Reference: Burden
American
A weight or load, on body or soul; often used figuratively, to denote afflictions, failings, sins, Ps 38:4; 55:22; Ga 6:2; services under law, Mt 23:4; official responsibilities, Ex 18:22; De 1:12; and especially prophetic messages, not always of a threatening character, Isa 19:1. In this last sense the Hebrew word may be rendered "oracle," "divine declaration," or "prophecy," as in 1/31/type/am'>Pr 31:31,1.
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And let them judge the people at all times; every great matter they shall bring to you, but every small matter they shall judge. So it will be easier for you, and they will bear the burden with you.
How can I bear alone the weariness and pressure and burden of you and your strife?
For my iniquities have gone over my head [like waves of a flood]; as a heavy burden they weigh too much for me.
Cast your burden on the Lord [releasing the weight of it] and He will sustain you; He will never allow the [consistently] righteous to be moved (made to slip, fall, or fail).
The words of Lemuel king of Massa, which his mother taught him:
Give her of the fruit of her hands, and let her own works praise her in the gates [of the city]!
The mournful, inspired prediction (a burden to be lifted up) concerning Egypt: Behold, the Lord is riding on a swift cloud and comes to Egypt; and the idols of Egypt will tremble at His presence, and the hearts of the Egyptians will melt within them.
They tie up heavy loads, hard to bear, and place them on men's shoulders, but they themselves will not lift a finger to help bear them.
Bear (endure, carry) one another's burdens and troublesome moral faults, and in this way fulfill and observe perfectly the law of Christ (the Messiah) and complete what is lacking [in your obedience to it].
Easton
(1.) (1.) A load of any kind (Ex 23:5). (2.) A severe task (Ex 2:11). (3.) A difficult duty, requiring effort (Ex 18:22). (4.) A prophecy of a calamitous or disastrous nature (Isa 13:1; 17:1; Hab 1:1, etc.).
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One day, after Moses was grown, it happened that he went out to his brethren and looked at their burdens; and he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of [Moses'] brethren.
And let them judge the people at all times; every great matter they shall bring to you, but every small matter they shall judge. So it will be easier for you, and they will bear the burden with you.
If you see the donkey of one who hates you lying [helpless] under his load, you shall refrain from leaving the man to cope with it alone; you shall help him to release the animal.
The mournful, inspired prediction (a burden to be lifted up) concerning Babylon which Isaiah son of Amoz saw [with prophetic insight]:
The mournful, inspired prediction (a burden to be lifted up) concerning Damascus [capital of Syria, and Israel's bulwark against Assyria]. Behold, Damascus will cease to be a city and will become a heap of ruins.
Hastings
The word so rendered in the OT is derived from a root which means to 'lift' or 'carry.' It has the two senses of an actual burden and a prophetic utterance. Instances of the former are 2Ki 5:17; Ne 13:19; Nu 4:15. Related usages are frequent; in Isa 22:25 the word suggests the pressure of something hanging on a peg, in Nu 11:11 the responsibility and in Ho 8:10 the privilege of government, in Ps 38:4 the responsibility for sin. The second sense is that of a solemn utterance, and the marginal alternative 'oracle' (Isa 14:28 et al.) is to he preferred. It was customary to explain this use of the word as due to the threatening character of the utterance; but many of the utterances are not threatening (cf. Zec 12; 9:1,9-17; in Pr 30:1; 31:1 RV puts 'oracle' in the text and 'burden' in the margin), and the word-play in Jer 23:33 ff. involves a reproof of the men who were disposed to regard the oracle of God as literally a burden. Most utterances of the prophets, moreover, were of necessity from their occasion minatory. 'Burden' in this second usage denotes simply something taken up solemnly upon the lips, both weighty in itself and weighty in its communication. It is not used of merely human utterances, but always carries with it the suggestion of Divine inspiration, actual or falsely assumed (La 2:14).
In the NT, Ac 21:3 is an instance of the literal use. The figures are easy. The word is used for the ordinances of the Law as interpreted by the Pharisees (Mt 23:4; Lu 11:46), for the prohibitions of the Apostolic decree (Ac 15:28; cf. Re 2:24), for the pressure and load of life (Mt 20:12), for an exacting or even legitimate charge upon others (2Co 11:9; 12:13 f.), for the imagined difficulties of following Christ (Mt 11:30). Two other kinds of burdens with their right treatment are contrasted. Other men's errors and sorrows must be shared in sympathy (Ga 6:2); though in the service of Christ there can be no transfer of obligations, but each man must carry his own kit and do his own duty (Ga 6:5).
R. W. Moss.
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When Aaron and his sons have finished covering the sanctuary and all its furniture, as the camp sets out, after all that [is done but not before], the sons of Kohath shall come to carry them. But they shall not touch the holy things, lest they die. These are the things of the Tent of Meeting which the sons of Kohath are to carry.
And Moses said to the Lord, Why have You dealt ill with Your servants? And why have I not found favor in Your sight, that You lay the burden of all this people on me?
Naaman said, Then, I pray you, let there be given to me, your servant, two mules' burden of earth. For your servant will henceforth offer neither burnt offering nor sacrifice to other gods, but only to the Lord.
And when it began to get dark at the gates of Jerusalem before the Sabbath [day began], I commanded that the gates should be shut and not be opened till after the Sabbath. And I set some of my servants at the gates to prevent any burden being brought in on the Sabbath day.
For my iniquities have gone over my head [like waves of a flood]; as a heavy burden they weigh too much for me.
The words of Agur son of Jakeh of Massa: The man says to Ithiel, to Ithiel and to Ucal:
The words of Lemuel king of Massa, which his mother taught him:
In the year that King Ahaz [of Judah] died there came this mournful, inspired prediction (a burden to be lifted up):
In that day, says the Lord of hosts, the nail or peg that was fastened into the sure place shall give way and be moved and be hewn down and fall, and the burden that was upon it shall be cut off; for the Lord has spoken it.
And when these people, or a prophet or a priest, ask you, What is the burden of the Lord [the thing to be lifted up now]? then you shall say to them, What burden [indeed]! [You are the burden!] And I will disburden Myself of you and I will cast you off, says the Lord.
Your prophets have predicted for you falsehood and delusion and foolish things; and they have not exposed your iniquity and guilt to avert your captivity [by causing you to repent]. But they have divined and declared to you false and deceptive prophecies, worthless and misleading.
Yes, though with presents they hire [allies] among the nations, now will I gather them up, and in a little while they will sorrow and begin to diminish [their gifts] because of the burden (tribute) imposed by the king of princes [the king of Assyria].
For My yoke is wholesome (useful, good -- "not harsh, hard, sharp, or pressing, but comfortable, gracious, and pleasant), and My burden is light and easy to be borne.
Saying, These [men] who came last worked no more than an hour, and yet you have made them rank with us who have borne the burden and the scorching heat of the day.
They tie up heavy loads, hard to bear, and place them on men's shoulders, but they themselves will not lift a finger to help bear them.
But He said, Woe to you, the lawyers, also! For you load men with oppressive burdens hard to bear, and you do not personally [even gently] touch the burdens with one of your fingers.
For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to lay upon you any greater burden than these indispensable requirements:
After we had sighted Cyprus, leaving it on our left we sailed on to Syria and put in at Tyre, for there the ship was to unload her cargo.
And when I was with you and ran short financially, I did not burden any [of you], for what I lacked was abundantly made up by the brethren who came from Macedonia. So I kept myself from being burdensome to you in any way, and will continue to keep [myself from being so].
For in what respect were you put to a disadvantage in comparison with the rest of the churches, unless [it was for the fact] that I myself did not burden you [with my financial support]? Pardon me [for doing you] this injustice!
Bear (endure, carry) one another's burdens and troublesome moral faults, and in this way fulfill and observe perfectly the law of Christ (the Messiah) and complete what is lacking [in your obedience to it].
For every person will have to bear ( be equal to understanding and calmly receive) his own [ little] load [of oppressive faults].
But to the rest of you in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who have not explored and known the depths of Satan, as they say -- "I tell you that I do not lay upon you any other [fresh] burden:
Morish
Besides the common use of this word, it occurs at the commencement of several prophecies; as 'The burden of Babylon,' 'the burden of Moab.' Isa 13:1; 15:1; etc. The learned are not agreed as to the force of massa in such places: its natural meaning would be 'a judgement that lies heavy on the people;' but some take its meaning to be 'an oracle or sentence pronounced against them.' The word occurs also in Jer 23:33-38, where it is 'the burden of the Lord.' The false prophets were not to use this expression, as if they had a message from God. If they did, it should bring judgement upon them. The same word is translated 'prophecy' in Pr 30:1; 31:1.
See Verses Found in Dictionary
The words of Agur son of Jakeh of Massa: The man says to Ithiel, to Ithiel and to Ucal:
The words of Lemuel king of Massa, which his mother taught him:
The mournful, inspired prediction (a burden to be lifted up) concerning Babylon which Isaiah son of Amoz saw [with prophetic insight]:
The mournful, inspired prediction (a burden to be lifted up) concerning Moab: Because in a night Ar of Moab is laid waste and brought to silence! Because in a night Kir of Moab is laid waste and brought to silence!
And when these people, or a prophet or a priest, ask you, What is the burden of the Lord [the thing to be lifted up now]? then you shall say to them, What burden [indeed]! [You are the burden!] And I will disburden Myself of you and I will cast you off, says the Lord. And as for the prophet, the priest, or [any of these] the people, whoever [in mockery calls the word of the Lord a burden and] says, The burden of the Lord, I will even visit in wrath and punish that man and his house. read more. [For the future, in speaking of the utterances of the Lord] thus shall you say every one to his neighbor and every one to his brother: What has the Lord answered? or, What has the Lord spoken? But the burden of the Lord you must mention no more, for every man's burden is his own response and word [for as they mockingly call all prophecies burdens, whether good or bad, so will it prove to be to them; God will take them at their own word]; for you pervert the words [not of a lifeless idol, but] of the living God, the Lord of hosts, our God! Thus shall you [reverently] say to the prophet: What has the Lord answered you? Or, What has the Lord spoken? But if you say, The burden of the Lord, therefore thus says the Lord: Because you said these words, The burden of the Lord, when I sent to you, saying, You shall not say, The burden of the Lord,