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: [from H14 (אָבָה - willing), in the sense of want (especially in feeling)]

1. destitute

beggar, needy, poor man

From 'abah, in the sense of want (especially in feeling); destitute -- beggar, needy, poor (man).

see HEBREW 'abah

Word Origin
from abah
Definition
in want, needy, poor
NASB Translation
needy (45), needy one (2), poor (12), poor man (1).

אֶבְיוֺן adjective in want, needy, poor, — so, always absolute, Deuteronomy 15:4 40t; אֶבְיֹנְךָ Exodus 23:6; Deuteronomy 15:11; אֶבְיוֺנִים Amos 4:1 14t.; (אֶבְיֹנֵי) אֶבְיוֺנֵי Exodus 23:11; Isaiah 29:19; אֶבְיוֺנֶיהָ 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 "" עָנִי); elsewhere substantive; Psalm 49:3 ("" עָשִׁיר); Deuteronomy 15:4,11; subject to oppression & abuse Amos 2:6; Amos 5:12 (both "" צַדִּיק) Amos 4:1; Amos 8:6 (all "" דַּל) 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 "" עָנִי) Jeremiah 5:28 ("" יָתוֺם) Jeremiah 2:34; cared for by good Job 29:16; Job 30:25 ("" קְשֵׁהיֿוֺם) Job 31:19; Psalm 112:9; Esther 9:22; Proverbs 14:31 ("" דַּל) Proverbs 31:20; Jeremiah 22:16 ("" עָנִי); care of them enjoined, negatively Exodus 23:6; — compare Deuteronomy 24:14 above — positively Exodus 23:11; Deuteronomy 15:11; Proverbs 31:9 (both "" עָנִי) — compare Deuteronomy 15:7 (twice in verse); Deuteronomy 15:9 above — Psalm 82:4 ("" דַּל); 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 "" דַּל) Psalm 35:10; Psalm 140:13 (both "" עָנִי), compare Davidic king Psalm 72:12 ("" עָנִי) = Psalm 72:4 ׳בְּנֵי אֶבְ ("" id.), Psalm 72:13 (twice in verse); ("" דַּל); 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 "" עָנִי) Isaiah 25:4 ("" דַּל) Psalm 69:34; Psalm 109:31.

Meaning and Scope

אֶבְיוֹן (’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 in Psalm 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 and Isaiah 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, citing Isaiah 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 and 2 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).

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’eḇyōwnîmInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts