Lexical Summary mothar: Abundance, excess, advantage, profit Original Word: מוֹתָר Strong's Exhaustive Concordance plenteousness, preeminence, profit From yathar; literally, gain; figuratively, superiority -- plenteousness, preeminence, profit. see HEBREW yathar NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom yathar Definition abundance, preeminence NASB Translation advantage (2), profit (1). Topical Lexicon Overview The Hebrew term מוֹתָר portrays the idea of “surplus” or “profit”—whatever remains as a genuine gain once effort, time, or life itself have been expended. Found only in Wisdom Literature, it presses readers to weigh what truly endures versus what proves illusory. Occurrences and Context 1. Proverbs 14:23 describes the benefit that honest work yields: “There is profit in all labor, but mere talk leads only to poverty.” Taken together, these texts move from ordinary labor, to strategic foresight, to life-and-death reflection, progressively widening the question: What, in the end, is the believer’s lasting profit? Themes of Diligence and Labor Proverbs anchors מוֹתָר to diligent effort. The sage assumes that work, rightly pursued, produces a tangible surplus. Talk without action, or haste without foresight, squanders potential gain. The motif affirms the goodness of industry, the value of patience, and the moral responsibility to steward one’s abilities. Contrast with Futility Ecclesiastes unsettles the complacent reading of Proverbs by exposing the horizon of death. If humans and beasts share the same fate, no earthly surplus can secure ultimate significance. Thus the Preacher forces readers to look beyond temporal accumulation to a profit that death cannot erode. Historical and Cultural Background Ancient agrarian life understood profit concretely—extra grain stored after harvest, additional offspring in a flock, silver retained after trade. The sages employ that everyday language to explore spiritual realities: visible surplus becomes an analogy for invisible reward. In Israel’s covenant context, diligence was never autonomous self-help but obedience to Yahweh’s revealed wisdom. Theological Significance 1. Human responsibility: Labor and planning are means through which God ordinarily provides. Implications for Ministry Today • Discipleship: Encourage believers to honor God through diligent work while guarding against idolatry of success. Relation to New Testament Teaching Jesus’ question, “What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world yet forfeits his soul?” (Matthew 16:26), echoes the tension embedded in מוֹתָר. Paul instructs believers that labor “in the Lord is not in vain” (1 Corinthians 15:58), revealing where true surplus lies. James likewise condemns boastful schemes detached from God’s will (James 4:13-16), mirroring Proverbs’ critique of haste. Summary מוֹתָר invites a twofold wisdom: work diligently and plan faithfully, knowing such practices generally yield real benefit, yet measure every gain against eternity, where only what is grounded in God’s purposes endures. Forms and Transliterations וּמוֹתַ֨ר ומותר לְמוֹתָ֑ר למותר מוֹתָ֑ר מותר lə·mō·w·ṯār lemoTar ləmōwṯār mō·w·ṯār moTar mōwṯār ū·mō·w·ṯar umoTar ūmōwṯarLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Proverbs 14:23 HEB: עֶ֭צֶב יִהְיֶ֣ה מוֹתָ֑ר וּדְבַר־ שְׂ֝פָתַ֗יִם NAS: labor there is profit, But mere KJV: In all labour there is profit: but the talk INT: labor become is profit talk mere Proverbs 21:5 Ecclesiastes 3:19 3 Occurrences |
    |