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/leb'>Pr 31:31,1.
See Verses Found in Dictionary
And let them judge the people all the time, {and} every major issue they will bring to you, and every minor issue they will judge themselves. And [so] lighten [it] for yourself, and they will bear [it] with you.
How can I bear you {by myself}, your burden and your load and your strife?
For my iniquities have passed over my head; like a heavy burden they are too heavy for me.
Cast your burden on Yahweh, and he will sustain you. He will never allow the righteous to be moved.
The words of Lemuel, [the] king--an oracle that his mother taught him:
Give to her from the fruit of her hand, and may they praise her works in the city gates.
An oracle of Egypt: Look! Yahweh [is] riding on a swift cloud and [is] coming [to] Egypt. And the idols of Egypt will tremble in front of him, and the heart of Egypt melts in his inner parts.
And they tie up heavy burdens and put [them] on people's shoulders, but [they] themselves are not willing with their finger to move them
Carry the burdens of one another, and so fulfill 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.).
See Verses Found in Dictionary
{And then} in those days when Moses had grown up, he went out to his brothers, and he saw their {forced labor}, and he saw an Egyptian man striking a Hebrew man, [one of] his brothers.
And let them judge the people all the time, {and} every major issue they will bring to you, and every minor issue they will judge themselves. And [so] lighten [it] for yourself, and they will bear [it] with you.
If you see the donkey of your enemy lying down under its burden, you will refrain from abandoning him. You will surely arrange [it] with him.
The oracle of Babylon that Isaiah son of Amoz saw:
An oracle of Damascus: "Look! Damascus [will] cease being a city and will become a heap of ruins.
The oracle that Habakkuk 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.
See Verses Found in Dictionary
And when Aaron and his sons have finished covering the sanctuary and all the vessels of the sanctuary when the camp sets out, the descendants of Kohath will come after to carry [these], but they must not touch the sanctuary, or they will die. These [are] the load of the descendants of Kohath in the tent of assembly.
And Moses said to Yahweh, "Why have you brought trouble to your servant? Why have I not found favor in your eyes, that the burdens of all these people have been placed on me?
Then Naaman said, "If not, then please let a load of soil on a pair of mules be given to your servants, for your servant will never again bring a burnt offering and sacrifice to other gods, [but] only to Yahweh.
So when it became dark at the gates of Jerusalem before the Sabbath, I commanded that the doors be shut and said that they should not be opened until after the Sabbath. And I appointed some of my young men over the gates [to prevent] any {goods} being brought in on the day of the Sabbath.
For my iniquities have passed over my head; like a heavy burden they are too heavy for me.
The words of Agur, son of Yakeh, the oracle. Thus says the man to Ithiel, to Ithiel, and Ucal:
The words of Lemuel, [the] king--an oracle that his mother taught him:
On that day, {declares} Yahweh of hosts, the peg that was driven will move away into a secure place, and it will be cut down and fall, and the load that [was] on her will be cut off. For Yahweh has spoken.'"
"Now when this people, or a prophet, or a priest, ask you, {saying}, 'What [is] the burden of Yahweh?' then you shall say to them, '{You are the burden}, and I will forsake you,'" {declares} Yahweh.
Your prophets had a vision for you, false and worthless; they have not exposed your sin, to restore your fortune; they have seen oracles for you, false and misleading.
Even though they have sold themselves to the nations, now I will gather them. They will soon writhe from the burden of kings and princes.
For my yoke [is] easy to carry and my burden is light."
saying, 'These last [people] worked one hour and you made them equal to us who have endured the burden of the day and the burning heat!'
And they tie up heavy burdens and put [them] on people's shoulders, but [they] themselves are not willing with their finger to move them
So he said, "Woe to you also, legal experts, because you load people [with] burdens hard to bear, and [you] yourselves do not touch the burdens with one of your fingers!
For it seemed best to the Holy Spirit and to us to place on you no greater burden except these necessary things:
And [after we] sighted Cyprus and left it behind {on the port side}, we sailed to Syria and arrived at Tyre, because the ship was to unload [its] cargo there.
And [when I] was present with you and was in need, I did not burden anyone, for the brothers who came from Macedonia supplied my need, and in everything I kept myself from being a burden to you, and will keep [myself from being a burden].
{For in what respect are you made worse off} more than the rest of the churches, except that I myself was not a burden to you? Forgive me this wrong!
Carry the burdens of one another, and so fulfill the law of Christ.
For each one will carry his own burden.
But I say to you, to the rest [who are] in Thyatira, all those who do not hold this teaching, who have not known the deep [things] of Satan, as they say, I do not put upon you any other 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 Yakeh, the oracle. Thus says the man to Ithiel, to Ithiel, and Ucal:
The words of Lemuel, [the] king--an oracle that his mother taught him:
The oracle of Babylon that Isaiah son of Amoz saw:
An oracle of Moab: Because Ar is devastated in a night, Moab is destroyed; because Kir of Moab is devastated in a night, it is destroyed.
"Now when this people, or a prophet, or a priest, ask you, {saying}, 'What [is] the burden of Yahweh?' then you shall say to them, '{You are the burden}, and I will forsake you,'" {declares} Yahweh. "And the prophet, and the priest, and the people who say, 'The burden of Yahweh,' I will punish that man and his house. read more. Thus you shall say, each one to his neighbor and each one to his brother: 'What has Yahweh answered?' or, 'What has Yahweh spoken?' But you shall not mention the burden of Yahweh, for the burden is to each one his word, and so you twist the words of [the] living God, Yahweh of hosts, our God Thus you shall say to that prophet, 'What has Yahweh answered you?' or, 'What has Yahweh spoken?' But if you say, 'The burden of Yahweh,' {therefore} thus says Yahweh, 'because of your saying these words, "The burden of Yahweh," then I will send to you, {saying}, "You shall not say, 'The burden of Yahweh.'"