Word study
Treasure
9 Hebrew and 2 Greek words behind this English word
The original-language words that the Berean Standard Bible translates with one of these: treasures, treasure, treasured, treasuring. 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 “treasure” 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)
- אוֹצָר ôtsârtreasure, store, treasury, storehousetranslated this way 18 times of its 71 uses · Strong’s H214Noun · Translated: treasuries 20, treasures 17, storehouses 11, treasury 8Full study and all 68 verses →
1 Kings 14:26 He seized the treasures of the house of the LORD and of the royal palace. He took everything, including all the gold shields that Solomon had made.
2 Kings 20:15 “What have they seen in your palace?” Isaiah asked. “They have seen everything in my palace,” answered Hezekiah. “There is nothing among my treasures that I did not show them.”
- סְגֻלָּה segullâhpossession, propertytranslated this way 6 times of its 8 uses · Strong’s H5459Noun · Translated: treasured possession 4, prized possession 2, personal treasures 1, treasure 1Full study and all 8 verses →
Exodus 19:5 Now if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, you will be My treasured possession out of all the nations — for the whole earth is Mine.
Deuteronomy 26:18 And today the LORD has proclaimed that you are His people and treasured possession as He promised, that you are to keep all His commandments,
- צָפַן tsâphanhide, treasure uptranslated this way 5 times of its 31 uses · Strong’s H6845Verb · Translated: hide 4, hidden 2, concealed 2, treasured 2Full study and all 30 verses →
Job 20:26 Total darkness is reserved for his treasures. A fire unfanned will consume him and devour what is left in his tent.
Proverbs 7:1 My son, keep my words and treasure my commandments within you.
- מַטְמוֹן maṭmônhidden treasure, treasuretranslated this way 4 times of its 5 uses · Strong’s H4301Noun · Translated: like hidden treasure 2, treasure 1, riches hidden 1, hidden treasure 1Full study and all 5 verses →
Genesis 43:23 “It is fine,” said the steward. “Do not be afraid. Your God, the God of your father, gave you the treasure that was in your sacks. I received your silver.” Then he brought Simeon out to them.
Job 3:21 who long for death that does not come, and search for it like hidden treasure,
- נְכֹת nekôthtreasuretranslated this way 2 times of its 2 uses · Strong’s H5238Noun · Translated: treasure 2Full study and all 2 verses →
2 Kings 20:13 And Hezekiah received the envoys and showed them all that was in his treasure house — the silver, the gold, the spices, and the precious oil, as well as his armory— all that was found in his storehouses. There was nothing in his palace or in all his dominion that Hezekiah did not show them.
Isaiah 39:2 And Hezekiah welcomed the envoys gladly and showed them what was in his treasure house — the silver, the gold, the spices, and the precious oil, as well as his entire armory — all that was found in his storehouses. There was nothing in his palace or in all his dominion that Hezekiah did not show them.
- חָמַד châmaddesire, take pleasure intranslated this way 2 times of its 23 uses · Strong’s H2530Verb · Translated: covet 6, delight 2, desire 2, precious 2Full study and all 22 verses →
Job 20:20 Because his appetite is never satisfied, he cannot escape with his treasure.
Isaiah 44:9 All makers of idols are nothing, and the things they treasure are worthless. Their witnesses fail to see or comprehend, so they are put to shame.
- חֹסֶן chôsenwealth, treasuretranslated this way 2 times of its 5 uses · Strong’s H2633Noun · Translated: treasure 1, riches 1, storehouse 1, wealth 1Full study and all 5 verses →
Proverbs 15:6 The house of the righteous has great treasure, but the income of the wicked is trouble.
Ezekiel 22:25 The conspiracy of the princes in her midst is like a roaring lion tearing its prey. They devour the people, seize the treasures and precious things, and multiply the widows within her.
- מַחְמֻד machmuddesirable, precious thingtranslated this way 2 times of its 2 uses · Strong’s H4262Noun · Translated: treasures 2Full study and all 2 verses →
Lamentations 1:7 In the days of her affliction and wandering Jerusalem remembers all the treasures that were hers in days of old. When her people fell into enemy hands she received no help. Her enemies looked upon her, laughing at her downfall.
Lamentations 1:11 All her people groan as they search for bread. They have traded their treasures for food to keep themselves alive. Look, O LORD, and consider, for I have become despised.
- מַחְמָד machmâddesire, desirable thingtranslated this way 2 times of its 12 uses · Strong’s H4261Noun · Translated: desire 3, precious 2, treasures 2Full study and all 12 verses →
Lamentations 1:10 The adversary has seized all her treasures. For she has seen the nations enter her sanctuary— those You had forbidden to enter Your assembly.
Joel 3:5 For you took My silver and gold and carried off My finest treasures to your temples.
Greek words (New Testament)
- θησαυρός thēsaurósa treasure, storetranslated this way 16 times of its 17 uses · Strong’s G2344Noun · Translated: treasure 9, treasures 5, store of treasure 2, storeroom 1Full study and all 16 verses →
Matthew 2:11 On coming to the house, they saw the Child with His mother Mary, and they fell down and worshiped Him. Then they opened their treasures and presented Him with gifts of gold and frankincense and myrrh.
Mark 10:21 Jesus looked at him, loved him, and said to him, “There is one thing you lack: Go, sell everything you own and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow Me.”
- θησαυρίζω thēsaurízōI store up, treasure up, savetranslated this way 2 times of its 8 uses · Strong’s G2343Verb · Translated: store 2Full study and all 8 verses →
Luke 12:21 This is how it will be for anyone who stores up treasure for himself but is not rich toward God.”
James 5:3 Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and consume your flesh like fire. You have hoarded treasure in the last days.
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.
What the Bible says about treasure: passages by topic →
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.