Topical Bible: Burdens

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In the biblical context, "burdens" can refer to both physical loads and metaphorical weights that individuals carry, encompassing emotional, spiritual, and moral dimensions. The concept of burdens is addressed throughout Scripture, highlighting the human experience of carrying heavy loads and the divine provision for relief and support.

Old Testament References

In the Old Testament, burdens often refer to physical labor and the oppressive demands placed upon individuals. For instance, the Israelites in Egypt were subjected to harsh labor, described as burdens: "So they put slave masters over them to oppress them with forced labor" (Exodus 1:11). This physical burden was a symbol of their bondage and suffering.

The Psalms frequently speak of burdens in a metaphorical sense, expressing the weight of sin, sorrow, and distress. Psalm 38:4 states, "For my iniquities have overwhelmed me; they are a burden too heavy to bear" . Here, the psalmist acknowledges the oppressive nature of sin as a burden that weighs heavily on the soul.

New Testament Teachings

In the New Testament, Jesus Christ offers a profound teaching on burdens, inviting those who are weary to find rest in Him. In Matthew 11:28-30, Jesus declares, "Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light" . This passage emphasizes the relief and peace found in Christ, contrasting the heavy burdens of life with the lightness of His yoke.

The Apostle Paul also addresses the concept of burdens in his epistles. In Galatians 6:2, he instructs believers to "Carry one another’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ" . This directive underscores the communal aspect of the Christian faith, where believers are called to support and uplift one another, sharing in each other's struggles and challenges.

Spiritual and Moral Implications

Burdens in the spiritual and moral sense often relate to the weight of sin and the responsibility of living a righteous life. The Bible acknowledges the struggle against sin as a significant burden, yet it also offers the hope of redemption and forgiveness through Jesus Christ. Hebrews 12:1 encourages believers to "lay aside every weight and the sin that so easily entangles" , urging them to run the race of faith with perseverance.

The concept of burdens also extends to the responsibilities and challenges of discipleship. Jesus calls His followers to take up their cross daily, a metaphor for the burdens and sacrifices inherent in following Him (Luke 9:23). This call to discipleship involves a willingness to endure hardships for the sake of the Gospel, trusting in God's strength and provision.

Divine Assistance and Comfort

Throughout Scripture, God is portrayed as a source of comfort and assistance for those who are burdened. Psalm 55:22 encourages believers to "Cast your burden upon the LORD and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous be shaken" . This assurance of divine support is a recurring theme, offering hope and encouragement to those who feel overwhelmed by life's challenges.

In summary, the biblical concept of burdens encompasses both the tangible and intangible weights that individuals carry. Through faith in Christ and the support of the Christian community, believers are invited to find relief and strength, trusting in God's promise to sustain and uphold them.

Greek

5413. phortion -- a burden
... Word Origin dim. of phortos (load, cargo); from phero Definition a burden NASB
Word Usage burden (1), burdens (3), cargo (1), load (1). burden. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/5413.htm - 7k

5606. omos -- the shoulder
... shoulder. Perhaps from the alternate of phero; the shoulder (as that on which burdens
are borne) -- shoulder. see GREEK phero. (omous) -- 2 Occurrences. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/5606.htm - 6k

922. baros -- weight
... Word Origin from barus Definition weight NASB Word Usage asserted* (1), authority
(1), burden (3), burdens (1), weight (1). burden, weight. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/922.htm - 7k

Strong's Hebrew

7926. shekem -- shoulder
... place of burdens. From shakam; the neck (between the shoulders) as the place of
burdens; figuratively, the spur of a hill -- back, X consent, portion, shoulder. ...
/hebrew/7926.htm - 6k

5450. siblah -- a burden
... 5449, 5450. siblah. 5451 . a burden. Transliteration: siblah Phonetic Spelling:
(seb-aw-law') Short Definition: burdens. Word Origin ...
/hebrew/5450.htm - 6k

5449. sabbal -- burden bearer
... to bear, bearer of burdens. From cabal; a porter -- (to bear, bearer of)
burden(-s). see HEBREW cabal. 5448, 5449. sabbal. 5450 . Strong's Numbers.
/hebrew/5449.htm - 6k

3513. kabad -- to be heavy, weighty, or burdensome
... 6), held in honor (1), honor (17), honor you greatly (1), honorable (4), honored
(19), honoring (2), honors (5), indeed honor (1), laid burdens (1), made my ...
/hebrew/3513.htm - 7k

5447. sebel -- a load, burden
... burden. Word Origin from sabal Definition a load, burden NASB Word Usage
burden (1), burdens (1), forced labor (1). burden, charge. ...
/hebrew/5447.htm - 6k

6677. tsavvar -- neck, back of neck
... or (feminine) tsavva.rah (Micah 2:3) {tsav-vaw-raw'}; intensively from tsuwr in
the sense of binding; the back of the neck (as that on which burdens are bound ...
/hebrew/6677.htm - 6k

Library

We are not Binding Heavy Burdens and Laying them Upon Your ...
... Section 37. We are not binding heavy burdens and laying them upon your
shoulders? 37. We are not binding heavy burdens and laying ...
/.../augustine/of the work of monks /section 37 we are not.htm

Association
... SERMON XX. ASSOCIATION. GALATIANS, vi.2. "Bear ye one another's burdens,
and so fulfil the law of Christ.". If I were to ask you, my ...
/.../kingsley/twenty-five village sermons/sermon xx association.htm

Of the Term Mass.
... For it is an old word, ordinarily employed in public civil administrations, and
signified to the Greeks public burdens, as tribute, the expense of equipping a ...
/.../melanchthon/the apology of the augsburg confession/part 33 of the term.htm

February 22. "He that Hath Entered into his Rest Hath Ceased from ...
... What a rest it would be to many of us if we could but exchange burdens with Christ,
and so utterly and forever transfer to Him all our cares and needs that we ...
/.../simpson/days of heaven upon earth /february 22 he that hath.htm

The Burden-Bearing God
... Whereas, on the other hand, if we adopt the suggested emendation, 'Who daily beareth
our burdens,' we get a still more beautiful meaning, which requires no ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture j/the burden-bearing god.htm

He Careth for Thee.
... God. None can be truly happy, none can be the cheer, comfort, and consolation
to the world, who are bearing their own burdens. Only ...
//christianbookshelf.org/orr/how to live a holy life/he careth for thee.htm

Li. Dining with a Pharisee, Jesus Denounces that Sect.
... for ye load men with burdens grievous to be borne, and ye yourselves touch
not the burdens with one of your fingers. [We have seen ...
/.../mcgarvey/the four-fold gospel/li dining with a pharisee.htm

Sermon for the Twelfth Sunday after Trinity
... (From the Epistle for the day) Teaching us that we ought to receive God, in all
His gifts, and in all His burdens, with true long-suffering. ...
/.../xxii sermon for the twelfth.htm

Christ's Reprehension of the Pharisees Seeking a Sign his Censure ...
... He also inveighs against the doctors of the law themselves, because they were "lading
men with burdens grievous to be borne, which they did not venture to ...
/.../the five books against marcion/chapter xxvii christs reprehension of the.htm

Of the Section Where it is Recorded, that Being Moved with ...
... An instance of this kind occurs in what is said in the Epistle to the Galatians:
"Bear ye one another's burdens, and so ye will fulfil the law of Christ. ...
/.../augustine/the harmony of the gospels/chapter xxx of the section where.htm

Thesaurus

Burdens (35 Occurrences)
...Burdens (35 Occurrences). ... For you load men with burdens that are difficult to carry,
and you yourselves won't even lift one finger to help carry those burdens. ...
/b/burdens.htm - 17k

Load (22 Occurrences)
... a cargo; lading. 3. (v.) That which burdens, oppresses, or grieves the
mind or spirits; as, a load of care. 4. (n.) A particular ...
/l/load.htm - 14k

Loads (12 Occurrences)
... Matthew 23:4 Heavy and cumbrous burdens they bind together and load men's shoulders
with them, while as for themselves, not with one finger do they choose to ...
/l/loads.htm - 10k

80000 (3 Occurrences)
... 80000 (3 Occurrences). 1 Kings 5:15 Solomon had seventy thousand who bore burdens,
and eighty thousand who were stone cutters in the mountains; (See NAS). ...
/num/80000.htm - 7k

Labors (27 Occurrences)
... (See NAS). Exodus 2:11 It happened in those days, when Moses had grown up, that
he went out to his brothers, and looked at their burdens. ...
/l/labors.htm - 14k

Grievous (73 Occurrences)
... Matthew 23:4 For they bind heavy burdens that are grievous to be borne, and lay
them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not lift a finger to help them ...
/g/grievous.htm - 31k

Fingers (22 Occurrences)
... Matthew 23:4 For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them
on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their ...
/f/fingers.htm - 13k

Borne (172 Occurrences)
... Matthew 23:4 For they bind heavy burdens that are grievous to be borne, and lay
them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not lift a finger to help them ...
/b/borne.htm - 38k

Cutters (14 Occurrences)
... (BBE). 1 Kings 5:15 Solomon had seventy thousand who bore burdens, and eighty
thousand who were stone cutters in the mountains; (WEB BBE NIV). ...
/c/cutters.htm - 10k

Carriers (7 Occurrences)
... (See NIV). 1 Kings 5:15 Solomon had seventy thousand who bore burdens, and eighty
thousand who were stone cutters in the mountains; (See NIV). ...
/c/carriers.htm - 8k

Resources

What does it mean to bear one another's burdens? | GotQuestions.org

What can we learn from the tribe of Issachar? | GotQuestions.org

What does the Bible say about burnout? | GotQuestions.org

Bible Concordance • Bible Dictionary • Bible Encyclopedia • Topical Bible • Bible Thesuarus

Concordance

Burdens (35 Occurrences)

Matthew 23:4
For they bind heavy burdens that are grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not lift a finger to help them.
(WEB KJV WEY ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV)

Luke 11:46
He said, "Woe to you lawyers also! For you load men with burdens that are difficult to carry, and you yourselves won't even lift one finger to help carry those burdens.
(WEB KJV WEY ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

2 Corinthians 5:4
Yes, we who are in this tent certainly do sigh under our burdens, for we do not wish to lay aside that with which we are now clothed, but to put on more, so that our mortality may be absorbed in Life.
(WEY)

2 Corinthians 8:14
but that, by equalization of burdens, your superfluity having in the present emergency supplied their deficiency, their superfluity may in turn be a supply for your deficiency later on, so that there may be equalization of burdens.
(WEY)

Galatians 6:2
Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.
(WEB KJV WEY ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Revelation 2:3
And you endure patiently and have borne burdens for My sake and have never grown weary.
(WEY)

Genesis 49:14
Issachar is a strong ass couching down between two burdens:
(KJV WBS)

Genesis 49:15
He saw a resting place, that it was good, the land, that it was pleasant. He bows his shoulder to the burden, and becomes a servant doing forced labor.
(See NAS)

Exodus 1:11
Therefore they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with their burdens. They built storage cities for Pharaoh: Pithom and Raamses.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT RSV)

Exodus 2:11
It happened in those days, when Moses had grown up, that he went out to his brothers, and looked at their burdens. He saw an Egyptian striking a Hebrew, one of his brothers.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT RSV)

Exodus 5:4
The king of Egypt said to them, "Why do you, Moses and Aaron, take the people from their work? Get back to your burdens!"
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT RSV)

Exodus 5:5
Pharaoh said, "Behold, the people of the land are now many, and you make them rest from their burdens."
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT RSV)

Exodus 6:6
Therefore tell the children of Israel,'I am Yahweh, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you out of their bondage, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm, and with great judgments:
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV)

Exodus 6:7
and I will take you to me for a people, and I will be to you a God; and you shall know that I am Yahweh your God, who brings you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV)

Numbers 4:24
"This is the service of the families of the Gershonites, in serving and in bearing burdens:
(WEB KJV JPS ASV WBS RSV NIV)

Numbers 4:27
At the appointment of Aaron and his sons shall be all the service of the sons of the Gershonites, in all their burdens, and in all their service: and ye shall appoint unto them in charge all their burdens.
(KJV WBS)

Numbers 4:47
from thirty years old and upward even to fifty years old, everyone who entered in to do the work of service, and the work of bearing burdens in the Tent of Meeting,
(WEB JPS ASV RSV)

Deuteronomy 1:12
How can I myself alone bear your cumbrance, and your burden, and your strife?
(See NIV)

1 Kings 5:15
Solomon had seventy thousand who bore burdens, and eighty thousand who were stone cutters in the mountains;
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT)

2 Chronicles 2:2
Solomon counted out seventy thousand men to bear burdens, and eighty thousand men who were stone cutters in the mountains, and three thousand and six hundred to oversee them.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS RSV)

2 Chronicles 2:18
He set seventy thousand of them to bear burdens, and eighty thousand who were stone cutters in the mountains, and three thousand six hundred overseers to set the people at work.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS RSV)

2 Chronicles 24:27
Now concerning his sons, and the greatness of the burdens laid on him, and the rebuilding of the house of God, behold, they are written in the commentary of the book of the kings. Amaziah his son reigned in his place.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS)

2 Chronicles 34:13
Also they were over the bearers of burdens, and set forward all who did the work in every manner of service: and of the Levites there were scribes, and officers, and porters.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS)

Nehemiah 4:10
Judah said, The strength of the bearers of burdens is decayed, and there is much rubbish; so that we are not able to build the wall.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS)

Nehemiah 4:17
They all built the wall and those who bore burdens loaded themselves; everyone with one of his hands worked in the work, and with the other held his weapon;
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS NAS RSV)

Nehemiah 5:15
But the former governors that were before me were chargeable unto the people, and took of them bread and wine, besides forty shekels of silver; yea, even their servants bare rule over the people: but so did not I, because of the fear of God.
(See JPS NAS RSV)

Nehemiah 13:15
In those days saw I in Judah some men treading winepresses on the Sabbath, and bringing in sheaves, and loading donkeys therewith; as also wine, grapes, and figs, and all manner of burdens, which they brought into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day: and I testified against them in the day in which they sold food.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS RSV)

Psalms 66:11
You brought us into prison. You laid a burden on our backs.
(See NIV)

Psalms 68:19
Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears our burdens, even the God who is our salvation. Selah.
(WEB NIV)

Psalms 73:5
They are free from burdens of men, neither are they plagued like other men.
(WEB NIV)

Proverbs 22:26
Be not thou among those striking hands, Among sureties 'for' burdens.
(YLT)

Isaiah 9:4
For the yoke of his burden, and the staff of his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, Thou hast broken as in the day of Midian.
(See NIV)

Isaiah 46:1
Bowed down hath Bel, stooping is Nebo, Their idols have been for the beast and for cattle, Your burdens are loaded, a burden to the weary.
(YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Lamentations 2:14
Thy prophets have seen vain and foolish things for thee: and they have not discovered thine iniquity, to turn away thy captivity; but have seen for thee false burdens and causes of banishment.
(KJV JPS DBY WBS YLT)

Amos 5:11
Forasmuch therefore as your treading is upon the poor, and ye take from him burdens of wheat: ye have built houses of hewn stone, but ye shall not dwell in them; ye have planted pleasant vineyards, but ye shall not drink wine of them.
(KJV WBS)

Subtopics

Burdens

Related Terms

Chargeable (5 Occurrences)

Rehoboam (42 Occurrences)

Burden (111 Occurrences)

Pressed (65 Occurrences)

Burdens (35 Occurrences)

Your's (6 Occurrences)

Oppressive (6 Occurrences)

Lacking (53 Occurrences)

Light (2869 Occurrences)