Oppression in the Bible

What is oppression, in simple words?

Oppression means using power unjustly to weigh others down, whether by force, cruelty, exploitation, or unfair treatment. The English word suggests pressing down on something. In the Bible, most references to oppression describe people mistreating other people, especially those with less power: the poor, foreigners, widows, orphans, and workers.

The Bible also uses “oppressed” in a second way, for being weighed down by hostile spiritual forces. This article takes both into account, beginning with the more common sense.

Key words

• Hebrew ashaq means to oppress or extort, and is used of cheating or defrauding others (Leviticus 19:13; Deuteronomy 24:14).
• Hebrew lachats means to squeeze or press, and is the word used of Egypt’s treatment of Israel: “Moreover I have seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them” (Exodus 3:9, WEB).
• Hebrew yanah can mean to wrong or mistreat, as in Exodus 22:21: “Thou shalt neither vex a stranger, nor oppress him” (KJV).
• Greek katadynasteuo means to exercise power over, and appears in Acts 10:38 and James 2:6.
• Greek thrauo means to shatter or crush, and is used in Luke 4:18 (often translated “bruised” or “oppressed”).

The King James Version uses “oppress” and “oppression” widely. The KJV definition is not a separate theological meaning, but the ordinary sense of the English word of its time: to burden, afflict, or treat tyrannically.

God sees and hears the oppressed

A strong pattern in Scripture is that God notices those who suffer injustice.

• In Egypt, “the children of Israel sighed because of the bondage, and they cried, and their cry came up to God because of the bondage” (Exodus 2:23, WEB). The LORD hears and acts (Exodus 3:7-9).
• “Yahweh will also be a high tower for the oppressed; a high tower in times of trouble” (Psalm 9:9, WEB).
• “He who oppresses the poor shows contempt for his Maker, but he who is kind to the needy honors him” (Proverbs 14:31, WEB).
• Psalm 72 asks that the king “judge the poor of the people… save the children of the needy, and will break the oppressor in pieces.”

The Bible’s commitment on this theme is steady across the Law, the Psalms, the Prophets, and the New Testament.

“Do not oppress the poor”: commands to God’s people

Israel’s law carries specific instructions:

• Do not wrong or oppress a foreigner, “for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt” (Exodus 22:21; 23:9, KJV).
• Do not take advantage of widows and orphans (Exodus 22:22-24). See also helping the widows and orphans: Bible verses.
• Pay a hired worker promptly (Deuteronomy 24:14-15).
• Do not oppress one another in business dealings (Leviticus 25:14, 17).

The prophets then condemn those who ignore these commands. Isaiah 1:17 says, “Learn to do well. Seek justice. Relieve the oppressed” (WEB). Amos 4:1 and Micah 2:2 criticize those who crush the poor. Zechariah 7:10 says, “Don’t oppress the widow, nor the fatherless, the foreigner, nor the poor” (Zechariah 7:10, WEB).

In the New Testament, James 5:4 warns employers who withhold wages (see our James 5 study guide), and James 2:6 reminds the church not to favor the rich who oppress them. Jesus announces good news “to the poor” and release “to the captives” (Luke 4:18).

Acts 10:38 and spiritual oppression

Acts 10:38 says that Jesus “went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him” (KJV). This verse is a key text for people who speak of spiritual oppression. Several things are worth noticing.

• It sums up Jesus’ ministry of healing and casting out spirits as an act of rescue.
• The Greek verb suggests being dominated or mistreated, and the Gospels describe both physical and spiritual afflictions in this way.
• The Gospels also distinguish at times between sickness and demonic affliction, and at other times link them.

Christians read this in different ways. Some Pentecostal and charismatic traditions teach that believers can experience demonic oppression and need to resist it through prayer and authority in Christ. Many other evangelical and Reformed writers are cautious about extending the language beyond what the New Testament states, and stress that believers belong to Christ (Colossians 1:13). Catholic and Orthodox traditions have their own prayers and rites. A study group can accept these differences while agreeing on what the verse says: Jesus rescues.

“Spiritual oppression” as a phrase is not used in the Bible, so be careful about treating a term from preaching as though it were a verse. For more, see our deliverance Bible study.

When distress is not obviously “spiritual”

Not every heavy burden is a demonic attack or an unjust system. People also face grief, illness, trauma, depression, and anxiety, which have their own causes. Scripture gives a good deal of room for lament, as in Psalm 88, Job, and Lamentations. If you feel crushed by hopelessness or fear, it is wise to speak with a doctor or licensed counselor as well as a pastor. This does not replace faith; many believers find that care for the body, mind, and soul work together.

Questions for a group

1. Which kinds of oppression does the Bible mention that we are slow to notice today?
2. What does God’s response in Exodus 3 teach us about how he sees suffering?
3. How should the “do not oppress” commands shape our own work, spending, and welcome of strangers?
4. How do we hold together concern for justice and concern for the spiritual care of those who suffer?

What should believers do?

Micah 6:8 sums up a good approach: “to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God” (WEB). Isaiah 58:6-7 links true worship with loosing the bonds of oppression and sharing bread with the hungry. In practice this might mean supporting local aid, advocating for fair treatment, and praying for those who suffer. The wider cluster also covers how the tools God gives are described in the armor and weapons passages.

Summary

Oppression in the Bible is first of all about injustice between people, and God consistently stands with those who are crushed. In the New Testament, Jesus’ work is also described as rescue from the devil’s oppression. Both strands point to the same hope: the God who heard Israel in Egypt still hears those who cry out.