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/juliasmith'>Pr 31:31,1.
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And they judged the people in all time: and it will be every great word they will bring to thee, and every small word they shall judge: and it will be light for thee, and they shall lift up with thee.
How shall I bear alone your burden and your lifting up and your strife
No soundness in my flesh from thy wrath; no peace in my bones from the face of my sins.
Cast thy giving upon Jehovah and he will sustain thee: he will not give forever a wavering to the just one.
The words of Lemuel the king, the lifting up which his mother will instruct him.
Ye shall give her from the fruit of her hands, and her works shall praise her in the gates.
The burden of Egypt Behold, Jehovah riding upon a swift cloud and coming to Egypt: and the vanities of Egypt moved to and fro from his face, and the heart of Egypt will melt in its midst
For they bind loads heavy and difficult to carry, and put upon men's shoulders; and with their fingers will they not move them.
Bear one another's burdens, and so fill up the law of Christ:
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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And it will be in these days, and Moses will become great, and he will go forth to his brethren, and he will see their burdens: and he will see a man, an Egyptian, smiting a man, a Hebrew, from his brethren.
And they judged the people in all time: and it will be every great word they will bring to thee, and every small word they shall judge: and it will be light for thee, and they shall lift up with thee.
If thou shalt see the ass of him hating thee, lying down under his load, and thou didst desist from cutting loose for him, releasing, thou shall release with him.
The burden of Babel which Isaiah son of Amos saw.
The burden of Damascus. Behold, Damascus being taken away from a city, and it was a falling heap of rubbish.
The lifting up which Habbakuk the prophet saw.
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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And Aaron and his sons finished to cover the holy place, and all the vessels of the holy place, in removing the camp; and after this the sons of Kohath shall come forth to lift up: and they shall not touch the holy place, and die. These the lifting up of the sons of Kohath in the tent of appointment
And Moses will say to Jehovah, For what hest thou done evil to thy servant? and for what did I not find grace in thine eyes, to put the debt of all this people upon me?
And Naaman will say, And shall there not now be given to thy servant a pair of Mules lifting up earth? for thy servant will no more do a burnt-offering and a sacrifice to other gods but to Jehovah.
And it will be as the gates of Jerusalem were darkened before the Sabbath, and saying, and the doors shall be shut, and saying that they shall not open them till after the Sabbath: and from my young men I caused to stand at the gates; a burden shall not be brought in in the day of the Sabbath.
No soundness in my flesh from thy wrath; no peace in my bones from the face of my sins.
The words of Agur, son of Jakeh: the lifting up: the declaration of the man to Ithiel; to Ithiel and Ucal:
The words of Lemuel the king, the lifting up which his mother will instruct him.
In that day, says Jehovah of armies, shall the peg fastened in a faithful place give way, and it was cut down, and it fell; and the lifting up which was upon it was cut off: for Jehovah spake.
And when this people, or prophet, or priest, shall ask thee, saying, What the burden of Jehovah? and thou saidst to them, What burden? And I cast you off, says Jehovah.
Thy prophets saw for thee vanity and a foolish thing, and they uncovered not upon thine iniquity to turn back thy captivity; and they will see for thee burdens of falsehood and seductions.
Also if they will hire among the nations, now will I gather them, and shall they be weak a little from the lifting up of the king of the princes.
For my yoke is useful, and my load is light.
Saying, That these last worked one hour, and thou hast made them equal to us, having borne the burden and heat of the day.
For they bind loads heavy and difficult to carry, and put upon men's shoulders; and with their fingers will they not move them.
And he said, And woe to you, skilled in the law! for ye load men with loads difficult to carry, and ye yourselves touch not one of the fingers to the load.
For it seemed fitting to the Holy Spirit, and to us, for no more burden to be put upon you but the necessities of these;
And having been shown Cyprus, and left it at the left hand, we sailed to Syria, and were conveyed to Tyre: for thither was the ship discharging the lading.
And being present with you, and having wanted, I acted not with negligence to any: (for the brethren having come from Macedonia filled up still more my want:) and I kept myself in every thing not burdensome to you, and I will keep.
For what is it which ye were inferior to the rest of the churches, except that I myself acted not with negligence to you? favor me for this injustice.
Bear one another's burdens, and so fill up the law of Christ:
For each shall bear his own load.
And say to you, and to the rest among the Thyatirians, as many as have not this teaching, and who know not the burden of Satan, as they say; I will cast no other burden upon you.
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.
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The words of Agur, son of Jakeh: the lifting up: the declaration of the man to Ithiel; to Ithiel and Ucal:
The words of Lemuel the king, the lifting up which his mother will instruct him.
The burden of Babel which Isaiah son of Amos saw.
The burden of Moab. For in the night the city of Moab was destroyed, perishing; for in the night the wall of Moab was destroyed, perishing.
And when this people, or prophet, or priest, shall ask thee, saying, What the burden of Jehovah? and thou saidst to them, What burden? And I cast you off, says Jehovah. And the prophet and the priest and the people which shall say, The burden of Jehovah, and I reviewed upon that man, and upon his house. read more. Thus shall ye say, a man to his neighbor, a man to his brother, What answered Jehovah? and what spake Jehovah? And ye shall no more make mention of the burden of Jehovah, for the burden to a man shall be his word; and ye perverted the words of the living God, Jehovah of armies our God. Thus shalt thou say to the prophet, What answered Jehovah? and what spake Jehovah? And if ye shall say, The burden of Jehovah; for this, thus said Jehovah, Because ye said this word, The burden of Jehovah, and I shall send to you, saying, Ye shall not say, The burden of Jehovah: