth of goods 2, riches 2Full study and all 26 verses →
Psalm 119:14 I rejoice in the way of Your testimonies as much as in all riches.
Proverbs 11:4 Riches are worthless in the day of wrath, but righteousness brings deliverance from death.
Greek words (New Testament)
- πλούσιος ploúsiosrichtranslated this way 26 times of its 28 uses · Strong’s G4145Adjective · Translated: rich 20, rich man 5, wealthy 2, rich man's 1Full study and all 28 verses →
Matthew 19:23 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “Truly I tell you, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.
Mark 10:25 It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”
- πλοῦτος ploûtosriches, wealthtranslated this way 16 times of its 21 uses · Strong’s G4149Noun · Translated: riches 14, wealth 4, of 1, rich 1Full study and all 20 verses →
Luke 8:14 The seeds that fell among the thorns are those who hear, but as they go on their way, they are choked by the worries, riches, and pleasures of this life, and their fruit does not mature.
Romans 2:4 Or do you disregard the riches of His kindness, tolerance, and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness leads you to repentance?
- πλουτέω ploutéōI become richtranslated this way 7 times of its 12 uses · Strong’s G4147Verb · Translated: rich 4, become rich 3, grown wealthy 2, gives richly 1Full study and all 12 verses →
Luke 1:53 He has filled the hungry with good things, but has sent the rich away empty.
1 Corinthians 4:8 Already you have all you want. Already you have become rich. Without us, you have become kings. How I wish you really were kings, so that we might be kings with you!
- χρῆμα chrēmamoney, richestranslated this way 2 times of its 6 uses · Strong’s G5536Noun · Translated: money 3, rich 2, bribe 1Full study and all 6 verses →
Mark 10:23 Then Jesus looked around and said to His disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!”
Luke 18:24 Seeing the man’s sadness, Jesus said, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!
How to study a word well
- Start from the verse, not the dictionary. Find which Hebrew or Greek word stands in the verse you are studying. One English word often translates several different original words.
- Read every place the word is used. A word means what its writers used it to mean. The list of verses and the count by book show its range, and who uses it most.
- Look at how it is translated. A word rendered five different ways has a wider meaning than any one English word can carry.
- Notice the form. A command is not a statement, and a passive verb is something done to the subject. The form in your verse is part of the meaning.
- See what it keeps company with. The words that appear beside it again and again show how the Bible itself connects ideas.
- Then read the dictionaries. They give the considered view of scholars, with their evidence.
- Come back to the verse. Context decides. A word does not carry every one of its meanings into every verse, and where a word came from does not settle what it means in a sentence written centuries later.
Scripture text and translation counts: Berean Standard Bible. Full entry: Brown, Driver and Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (1906, public domain), in the digital edition Brown-Driver-Briggs Enhanced by unfoldingWord (Joel Ruark, J. de Joode), based on data by Eliran Wong and Stephen Ku; its additions are used under CC BY 4.0. Strong’s Hebrew Dictionary: Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible Project, CC BY 4.0. Hebrew-to-English verse numbering: original work of the Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible available at https://github.com/openscriptures/morphhb, CC BY 4.0. We reformatted the data, linked the references to this site’s Bible text and left out words in other scripts that the source holds only as images. These are historical reference works; an entry gives its authors’ view, and a word’s meaning in any verse depends on how it is used there.